Robert M. Furney Letters

Access and use

Location of collection:
College of William and Mary
Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
400 Landrum Drive
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440
Restrictions:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Terms of access:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred citation:

Robert M. Furney Letters, 1969 February- July, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Summary

Extent:
0.01 Linear Feet
Creator:
Furney, Robert Miles
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Robert M. Furney Letters, 1969 February- July, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Background

Scope and content:

Five letters to his wife and children during the Vietnam Conflict. Furney was a fixed and rotary wing helicopter pilot of the 361st Aviation Company (Escort) in the United States Army. His letters are a response to news from home regarding his children and activities of his wife. He also writes about the plans and excitement of seeing his them as he takes leave and they rendezvous in Hawaii. Furney recalls preparations for a Change of Command in his correspondence and mentions his need to investigate an unfortunate incident of shelling from a gunship that accidentally mistook friendly forces for bad. He also writes of an incident involving a crashed airplane which was under his command and that three of his men had perished. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam men had hastily buried the deceased instead of informing his unit. He reported on the exhausting task of exhuming the remains and getting the bodies back to their families in the United States.