Very early Wednesday morning June 3, Matthew Murdzak, Major in the 101st Airborne Div., a Vietnam vet, flag painter, reenactor, miniature painter, historical film advisor, foster-father to my godsons, business partner and friend, passed away from a massive heart attack. In his Army career he rose from the enlisted ranks to becoma a Major, a "mustang" serving two terms in Vietnam. He fought cancer and other debilitating effects of being an Agent Orange veteran. His service earned him a Bronze Star and other decorations. Matt was the original commander of Co A, 54th Massachussetts Volunteer Infantry reenactment group, whose members formed the core of the regiment in the film "Glory". Matt also assisted Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, and other actors portraying Civil War officers and soldiers, and he can be seen throughout the film if you know what to look for. Matt was involved as technical advisor to other films including "Andersonville" and "the Oldest Confederate Widow Tells All". He painted Civil War unit flags for reenacting and for historical display. It was sad when some of the devastating effects of his Agent Orange exposure (Hashimoto's Encephalopathy--plaques forming on the neural networks of the brain) and diabetic vision degeneration degraded his memory and his superb artistic talents.
We brought Matt to several HMGS cons these last couple of years, where he enjoyed watching the games. If you remember the old geezer wearing the WW2 jump jacket with the weird fading patterns and the Screaming Eagle patch, that was him. He always said he was treated well when he asked to watch the games, so thanks to you gamers who made him feel welcome.
Matt was stubborn, a bit male chauvanisitic, and his driving made you think he was back running convoys to the A Shau valley. He was mellow with beer or red wine, but hard liquor flpped his mean-drunk switch (he promised never to repeat that when we pointed that out to him). He never bragged or even talked much about his 'Nam experiences, unless he was in his cups, and then you could peek past the stone wall he kept those experiences behind. He was also generous, helpful, loyal, devoted, loving, surprisingly sensitive, and had a rigid personal code of honor. It's only now that it's sinking in that he's gone.
I've been trying to contact some of the principle actors from Matt's movie career:
I got a nice email back from Jihmee Kennedy (the stuttering soldier who was a crack shot but wasn't up to stressful situations). Denzel Washington sent his condolences.
And I must have forgotten to include my phone number in the first couple of inquiries to the actors' publicists to reach their clients: the secretary at our church got a big shock today when she picked up the church office phone and found herself talking to Matthew Broderick, who was calling to ask some details. Glad that he felt that strongly to call.
Here is the funeral notice:
C. Matthew Murdzak (1941-2015)
Mr. Murdzak was a major in the U.S. Army, 101st Airborne Division, and had served three tours in Vietnam. He had been decorated with the Bronze Star. He was proudest of two things: his service to his country, and his work on the film "Glory", which he felt was a long-delayed recognition of the service of African-American soldiers in the Civil War.
Mr. Murdzak passed on early Wednesday morning, June 3. He had been in declining health for the last 15 years due to his wartime exposure to Agent Orange, which finally took his life. He is survived by his wife of 20 years Mary, and three stepsons, Brian, Corey, and Scott.
Funeral services will be 11 am Saturday, June 20, at St. Stephen's Episcopal Cathedral, 221 North Front Street, in Harrisburg, PA; interment will be at a future date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions toward final expenses. For more information, please visit this link:
gofundme.com/cmatthewmurdzak