The Life and Times of Forest “Fergie” Ferguson

the life and times of Furry Ferguson is who we're going to recognize today a sports hero and during the Second World War a war hero fergie was born June 21st in 1919 in Jacksonville his parents were for Senior and Francis his two siblings Aurora born 1916 and Wilbur born in 1921 also were from Jacksonville here was the two boys Fergie on the left and his brother Wilbur on the right here are all three of the children after they moved from Jacksonville to Jensen fergie grew up in Jensen and attended the elementary school there the Jensen Arch and the Jensen Train Depot were all familiar sites for the Ferguson family in 1934 Berkie started attending the

only high school in the county Stuart High School located on East Fourth Street later named East Ocean Boulevard with so many high school athletic programs at the school the family decided to move to Stewart so Fergie would be closer to his school the family became very familiar with all the places and businesses in downtown the Ferguson family settled into a two-story house on Camden Avenue it was right across from the Nap Apartments football was Fergie's big sports love by 1936 his brother Wilbur also was on the SHs team their football coach was J fred Evans wasn't just Bergie but all the players mattered and in a November 1936 game against Lakeworth player Elmer Ricko was

confused if he was to play or not and so he didn't go to Lakew Worth the coach sent for Herbert Bruner to go and get Ricko stuart tried to delay the game as much as possible with the game finally started it was Fergie who stated he was injured in the very first play so further delaying the game this allowed Bruner and Ricko to arrive and get set up for the game it proved to be a very successful trick by Fergie to help his classmates the school had not had a winning football season in many years and that was about to change 1937 the school won the Southeast Coast Conference their first championship many contributed excess

to Fergie he was that curly-haired giant star player who indeed inspired the other players bergie completed all his studies and graduated on May 27th 1938 it was a class of 20 fellow students stuart's golden son who everyone felt would accomplish great things he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville and played college football now Ferguson continued the Ferguson tradition and played center for the Steuart High School the coach considered Wilbur a very wiry player his skill as a Gator player was his ability to play offensive and defensive end positions the Gator football team with all its strong players seem unbeatable that was especially true October 19th 1939 game against Boston College it was strong and

hard game but University of Florida defeated Boston 7 to0 in the 1939-40 season Fergie managed to catch 43 passes 1941 he made a complete touchdown pass of 74 yards the longest on record it remained unbroken until 1954 fergie was named all Southeastern Conference player with honorable mention for all-American in the nation in 1941 not playing football Fergie lettered in track and field events he played on the University of Florida's baseball team also 1940 he won the collegiic state boxing championship in 1942 he won the national AU Javelin throw championship he loved playing sports didn't matter what it was he was involved whatever he attempted in sports Fergie excelled at playing football the best and he

knew what were good plays his long arms and large hands he was a natural at catching passes 1941 when UF beat the University of Miami in their home stadium of Miami the local Miami Herald had to print Florida whips Miami 14 to0 ferguson did it single-handedly may 25th 1942 Fergie had also earned his bachelor's of arts degree in education from the University of Florida if it not been 1942 a different path may have opened up for Fergie he would have been a prime candidate for professional National Football League draft but because the United States was at war Fergie willingly took the path of enlisting in the United States Army june he reported to the 318th

Field Artillery Battery 81st Division he had the basic military training but the Army also wanted Fergie on the Army Allst Star football team that team played the professionals of the NFL teams all across the country his coach was Wallace Wade in Fergie's travels he met many celebrities such as actress Linda Darnell he was also at the Rose Bowl in California after the Army football season Fergie attended officer candidate school and became a second lieutenant by July 1943 stuart's golden boy continued to shine and he was always welcomed back to cheering crowds on his furlow visits to Stuart his parents and siblings were also very proud of Fergie wilbur finished school and went into the military

he then married Kathleen Bullard in 1943 and in the next few years they had two daughters K francis and Deborah Anne in late 1943 Fergie was sent to England to finish training for the upcoming D-Day invasion even while training in England he played on the 29th Infantry Division Blues Football Team they beat every team they played there were parades of the American soldiers through the streets of London during one of those parades that Fergie was in he wanted to reassure the English citizens as he marched he could be heard yelling "Englishmen never fear fergie Ferguson is here." As Operation Overlord D-Day approached to push the Germans out of France the troops marched to the loading

docks ships and transports were loaded england had three beaches to land on on the Normandy coast of France the United States had three beaches and Canada one beach it was June 6th 1944 perky had hoped to be in the first wave of Americans onto the coast but had been reassigned back in May to be with the second wave the Americans came at low tide 6:00 a.m onto one of the beaches Omaha Beach with so much beach area to cross they were exposed to unending German firebombs and artillery it became known as the suicide wave soldiers trying to come on shore were exposed to countless rounds of German gunfire us Army Lieutenant General Omar Bradley was

watching on a ship offshore he knew it looked hopeless and was about to call the invasion off he then observed Lieutenant Ferguson and his men entering the beach as the second wave fergie knew it was a dangerous situation he rigged a long pipelike bomb of explosive charges he went with other soldiers to the bob wire fortification he inserted the Bangalore torpedo next an explosion an opening was created directed his men to move forward off the beach general Bradley witnessed this and sent in reinforcements the tide of the invasion was turning suddenly Fergie was struck by shrapnel in his head and his leg he was alive but had to wait for the medics many wounded and

dead Americans on Omaha Beach that day if those scenes look familiar they are from the opening of the 1998 movie Saving Private Ryan same battle scenes that Fergie and others faced actor Tom Hanks did those opening scenes reenacting what Fergie had done the Hanks character would go on to achieve other things throughout the movie not true for Fergie he eventually was transported to an English hospital he was unconscious there for 2 months later he was transported to Atlanta Georgia to the Lawson VA hospital for additional surgery for his bravery Fergie was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross Medal on December 20th 1944 and then made a first lieutenant this is the second highest award given to

a member of the United States Army it is for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force it is a bronze cross with an eagle in the center and the inscription for valor only 5,000 were awarded during all of World War II fergie made the front page headlines of the Steuart News he was discharged from the military on March 20th 1945 and returned back to Stewart fergie was welcomed back to Stewart with open arms all of the people in the county were proud of their golden boy he was home to all the familiar places downtown Stewart Lighthouse Restaurant the Lyric Theater back home to his parents' house on Camden

Avenue the hospitals in 1944 could only do so much he did have a metal plate in his head he suffered from speech problems and his movements were slow and difficult for him his sister Aurora helped look out for Fergie all of Steuart was very respectful and assisted him whenever possible still physically a big fella he did want to find something he could do american Legion State Conference honored him with a parade in May of 1946 held in West Palm Beach he was accompanied by the Steuart High School band a big opportunity came in 1946 when a semi-pro veterans football team for Stewart was created he served as their coach that was the one skill he

retained football plays the Steuart team of veterans had two good winning seasons good days and bad days for Fergie related to his health by 1950 he did become the coaching consultant for the Steuart High School football team though he was always calm and very laid-back with the students loved his family also especially his two young nieces Kay and Deborah tragically Fergie's father passed away in August of 1952 for some muchneeded family time Fergie his mom and sister Aurora went on a twomonth cross-country road trip in May of 53 fergie really enjoyed seeing New Mexico and Arizona by late 1953 and back home Fergie developed a brain infection he also got the flu and had to

be admitted to the VA hospital in Coral Gables in Date County on January 7th 1954 he lapsed into a coma at the hospital his mother Aurora and Wilbur stayed by his side fergie died May 15th 1954 as was stated by his family and friends Fergie never complained his body was brought back by train from Miami to Stewart aurora was devastated by Fergie's passing it was said that a vast sadness in her heart never left her this same sadness was felt all over Martin County all businesses closed on May 20th during Fergie's funeral service which was held at the Steuart Baptist Church the church was filled with mourners and then another 150 people standing outside the

military funeral and burial was conducted at All Saint Cemetery in Jetson Beach the Harold John's American Legion Post 62 conducted the services with Fergie's passing the University of Florida remembered its hero alumni special award has been given every year to a senior UF football player who displays outstanding leadership character and courage this first one was awarded then in 1955 other honors included Fergie's name being placed in the Florida Sports Hall of Fame fergie has been the only athlete from Martin County over the years the Ferguson family has carried on fergie's mother died in 1980 brother Wilbur in 1987 and sister Aurora died in 2009 as the decades went by Fergie was not forgotten Martin County

a new award the Fergie Ferguson County Football Championship Trophy was started in 2013 jensen Beach High School was the first winner of that trophy the high school in Martin County with the most wins in a season have been awarded the trophy in 2014 the city of Stewart decided to rename the majestic white band stand in Gazebo Park after Fergie memorial Day 2015 was the dedication of that plaque and the renaming officially of the band stand in attendance that day were Fergie's two nieces Deborah and Kay who came from their home in Mississippi they spoke of their pride of their uncle and how pleased they were Stuart was honoring him the bronze plaque showed the city

seal and an image of the distinguished service cross medal it proved to be a very special day to remember a local hero the plaque is embedded in a large stone in front of the band stand joining the nieces were Joe Crankshaw Alice Lard and Bob D'Angelum on Camden today the former Ferguson home still stands another remembrance of Fergie is a book written in 2015 by Bob D'Angelo with detailed research specially covering Fergie's football achievements and his war experiences are all found in this book by Bob former sports reporter for the Stuart News Bob now lives in Tampa this June 2019 marks Fergie's 100th birthday anniversary june 6 marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day and May

2019 marks the 65th anniversary of Fergie's death if he is remembered Fergie lives forever