World War II Honoree

John Joseph 'Jack' Murphy

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Boston, Massachusetts

Honored By

David and Susan Murphy

Relationship

Son and Daughter-in-Law

HE HAD ACHIEVED THE RANK OF ARMY SECOND LIEUTENANT WHILE WORKING AS A CIVILIAN BEFORE THE WAR. ON JANUARY 6, 1942 HE WENT TO CAMP LEE, VIRGINIA FOR INDOCTRINATION, A PLACE FOR YOUNG INEXPERIENCED OFFICERS. HE WAS A SUPPLY OFFICER IN THE 340TH ORDNANCE DEPOT COMPANY. HE WAS THEN SENT TO CAMP MCPHERSON, ATLANTA, GEORGIA FOR ONE MONTH BASIC TRAINING. HE WAS THEN TRANSFERRED FROM QUARTERMASTER TO ORDNANCE AND STATIONED AT THE ORDNANCE DEPOT IN STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA. ON JULY 7, 1942, HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE 2ND BATTALION OF THE 58TH QUARTERMASTER REGIMENT STATIONED IN FRESNO, CALIFORNIA. HE LATER TRAINED IN THE MOJAVE DESERT FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS BEFORE HE WAS SENT TO ABERDEEN, MARYLAND FOR FURTHER TRAINING AND THEN SENT BACK TO FORT ORD, CALIFORNIA FOR 11 MONTHS. HE BOARDED A SHIP ON OCTOBER 7, 1943 IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK AND ARRIVED IN LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND TEN DAYS LATER ON OCTOBER 18, 1943, AND LIVED IN A BRITISH BARRACKS IN THE TOWN OF TIDWORTH FOR NINE MONTHS WHILE PREPARING FOR THE INVASION OF OMAHA AND UTAH BEACHES. HIS COMPANY WAS ONE OF SERVICE WHICH SUPPLIED AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIES FOR VEHICLES AND TANKS. THEY KEPT MOVING BEHIND THE TROOPS. HIS COMPANY LEFT SOUTHAMPTON FOR FRANCE ON JULY 8, 1944 AND ANCHORED IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL OVERNIGHT AND THEN PROCEEDED TO THE COAST ON JULY 9TH. THEY LANDED ON OMAHA BEACH ON JULY 10, 1944 BUT, BY THIS TIME, THE BEACH WAS SECURE. HIS COMPANY SPENT TIME IN OSMAUMIILE, CHARTES, PARIS, AND ORIGNY, FRANCE. THEY SPENT THE WINTER OF 1944 IN CHARTEROI, BELGIUM BEFORE THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. HIS OUTFIT SPLIT UP IN REIMS, FRANCE ON JUNE 13, 1945. HE LEFT EUROPE ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1945 FROM MARSEILLES AND ARRIVED IN BOSTON ON OCTOBER 10, 1945. HE THEN TOOK A TRANSPORT PLANE BACK TO CALIFORNIA WHERE HE WAS OFFICIALLY SEPARATED AT CAMP BEALE ON OCTOBER 19, 1945. HE WAS DISCHARGED AS A MAJOR, QUALIFIED AS AN 'EXPERT' WITH A CALIBER .45, SHARPSHOOTER WITH CALIBER .30 CARBINE AND CALIBER .3O O3 RIFLE. HE RECEIVED THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN SERVICE MEDAL. HE WAS ALSO IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVE CORPS AFTER WWII.