"For commanding Company C, 30th Infantry, displaying supreme courage and
heroic initiative near Kaysersberg, France, on 16 December 1944, while
leading a reinforced platoon into enemy territory. Descending into a
valley beneath hilltop positions held by our troops, he observed a force
of 200 Germans pouring deadly mortar, bazooka,
machine gun, and small arms fire into an American battalion occupying
the crest of the ridge. The enemy's position in a sunken road, though
hidden from the ridge, was open to a flank attack by 1st Lt. Murray's
patrol but he hesitated to commit so small a force to battle with the
superior and strongly disposed enemy. Crawling out ahead of his troops
to a vantage point, he called by radio for artillery fire. His shells
bracketed the German force, but when he was about to correct the range
his radio went dead. He returned to his patrol, secured grenades and a
rifle to launch them and went back to his self-appointed outpost. His
first shots disclosed his position; the enemy directed heavy fire
against him as he methodically fired his missiles into the narrow defile.
Again he returned to his patrol. With an automatic rifle and
ammunition, he once more moved to his exposed position. Burst after
burst he fired into the enemy, killing 20, wounding many others, and
completely disorganizing its ranks, which began to withdraw. He
prevented the removal of 3 German mortars by knocking out a truck. By
that time a mortar had been brought to his support. 1st Lt. Murray
directed fire of this weapon, causing further casualties and confusion
in the German ranks. Calling on his patrol to follow, he then moved out
toward his original objective, possession of a bridge and construction
of a roadblock. He captured 10 Germans in foxholes. An eleventh, while
pretending to surrender, threw a grenade which knocked him to the
ground, inflicting 8 wounds. Though suffering and bleeding profusely, he
refused to return to the rear until he had chosen the spot for the
block and had seen his men correctly deployed. By his single-handed
attack on an overwhelming force and by his intrepid and heroic fighting,
1st Lt. Murray stopped a counterattack, established an advance position
against formidable odds, and provided an inspiring example for the men
of his command."
From his Medal of Honor citation, awarded on August 1, 1945.
May you be at peace,
Brian & Mel
No comments:
Post a Comment