Frederick C. Murphy
| Frederick C. Murphy | |
|---|---|
|
Private First Class Frederick Murphy | |
| Born |
July 27, 1918 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Died |
March 19, 1945 (aged 26) Saarlautern, Germany |
| Place of burial | Saint Laurent, France |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | ????-1945 |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Unit | 259th Infantry, 65th Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster Bronze Star Medal Good Conduct Medal European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Bronze Star American Campaign Medal |
Frederick C. Murphy (July 27, 1918 - March 19, 1945) was a recipient of the Medal of Honor during World War II while a member of the US 65th Infantry Division.
Medal of Honor citation
- Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Medical Detachment, 259th Infantry, 65th Infantry Division.
- Place and date: Siegfried Line at Saarlautern, Germany, March 18, 1945.
- Entered service at: Weymouth, Mass.
- Birth: Boston, Mass.
- G.O. No.: 21, February 26, 1946.
- Citation:An aid man, he was wounded in the right shoulder soon after his comrades had jumped off in a dawn attack 18 March 1945, against the Siegfried Line at Saarlautern, Germany. He refused to withdraw for treatment and continued forward, administering first aid under heavy machinegun, mortar, and artillery fire. When the company ran into a thickly sown antipersonnel minefield and began to suffer more and more casualties, he continued to disregard his own wound and unhesitatingly braved the danger of exploding mines, moving about through heavy fire and helping the injured until he stepped on a mine which severed one of his feet. In spite of his grievous wounds, he struggled on with his work, refusing to be evacuated and crawling from man to man administering to them while in great pain and bleeding profusely. He was killed by the blast of another mine which he had dragged himself across in an effort to reach still another casualty. With indomitable courage, and unquenchable spirit of self-sacrifice and supreme devotion to duty which made it possible for him to continue performing his tasks while barely able to move, Pfc. Murphy saved many of his fellow soldiers at the cost of his own life.
PFC Murphy is buried at Lorraine Cemetery north of Saint-Avold, Lorraine, France.[1] He left a wife and a daughter born two months after his death.
Namesakes
A Victory Ship, hull number 821, (VC2-S-AP2/WSAT) the SS Private Frederick C Murphy, was named for Frederick C. Murphy. The ship was formerly named SS Maritime Victory. The SS Maritime Victory was built in 1945 as a USAT Transport ship. It displaces 7,607 gross tons with an overall length of 455 feet, and beam of 62 feet. This ship was moored at Beaumont Reserve (Texas) and was sold for scrap in 2008.
Murphy Barracks in Stuttgart Germany was named for Pvt. Murphy.[2][3]
The Frederick C. Murphy Federal Center was also named for him. This facility was named as the result of a bill passed in Congress co-sponsored by John Kerry.
Frederick C Murphy Primary school in Weymouth, MA.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945, Ser. No. 31426845.
- ↑ Stars and Stripes Newspaper, Europe edition, January 23, 1950
- ↑ "Headquarters United States European Command at www.eucom.mil". Retrieved October 5, 2010.
- ↑ "Home at fcmurphyschool.org". Retrieved October 5, 2010.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973). Updated and reprinted, 1979.
External links
- "Beaumont Reserve Fleet Trip of January 4at pages.sbcglobal.net". Retrieved September 29, 2010.
- "Frederick C. Murphy". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved September 2, 2010.