James E. Ferguson

FAYETTEVILLE - James Earl "Fergie" "Boxie" Ferguson, 79, of Fayetteville, passed away Monday, Sept. 12, 2011, in Fayetteville VA Medical Center. His funeral service will be held at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011, in Saint Pauls Funeral Home chapel in St. Pauls. A visitation for family and friends will be Sunday evening at 6 p.m., prior to the funeral service. Burial with full military honors will be held Monday, Sept. 19, 2011, at 11 a.m. in Post Cemetery on Fort Bragg. Special Forces will honor him as pallbearers at the graveside. He was a Master Mason in the Fayetteville Lodge, a Shriner and a member of the Special Forces Association. Mr. Ferguson served in the U.S. Army for more than 23 years, serving four tours in Vietnam and a tour in Korea. While in the service he was awarded with the Korean Service Medal with four Bronze Stars; National Defense Service Medal; Master Parachute Badge; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Laos); Combat Infantryman Badge Second Award; United Nations Service Medal; Bronze Star Medal; Air Medal, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation; Bronze Arrowhead; Medical Badge; Vietnam Service Medal; National Defense Service Medal First O.L.C.; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 Device; Presidential Unit Citation (Vietnam); Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm; Army Commendation Medal; Presidential Citation (Korea); and Civil Actions Honor Medal Second Class (Vietnam). He retired as an E8. He is survived by a daughter, Debra Lowry of Lumber Bridge; son, Hank Martinez of Fayetteville; brothers, Roy Lee Ferguson and Donald Ferguson, both of Tennessee; sisters, Claudette Johnson of Alabama, and Ann Newcomer of Florida; five grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Oneida Ferguson; son, James E. "Jimmy" Ferguson Jr.; and brother, Guy Ferguson. Services are entrusted to Saint Pauls Funeral Home of St. Pauls.