Frederick C. Murphy
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Frederick C. Murphy was a recipient of the Medal of Honor during World War II while a member of the US 65th Infantry Division.
[edit] Official 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, 18 March 1945.
- Entered service at: Weymouth, Mass.
- Birth: Boston, Mass.
- G.O. No.: 21, 26 February 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.
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 is moored at Beaumont Reserve (Texas) and is scheduled for sale and scrapping.
[edit] References
Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973). Updated and reprinted, 1979.
