World War II Honoree

Toga R. 'Pat' Murphy

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Ada, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE ON HIS 17TH BIRTHDAY. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER AS AN ASSISTANT COXSWAIN ABOARD THE ATTACK TRANSPORT SHIP USS CECIL (APA-96). PARTICIPATED IN COMBAT AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT LANDINGS OF MARINE CORPS FORCES AT IWO JIMA IN THE BONIN ISLANDS, AND U.S. ARMY FORCES AT OKINAWA IN THE RYUKYU ISLANDS. USS CECIL SAILED FROM SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA ON NOVEMBER 26, 1944 FOR AMPHIBIOUS TRAINING IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, AND TO PREPARE FOR THE INVASION OF IWO JIMA. HIS SHIP DEPARTED SAIPAN, IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS, ON FEBRUARY 16, 1944, AND ARRIVED OFF IWO JIMA 3 DAYS LATER. THE VESSEL UNLOADED TROOPS, CARGO, AND VEHICLES, AND EMBARKED CASUALTIES, AND THEN SAILED ON FEBRUARY 28, 1944 TO SAIPAN. NEXT, SAILED TO TULAGI IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS, AND ESPIRITU SANTO IN THE NEW HEBRIDES ISLANDS, WHERE THE VESSEL LOADED MEN AND CARGO OF THE 27TH INFANTRY ‘NEW YORK’ DIVISION. ON APRIL 9, 1945, APA-96 LANDED THESE REINFORCEMENTS THROUGH HIGH SURF ON OKINAWA. THE SHIP REMAINED A WEEK, WHILE FIGHTING OFF ENEMY AIR ATTACKS AS SHE UNLOADED AND LANDED HER BOATS. ON APRIL 16, 1945, THE SHIP GOT UNDERWAY FOR SAIPAN, AND ULITHI ATOLL IN THE CAROLINE ISLANDS. ON MAY 21, 1945, HIS SHIP ARRIVED IN SUBIC BAY, IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS (PI), FOR TRANSPORT AND TRAINING DUTY. THE TRANSPORT SHIP DEPARTED LUZON, PI ON AUGUST 27, 1945, WITH TROOPS AND CARGO OF THE 1ST CAVALRY ‘FIRST TEAM’ DIVISION, BOUND FOR OCCUPATION DUTY IN JAPAN. THE SHIP DOCKED AT YOKOHAMA, JAPAN FROM SEPTEMBER 2-4, 1945, THEN RETURNED TO THE PI TO LOAD MORE OCCUPATION TROOPS. ON THE RETURN PASSAGE TO JAPAN, THE TRANSPORT WAS ORDERED TO OKINAWA FROM SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 3, 1945 TO AVOID A THREATENING TYPHOON, THEN, PROCEEDED ON TO DISEMBARK TROOPS IN JAPAN. SAILED TO SAN PEDRO, CALIFORNIA, FOR MAINTENANCE IN NOVEMBER, 1945. LATER, SAILED TO THE PI AS PART OF OPERATION ‘MAGIC CARPET.’ THIS WAS THE CODE NAME FOR THE RAPID RETURN OF SERVICE PERSONNEL BY WARSHIPS AND TRANSPORT VESSELS FROM THEATER TO THE U.S.A. RETURNED PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT TO SAN PEDRO, ARRIVING ON JANUARY 22, 1946. AWARDED THE COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (2 CAMPAIGNS), WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND NAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE MEDAL WITH ‘ASIA’ CLASP. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.