More detail on this person: MARVIN E. HURST, RETIRED MILITARY PILOT Marvin E. Hurst didn't talk much about his 25 years in the military, including two tours of Vietnam. He wasn't the type to draw attention to his exploits, which is one reason he didn't want a funeral service, said his wife, Jean Hurst of Orlando. The retired Army pilot died Wednesday. He was 64. ''He didn't talk a lot about it, but I heard reports,'' Jean Hurst said. ''He was a leader in the rescue of downed troops. He was a great unifier of troops and a morale booster.'' He won several commendations but put them in the cedar chest and didn't discuss it much, she said. It wasn't that Hurst was quiet, however. He was an outgoing and fun-loving person who made sure the people around him had fun, his wife said. Born in Tampa, Hurst joined the U.S. Air Force in 1950. He served with the 306th Bomb Wing in Tampa and the Strategic Reconnaissance Wing in Del Rio, Texas. In 1963, he joined the Army and completed officer candidate school. He retired in 1975 as a major. At the time of his retirement, he was serving as an instructor pilot at Fort Rucker in Alabama. He settled in Orlando after retirement and started Hurst Enterprises, which manufactured Hurst Bass Boats until 1980. He was a member of the Val Verde Masonic Lodge 646 in Del Rio and the Order of Eastern Star, Pine Castle 321, in Orlando. He is survived by his wife; two daughters, L. Jeaneen Hurst, Orlando, Charlotte Brown, Inverness; his mother, Cloverine Hurst; a brother, Donald Hurst, and a sister, Peggy McMillion, all of Tampa.
Burial information: Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, FL
This information was last updated 01/20/2018
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association