Vetran Tribute: C. T. Furgeson

Charles Thomas Furgeson,  Lt. Col. (Ret.)

By Kate Chamberlin

Charles (Tom) Furgeson graduated from Palmyra Macedon Central School District in 1955.  He was active in glee club, band, orchestra and dance band.  He also was on the football, basketball, baseball and tennis teams, as well as, active in Boy Scouts, his community and his church.

Tom graduated from SUNY Technical Institute at Alfred in 1958 with an AAS in Mechanical Engineering and, then, from Alfred University in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics and Math.  He also earned a Master of Science Degree in Education from Elmira College in 1984

In 1961, he entered the army through the ROTC program at Alfred University and served as an Infantry Officer in Airborne, Ranger and Special Forces Units for the next 30 years.  Tom spent 5 years in Germany, 2-1/2 years in Vietnam, 1 in Korea and 1 in Iran.

his two tours of duty at the Pentagon were in the research and development field, due to his engineering background.  The first tour he was chief of the infantry small arms division and the second tour he was deputy test director for the development of the current Army infantry fighting vehicle.

Tom also served as the US representative to the ABCA (American, British, Canadian, Australian) small arms standardization board and to the NATO small arms committee.

In early 1980 Tom was assigned a deputy commander at Fort Drum, NY with a follow on, and final, assignment to Seneca Army Depot, NY.

Upon his retirement from the service, Tom became a New York State Division of Veterans ‘Affairs Associate.  He was responsible for ensuring the quality of educational programs for, and used, by veterans, throughout western New York State. This required on-site reviews and evaluations of educational institutions, including review of curricula and counseling services.

In retirement, Tom enjoyed all outside activities as well as travel with his wife Barbara throughout the United States to visit their five children.

An accurate description of a battle and tom’s character can be found in “Vietnam: 3 battles”, originally published as “the fields of bamboo: three battles just beyond the china sea” by Samuel Lyman Atwood Marshall. S.L.A. Marshall was a chief U.S. army combat historian during world war ii and the Korean War.

Tom Furgeson went to be with Our Lord on Thursday, September 10, 2015. He was an extraordinary man with a hero’s history; not to mention, deep feelings beneath the smile and jokes. Our heartfelt prayers are with him and those he left behind.