World War II Honoree

Woodrow Murphy

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Ravia, Oklahoma

Honored By

Maryann Sprayberry

Relationship

Niece

STAFF SERGEANT, COMBAT ENGINEERS, COMPANY F, 532D ENGINEER SPECIAL BRIGADE, 2ND BRIGADE, US ARMY, ATTACHED TO EIGHTH ARMY IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC. STAFF SERGEANT MURPHY PARTICIPATED IN SIX AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULTS INCLUDING LAE, FINSCHHAFEN, AND HOLLANDIA, NEW GUINEA; LEYTE, MINDORO AND PALAWAN, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION ON NEW GUINEA, COMPANY F. RECEIVED A PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION FROM PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT. STAFF SERGEANT MURPHY WAS ON THE LEYTE BEACH ABOUT 20 FEET FROM GENERAL MACARTHUR WHEN HE WADED ASHORE TO GIVE HIS “I HAVE RETURNED” SPEECH. UNIT WAS ON PANAY ISLAND TRAINING FOR THE UPCOMING INVASION OF THE JAPANESE MAINLAND WHEN WORD CAME THAT THE WAR HAD ENDED. UNIT THEN WAS SENT TO INCHON, KOREA TO RECEIVE THE SURRENDER OF THE JAPANESE ARMY FROM MANCHURIA, AND AS SUCH STAFF SERGEANT MURPHY PERSONALLY RECEIVED THE SURRENDER OF A JAPANESE MAJOR GENERAL, DIVISION COMMANDER. SERVED A TOTAL OF FOUR YEARS AND THREE MONTHS, FROM AUGUST 1941 TO DECEMBER 1945, OF WHICH 34 MONTHS WERE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC.