Individual Details

Death

Paul E. "Jack" Furr, age 82, of 2 Bush Lane, Shelby, died unexpectedly Monday, February 4, 2002 at Med Central Shelby Hospital. Mr. Furr was born February 13, 1919 in Petroleum, West Virginia, the son of the late Clyde Sr. and Cora Louise (Hawkins) Furr. He retired from Haught Drilling Company in Beatrice, West Virginia, moving to Shelby in 1998 to live with his sister. Mr. Furr was an Army veteran of WWII. He was a Prisoner of War, having been captured on May 6, 1942 in Corregidor, Philippines and was a surviovor of the Bataan Death March. After his release at the end of WWII he enlisted in the Air Force serving until 1955. He is survived by his sister, Eunice Clevenger of Shelby; nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by 2 brothers: Clyde Jr. and William Furr; and 3 sisters: Kathleen Gibson, Helen Wilson, and Patricia Sharp. Calling hours will be on Wednesday, February 6, 2002 from 3-5 PM at the Turner Funeral Home, 168 West Main Street, Shelby, and also from noon until 1 PM on Thursday at the funeral home. Funeral services will be held at 1 PM with Rev. Dave Carter, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be in Myers Cemetery west of Shelby with military honors conducted at the gravesite. Memorial contributions may be made to the Trinity United Methodist Church.

Military

Name: Paul E Furr
Birth Year: 1919
Race: White, citizen
Nativity State or Country: West Virginia
State: West Virginia
County or City: Ritchie
Enlistment Date: 2 Mar 1946
Enlistment State: Virginia
Enlistment City: Ashford Gen Hosp West
Branch: Air Corps
Branch Code: Air Corps
Grade: Sergeant
Grade Code: Sergeant
Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for Hawaiian Department
Component: Regular Army (including Officers, Nurses, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men)
Source: Enlisted Man, Philippine Scout or recall to AD of an enlisted man who had been transferred to the ERC
Education: 2 years of high school
Civil Occupation: Automotive Mechanic
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 06
Weight: 605

Pfc. Paul E. Furr
Born: 13 February 1919 - West Virginia
Home: Tyler County, West Virginia
Inducted: Fort Hayes - Columbus, Ohio - 7 January 1941
Training:
Ft. Knox, Kentucky
- A Company, 19th Ordnance Battalion
- reorganized as 17th Ordinance Company
Overseas Duty:
Philippine Islands
- Sailed: 8 Sept. 1941 - 26 Sept. 1941
Ft. Stotsenburg
Prisoner of War:
- 9 April 1942
- Death March
POW Camps:
- Camp O'Donnell
- Cabanatuan
Formosa:
- Karenko Camp
- Heito Camp
Work: POWs picked up rocks from a dry riverbed so it could be used to grow sugarcane.
Japan:
- Hakodate #2
Work: Sumitomo Coal Mine
- Bibai-Machi, Japan
Hell Ships:
- Nagara Maru
- Sailed: Manila - 12 August 1942
- Arrived: Takao, Formosa - 14 August 1942
- two days later POWs were transferred to another ship
- Suzuya Maru
- Sailed: Takao, Formosa - 16 August 1942
- Arrived: Keelung, Formosa 17 August 1942
- Taiko Maru
Sailed: Keelung, Formosa -27 February 1945
Arrived: Moji, Japan - 5 March 1945
Liberated:
September 1945
Died: 4 February 2002 - West Virginia