Frederick C. Murphy

Private First Class, U.S. Army

Medal of Honor Recipient

World War II

Private First Class Frederick C. Murphy (27 July 1918 - 19 March 1945) was a U.S. Army soldier who was posthumously awarded the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his heroic actions during World War II.

Frederick C. Murphy was born on 27 July 1918 in Boston, MA. He joined the Army from Weymouth, MA. On 18 March 1945, he was serving as a Private First Class, Medical Detachment, 259th Infantry, 65th Infantry Division. In a dawn attack against the Siegfried Line at Saarlautern, Germany, that day, he was wounded in the right shoulder but continued to administer aid to the wounded while under heavy German fire. Even after his foot was severed by a mine, he continued to provide aid until he crawled across another mine while trying to reach another casualty and was killed instantly. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his supreme devotion and self-sacrifice.

Medal of Honor

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.

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.

Medals and Awards

Medal of Honor
Purple Heart

Honors

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.

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 Senator John Kerry.

The Frederick C Murphy Primary School in Weymouth, MA, was named in his honor.

Death and Burial

Private First Class Frederick C. Murphy was killed in action on 19 March 1945. He is buried at the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial in Saint-Avold, Lorraine Region, France, in Plot F, Row 11, Grave 19.