MURRAY, CHARLES P., JR. - Medal of Honor Recipient
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company C, 30th
Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Kaysersberg, France,
16 December 1944. Entered service at: Wilmington, N.C. Birth: Baltimore,
Md. G.O. No.: 63, 1 August 1945. Citation: 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,
machinegun, 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.
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