A Town Shrouded in Grief for a Fallen Son-This Day in Norwood History-June 28, 1968

Full Military Honors Accorded to Lance Corporal Richard B. Murphy, Son of Norwood Police Chief, Following His Sacrifice in Vietnam

A profound and solemn wave of collective mourning has enveloped the entire Norwood community following the heartbreaking repatriation of one of its youngest military heroes. Full military honors will be officially accorded to United States Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Murphy, the 19-year-old son of Norwood Police Chief James M. Murphy and his wife, Mrs. James M. Murphy, residing at 193 Vernon Street, Norwood. Lance Corporal Murphy was tragically killed in action on June 15 near the war-torn city of Quang Tri, South Vietnam, while serving his country on the front lines with M Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division.

The fallen marine’s long journey home concluded late last night under somber, rain-swept skies at Logan International Airport in Boston. Northeast Airlines Flight 362, transporting Murphy’s remains, finally touched down at 11:00 p.m., delayed more than two hours past its scheduled arrival time due to severe, inclement weather along the Atlantic coast.

Despite the late hour and the driving rain, an immense, deeply moving contingent of approximately 200 people silently gathered on the tarmac to meet the plane and escort the casket. The grieving gathering was anchored by Lance Corporal Murphy’s parents and his nine heartbroken brothers and sisters. Standing in stark, rigid solidarity alongside the family were formal, uniformed law enforcement honor details representing the Norwood Police Department, the Boston Police Department, and the Massachusetts State Police, alongside four local Catholic priests, numerous neighborhood friends, and extended relatives.

The family will receive members of the community during an extensive series of calling hours at the Gillooly Funeral Home, located at 126 Walpole Street, Norwood.

The visiting hours have been specifically scheduled to accommodate the massive expected outpouring of community sympathy, running from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. tonight, and resuming tomorrow and Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and again from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

A formal Solemn High Mass of Requiem will be celebrated at 9:00 a.m. on Monday morning inside the sanctuary of St. Catherine of Siena Church on Washington Street. Following the divine liturgy, the funeral procession will wind through the streets of the town toward Highland Cemetery on Winter Street, where the young marine will be laid to his eternal rest with the ultimate, traditional honors of the United States military.

In addition to his deeply respected parents, the young leatherneck leaves behind a massive, tight-knit family legacy. He is survived by his seven devoted brothers: James M. Murphy Jr., Kevin E. Murphy, William J. Murphy, Thomas G. Murphy, Brian P. Murphy, John T. Murphy, and Paul C. Murphy; and his two loving sisters, Miss Sheila M. Murphy and Miss Maureen Murphy. As local civic leaders prepare to lower all town flags to half-staff, residents across Norwood acknowledge that the loss of Chief Murphy’s teenage son brings the far-away realities and ultimate sacrifices of the Vietnam War directly to the heart of the local community.

He is honored on panel 57W, line 29 of the The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger