OBITUARY
First Lt. Robert L. Fergusson died yesterday in an Army hospital at Camp Drake, Japan, of wounds received Oct. 8,1967 in action in Vietnam. He was en route from Saigon to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., a fact that had been taken by family friends on the Peninsula to indicate he was on the road to recovery. Lt. Fergusson, 24, was the son of former Fort Ord commanding general Maj. Gen. Robert G. Fergusson and Mrs. Fergusson, the former Charlotte Lawrence of Carmel. Lt. Fergusson had been cited for bravery, gallantry and proficient leadership and had been recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross for the action in which he received his fatal wounds. To Washington. His father, who now is U.S. commandant in Berlin, this morning was enroute to Washington to join Mrs. Fergusson, who had gone there from Berlin to await the arrival of their son. The general had visited with his son in Vietnam shortly after he was wounded. News of the young lieutenant's death reached Fort Ord early this morning from headquarters in Berlin. The last previous word on Lt. Fergusson's condition was that he had successfully recovered from pneumonia while in a Saigon hospital and that he would be moved to this country as soon as he was able to travel. Late last month he was taken off the "critical" list although his condition still was described as "serious." Lt. Fergusson was wounded on Oct. 8 while acting as a forward artillery observer with the 101st Airborne Division. He had been wounded slightly in August and had returned to duty. Head Injury. In a letter to the Fergussons, their sons' brigade commander wrote that the lieutenant was wounded by enemy automatic weapons fire. A head injury was the most serious wound. Brig. Gen. S.H. Mattheson wrote: "Bob's company commander, Capt. John Lawton was severely wounded while leading a maneuver element to the assistance of the beleaguered platoon. Capt. Lawton was in the hands of the enemy and ordered Bob to withdraw, but he refused and was attempting to rescue Capt. Lawton when he, too, was wounded in the head, neck, chest and arms. "Bob's display of outstanding gallantry and professional leadership on the battlefield have won him the respect and admiration of the officers and men of the brigade. His action warranted, and he is being recommended for, the award of the Distinguished Service Cross. (Lt Fergusson was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for gallantry). "You may be sure that I personally, and the entire brigade are proud of Bob's action of the battlefield." In 1962, Lt. Fergusson entered the United States Military Academy with the Class of 1966. Lt. Fergusson subsequently graduated in 1966 from the University fo Richmond (Va.) with a bachelor of science degree in industrial management. While at the University of Richmond, he was Cadet Commandant of the Reserve Officer Training unit, a member of Scabbard and Blade, military honor society, and was designated a "Distinguished Military Student," receiving a Regular Army commission. His first service assignment was at Fort Sill, Okla., where he attended the field Artillery School. He later attended the Airborne and Ranger schools at Fort Benning, Ga., before joining the 101st at Fort Campbell, Ky.
Copyright (c) 2009 The Monterey County Herald
Monterey Peninsula Herald, CA Nov 10, 1967
Tuesday Rites at West Point for Lt. Fergusson
Funeral services for Lt. Robert L. Ferguson, who died this week of wounds received in Vietnam, are scheduled for Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the chapel at West Point, N.Y. Burial will follow in the West Point cemetery. Lt. Fergusson, 24, was the son of former Fort Ord commanding general Maj. Gen. Robert G. Fergusson and Mrs. Fergusson, the former Charlotte Lawrence of Carmel. He was wounded in action Oct. 8 and had been considered on the way to recovery when he died Tuesday in an Army hospital in Japan.
First Lt. Robert L. Fergusson died yesterday in an Army hospital at Camp Drake, Japan, of wounds received Oct. 8,1967 in action in Vietnam. He was en route from Saigon to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., a fact that had been taken by family friends on the Peninsula to indicate he was on the road to recovery. Lt. Fergusson, 24, was the son of former Fort Ord commanding general Maj. Gen. Robert G. Fergusson and Mrs. Fergusson, the former Charlotte Lawrence of Carmel. Lt. Fergusson had been cited for bravery, gallantry and proficient leadership and had been recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross for the action in which he received his fatal wounds. To Washington. His father, who now is U.S. commandant in Berlin, this morning was enroute to Washington to join Mrs. Fergusson, who had gone there from Berlin to await the arrival of their son. The general had visited with his son in Vietnam shortly after he was wounded. News of the young lieutenant's death reached Fort Ord early this morning from headquarters in Berlin. The last previous word on Lt. Fergusson's condition was that he had successfully recovered from pneumonia while in a Saigon hospital and that he would be moved to this country as soon as he was able to travel. Late last month he was taken off the "critical" list although his condition still was described as "serious." Lt. Fergusson was wounded on Oct. 8 while acting as a forward artillery observer with the 101st Airborne Division. He had been wounded slightly in August and had returned to duty. Head Injury. In a letter to the Fergussons, their sons' brigade commander wrote that the lieutenant was wounded by enemy automatic weapons fire. A head injury was the most serious wound. Brig. Gen. S.H. Mattheson wrote: "Bob's company commander, Capt. John Lawton was severely wounded while leading a maneuver element to the assistance of the beleaguered platoon. Capt. Lawton was in the hands of the enemy and ordered Bob to withdraw, but he refused and was attempting to rescue Capt. Lawton when he, too, was wounded in the head, neck, chest and arms. "Bob's display of outstanding gallantry and professional leadership on the battlefield have won him the respect and admiration of the officers and men of the brigade. His action warranted, and he is being recommended for, the award of the Distinguished Service Cross. (Lt Fergusson was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for gallantry). "You may be sure that I personally, and the entire brigade are proud of Bob's action of the battlefield." In 1962, Lt. Fergusson entered the United States Military Academy with the Class of 1966. Lt. Fergusson subsequently graduated in 1966 from the University fo Richmond (Va.) with a bachelor of science degree in industrial management. While at the University of Richmond, he was Cadet Commandant of the Reserve Officer Training unit, a member of Scabbard and Blade, military honor society, and was designated a "Distinguished Military Student," receiving a Regular Army commission. His first service assignment was at Fort Sill, Okla., where he attended the field Artillery School. He later attended the Airborne and Ranger schools at Fort Benning, Ga., before joining the 101st at Fort Campbell, Ky.
Copyright (c) 2009 The Monterey County Herald
Monterey Peninsula Herald, CA Nov 10, 1967
Tuesday Rites at West Point for Lt. Fergusson
Funeral services for Lt. Robert L. Ferguson, who died this week of wounds received in Vietnam, are scheduled for Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the chapel at West Point, N.Y. Burial will follow in the West Point cemetery. Lt. Fergusson, 24, was the son of former Fort Ord commanding general Maj. Gen. Robert G. Fergusson and Mrs. Fergusson, the former Charlotte Lawrence of Carmel. He was wounded in action Oct. 8 and had been considered on the way to recovery when he died Tuesday in an Army hospital in Japan.
OBITUARY
First Lt. Robert L. Fergusson died yesterday in an Army hospital at Camp Drake, Japan, of wounds received Oct. 8,1967 in action in Vietnam. He was en route from Saigon to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., a fact that had been taken by family friends on the Peninsula to indicate he was on the road to recovery. Lt. Fergusson, 24, was the son of former Fort Ord commanding general Maj. Gen. Robert G. Fergusson and Mrs. Fergusson, the former Charlotte Lawrence of Carmel. Lt. Fergusson had been cited for bravery, gallantry and proficient leadership and had been recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross for the action in which he received his fatal wounds. To Washington. His father, who now is U.S. commandant in Berlin, this morning was enroute to Washington to join Mrs. Fergusson, who had gone there from Berlin to await the arrival of their son. The general had visited with his son in Vietnam shortly after he was wounded. News of the young lieutenant's death reached Fort Ord early this morning from headquarters in Berlin. The last previous word on Lt. Fergusson's condition was that he had successfully recovered from pneumonia while in a Saigon hospital and that he would be moved to this country as soon as he was able to travel. Late last month he was taken off the "critical" list although his condition still was described as "serious." Lt. Fergusson was wounded on Oct. 8 while acting as a forward artillery observer with the 101st Airborne Division. He had been wounded slightly in August and had returned to duty. Head Injury. In a letter to the Fergussons, their sons' brigade commander wrote that the lieutenant was wounded by enemy automatic weapons fire. A head injury was the most serious wound. Brig. Gen. S.H. Mattheson wrote: "Bob's company commander, Capt. John Lawton was severely wounded while leading a maneuver element to the assistance of the beleaguered platoon. Capt. Lawton was in the hands of the enemy and ordered Bob to withdraw, but he refused and was attempting to rescue Capt. Lawton when he, too, was wounded in the head, neck, chest and arms. "Bob's display of outstanding gallantry and professional leadership on the battlefield have won him the respect and admiration of the officers and men of the brigade. His action warranted, and he is being recommended for, the award of the Distinguished Service Cross. (Lt Fergusson was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for gallantry). "You may be sure that I personally, and the entire brigade are proud of Bob's action of the battlefield." In 1962, Lt. Fergusson entered the United States Military Academy with the Class of 1966. Lt. Fergusson subsequently graduated in 1966 from the University fo Richmond (Va.) with a bachelor of science degree in industrial management. While at the University of Richmond, he was Cadet Commandant of the Reserve Officer Training unit, a member of Scabbard and Blade, military honor society, and was designated a "Distinguished Military Student," receiving a Regular Army commission. His first service assignment was at Fort Sill, Okla., where he attended the field Artillery School. He later attended the Airborne and Ranger schools at Fort Benning, Ga., before joining the 101st at Fort Campbell, Ky.
Copyright (c) 2009 The Monterey County Herald
Monterey Peninsula Herald, CA Nov 10, 1967
Tuesday Rites at West Point for Lt. Fergusson
Funeral services for Lt. Robert L. Ferguson, who died this week of wounds received in Vietnam, are scheduled for Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the chapel at West Point, N.Y. Burial will follow in the West Point cemetery. Lt. Fergusson, 24, was the son of former Fort Ord commanding general Maj. Gen. Robert G. Fergusson and Mrs. Fergusson, the former Charlotte Lawrence of Carmel. He was wounded in action Oct. 8 and had been considered on the way to recovery when he died Tuesday in an Army hospital in Japan.
First Lt. Robert L. Fergusson died yesterday in an Army hospital at Camp Drake, Japan, of wounds received Oct. 8,1967 in action in Vietnam. He was en route from Saigon to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., a fact that had been taken by family friends on the Peninsula to indicate he was on the road to recovery. Lt. Fergusson, 24, was the son of former Fort Ord commanding general Maj. Gen. Robert G. Fergusson and Mrs. Fergusson, the former Charlotte Lawrence of Carmel. Lt. Fergusson had been cited for bravery, gallantry and proficient leadership and had been recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross for the action in which he received his fatal wounds. To Washington. His father, who now is U.S. commandant in Berlin, this morning was enroute to Washington to join Mrs. Fergusson, who had gone there from Berlin to await the arrival of their son. The general had visited with his son in Vietnam shortly after he was wounded. News of the young lieutenant's death reached Fort Ord early this morning from headquarters in Berlin. The last previous word on Lt. Fergusson's condition was that he had successfully recovered from pneumonia while in a Saigon hospital and that he would be moved to this country as soon as he was able to travel. Late last month he was taken off the "critical" list although his condition still was described as "serious." Lt. Fergusson was wounded on Oct. 8 while acting as a forward artillery observer with the 101st Airborne Division. He had been wounded slightly in August and had returned to duty. Head Injury. In a letter to the Fergussons, their sons' brigade commander wrote that the lieutenant was wounded by enemy automatic weapons fire. A head injury was the most serious wound. Brig. Gen. S.H. Mattheson wrote: "Bob's company commander, Capt. John Lawton was severely wounded while leading a maneuver element to the assistance of the beleaguered platoon. Capt. Lawton was in the hands of the enemy and ordered Bob to withdraw, but he refused and was attempting to rescue Capt. Lawton when he, too, was wounded in the head, neck, chest and arms. "Bob's display of outstanding gallantry and professional leadership on the battlefield have won him the respect and admiration of the officers and men of the brigade. His action warranted, and he is being recommended for, the award of the Distinguished Service Cross. (Lt Fergusson was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for gallantry). "You may be sure that I personally, and the entire brigade are proud of Bob's action of the battlefield." In 1962, Lt. Fergusson entered the United States Military Academy with the Class of 1966. Lt. Fergusson subsequently graduated in 1966 from the University fo Richmond (Va.) with a bachelor of science degree in industrial management. While at the University of Richmond, he was Cadet Commandant of the Reserve Officer Training unit, a member of Scabbard and Blade, military honor society, and was designated a "Distinguished Military Student," receiving a Regular Army commission. His first service assignment was at Fort Sill, Okla., where he attended the field Artillery School. He later attended the Airborne and Ranger schools at Fort Benning, Ga., before joining the 101st at Fort Campbell, Ky.
Copyright (c) 2009 The Monterey County Herald
Monterey Peninsula Herald, CA Nov 10, 1967
Tuesday Rites at West Point for Lt. Fergusson
Funeral services for Lt. Robert L. Ferguson, who died this week of wounds received in Vietnam, are scheduled for Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the chapel at West Point, N.Y. Burial will follow in the West Point cemetery. Lt. Fergusson, 24, was the son of former Fort Ord commanding general Maj. Gen. Robert G. Fergusson and Mrs. Fergusson, the former Charlotte Lawrence of Carmel. He was wounded in action Oct. 8 and had been considered on the way to recovery when he died Tuesday in an Army hospital in Japan.
