Sergeant Major Clentis Murphy

Sergeant Major Clentis Murphy, age 85, entered into rest Friday, December 20, 2019. He was born on May 8, 1934 in a small town near Shreveport, Louisiana. He graduated from Bossier High School in 1952. In 1956, he received a letter from the US Army, drafting him into the military. He was required to take the train from Shreveport, LA to New Orleans to complete the process of joining the armed forces. It was at that time that he was approached by a recruiter from the United States Marine Corps who asked if he wanted to join the Marines instead of the Army. He was so inclined and thus enlisted with the Marines. That same night, he took a train to San Diego, CA, arriving the next morning at 02:30 hours, stepping off the train with a drill sergeant yelling at him and the other recruits. Boot camp was a grueling 13 weeks. Clentis met his late wife Ida Marie of 58 years at Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas. They were married in 1961 and had two girls. The family resided in military housing in Hawaii, Philadelphia, Southern California and North Carolina. The family enjoyed bowling and cross country travelling. Throughout his life, he was an avid hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman. He also enjoyed playing darts and cards with his friends. Many of his best memories were cross country road trips in his truck. He and his wife were longtime residents of Sacramento, California. Military Career Highlights: Enlisted Date: April 28, 1956 Tours of Duty: Camp Pendleton, Camp Lejeune, Okinawa, Japan Vietnam War Rifle Expert Accelerated Promotion Gunnery Sergeant to Master Sergeant Promotion to Sergeant Major Retired April 30, 1982 Encino, CA as Sergeant Major During Clentis’ military career, he received the following Honors: Vietnam Campaign Medal Rifle Expert Badge National Defense Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal (2 Star) Certificate of Accommodation (several) Merit Unit Citation (2) Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal Meritorious Mast. (2); Letter of Appreciation Navy Unit Citation Good Conduct Medal (8th Award) Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal