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Santa Fe National Cemetery

Born:  January 14, 1930 at Pueblo, CO

Entered Service in the US Marine Corps from Pueblo, CO

Earned The Medal of Honor During the Korean War For heroism on February 3, 1953, at Ungok Hill, Panmunjan, Korea.

Painfully wounded while leading his evacuation platoon in support of assault units attacking a concealed and well-entrenched hostile force occupying commanding ground, Second Lieutenant Murphy refused medical aid and continued to lead his men up a hill through a withering barrage of hostile mortar and small-arms fire, skillfully maneuvering his force from one position to the next and shouting words of encouragement. Undeterred by enemy fire, he located casualties as they fell and made several trips up and down the fire-swept hill to direct evacuation teams to the wounded, personally carrying many of the stricken marines to safety. When reinforcements were needed by the assaulting elements, Second Lieutenant Murphy employed part of his unit as support and, during the ensuing battle, personally killed two of the enemy with his pistol. With all the wounded evacuated and the assaulting units disengaging, he remained behind with a carbine to cover the movement of friendly forces off the hill and, though suffering intense pain from his previous wounds, seized an automatic rifle to provide more firepower when the enemy reappeared in the trenches. After reaching the base of the hill, he organized a search party and again ascended the slope for a final check on missing marines.