World War II Honoree

John Byrd Murphy

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Darlington, South Carolina

Honored By

James O. Sweeny

UPON COMPLETION OF FLIGHT TRAINING AT SPARTAN SCHOOL FOR AERONAUTICS IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA IN JULY, 1940, HE WAS APPOINTED A 2ND LIEUTENANT IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS IN JULY, 1940. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 55TH PURSUIT SQUADRON AT MOFFETT FIELD, CALIFORNIA. IN JANUARY, 1941 HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE 18TH PURSUIT SQUADRON AT HAMILTON FIELD, CALIFORNIA. IN APRIL, 1942 HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 11TH PURSUIT SQUADRON ON UMNAK ISLAND IN THE ALEUTIANS. DURING A COMBAT SORTIE IN 1942, HE PARTICIPATED IN THE FIRST DOWNING OF A JAPANESE ZERO IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. IN FEBRUARY, 1943 HE WAS ASSIGNED AS SQUADRON COMMANDER OF THE 370TH FIGHTER SQUADRON AT WESTOVER FIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, WHICH WAS DEPLOYED TO THE 8TH AIR FORCE IN ENGLAND IN NOVEMBER, 1943. HE PARTICIPATED IN THE FIRST DOWNING OF A GERMAN KOMET, THEIR ROCKET-POWERED FIGHTER. IN DECEMBER, 1944 HE WAS ASSIGNED TO ANDREWS FIELD, MARYLAND AS DEPUTY BASE COMMANDER. IN MARCH HE ATTENDED COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF SCHOOL AT FT. LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS. ON COMPLETION, HE WAS ASSIGNED AS AIR INSPECTOR AT SHAW FIELD, SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL DISCHARGED AS A LIEUTENANT COLONEL IN OCTOBER, 1945. IN ALASKA HE FLEW FLEW 38 COMBAT MISSIONS TOTALING 114 COMBAT HOURS. IN EUROPE HE FLEW 100 COMBAT MISSIONS FOR 300 COMBAT HOURS. HE DESTROYED 4 ME-109'S, 2 FW 190'S, 1 MC-163, AND SHARED IN DESTRUCTION OF 1 F-190, 1 ME-163, AND 1 PROBABLE ME-109. HE EARNED THE AIR MEDAL WITH 4 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS WITH 1 OAK LEAF CLUSTER, THE AMERICAN DEFENSE MEDAL AND THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL.