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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private First Class · U.S. Army

Frederick Coleman Murphy

Private First Class Frederick Coleman Murphy, Army, received the Medal of Honor posthumously for actions on March 18, 1945 in Siegfried Line at Saarlautern, Germany during World War II.

World War II March 18, 1945Posthumous

Private First Class Frederick Coleman Murphy was a soldier in the U.S. Army who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions on March 18, 1945 in Siegfried Line at Saarlautern, Germany during World War II. At the time he was serving with Medical Detachment, 259th Infantry, 65th Infantry Division. Murphy was about 27 years old.

Murphy was killed in the action for which his medal was awarded. 3 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on February 27, 1946. City Hall, Quincy, Massachusetts, presented by Lt. Gen. O.W. Griswold to his Widow and Daughter.

Murphy was born in 1918 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. His Medal of Honor is credited to Weymouth, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. He is buried at A.B.M.C. Lorraine Cemetery in St Avold, France.

Murphy is one of 474 Medal of Honor recipients from World War II and one of 265 credited to Massachusetts.

★ Rescue & Lifesaving★ Wounded but Fought On★ Gave Their Lives

Official Medal of Honor citation

An aidman, he was wounded in the right shoulder soon after his comrades had jumped off in a dawn attack, 18 March 1945, against the Siegfried Line at Saarlautern, Germany. He refused to withdraw for treatment and continued forward, administering first aid under heavy machine-gun, mortar, and artillery fire. When the company ran into a thickly sown antipersonnel minefield and began to suffer more and more casualties, he continued to disregard his own wound and unhesitatingly braved the danger of exploding mines, moving about through heavy fire and helping the injured until he stepped on a mine which severed one of his feet. In spite of his grievous wounds, he struggled on with his work, refusing to be evacuated and crawling from man to man administering to them while in great pain and bleeding profusely. He was killed by the blast of another mine which he had dragged himself across in an effort to reach still another casualty. With indomitable courage, and unquenchable spirit of self-sacrifice and supreme devotion to duty which made it possible for him to continue performing his tasks while barely able to move, Pfc. Murphy saved many of his fellow soldiers at the cost of his own life.

Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.

Wounds and death in action

What the citation records about his wounds:

An aidman, he was wounded in the right shoulder soon after his comrades had jumped off in a dawn attack, 18 March 1945, against the Siegfried Line at Saarlautern, Germany.
When the company ran into a thickly sown antipersonnel minefield and began to suffer more and more casualties, he continued to disregard his own wound and unhesitatingly braved the danger of exploding mines, moving about through heavy fire and helping the injured until he stepped on a mine which severed one of his feet.
In spite of his grievous wounds, he struggled on with his work, refusing to be evacuated and crawling from man to man administering to them while in great pain and bleeding profusely.
  • Killed in action during the act for which the medal was awarded (March 18, 1945).
  • Age at death: about 27
  • Resting place: A.B.M.C. Lorraine Cemetery

Other decorations and honors

Besides the Medal of Honor, Frederick Coleman Murphy received:

Bronze Star MedalPurple HeartAmerican Campaign MedalCombat Medical BadgeGood Conduct Medal

Source: Wikidata. Gold chips link to our guide to that decoration.

Battles and campaigns

Also served in: World War II.

Life beyond the battlefield

Source: Wikidata.

Places

  • Born: Boston — map
  • Died: Saarlouis — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Massachusetts →

Timeline

  1. 1918
    Born in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
  2. March 18, 1945
    Act of valor — Siegfried Line at Saarlautern, Germany
    Age about 27. Medical Detachment, 259th Infantry, 65th Infantry Division Killed in action.
  3. February 27, 1946
    Medal of Honor presented posthumously
    City Hall, Quincy, Massachusetts, presented by Lt. Gen. O.W. Griswold to his Widow and Daughter
  4. Resting place
    A.B.M.C. Lorraine Cemetery
    St Avold

Biography

Frederick C. Murphy (July 27, 1918 – March 19, 1945) was a recipient of the Medal of Honor during World War II while serving as a medic in the US 65th Infantry Division.

From the Wikipedia article “Frederick C. Murphy”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Also honored for actions on March 18, 1945

WM William D. McGee Private · Army World War II · 1945 ✦ Jack Lemaster Treadwell Captain · Army World War II · 1945 EW Edward G. Wilkin Corporal · Army World War II · 1945 ✦

More World War II recipients from Massachusetts

John Vincent Power First Lieutenant · Marine Corps World War II · 1944 ✦ Raymond Ovila Beaudoin First Lieutenant · Army World War II · 1945 ✦ Joseph Rodolph Julian Platoon Sergeant · Marine Corps World War II · 1945 ✦ Charles Andrew MacGillivary Sergeant · Army World War II · 1945 James Montross Burt Captain · Army World War II · 1944 William Hale Wilbur Colonel · Army World War II · 1942
Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Wikidata and Wikipedia. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.