"Easy" Company's Murphy Finally Recognized For His Actions At Yudam-ni

Former Marine Wayne F. Murphy was honored March 14, 1998 for his actions during the Korean War. Murphy, then a private first class, received the Bronze Star with Combat "V" and Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V" for his actions while serving as a rifleman with 1st Platoon, Company E, 2d Battalion, Seventh Marine Regiment, First Marine Division at Yudam-ni, during the Chosin Reservoir Campaign in North Korea. Murphy's former platoon commander, retired Lieutenant Colonel William J. Schreier presented the belated medals during a ceremony at the Reserve Training Center in Nashville Tennessee.

He earned the Navy Commendation Medal on November 3, 1950, when "Easy" Company was ordered to assault Hill 698. During the attack, Murphy braved withering Chinese Communist rifle and machine-gun fire to rush to the side of a fellow Marine who had been wounded numerous times. As the fighting became more intense, the other injured Marine sustained yet another wound, this time fatal. From the heavy amount of incoming fire it was clear to Murphy that he had to leave his exposed position.

He won the Bronze Star on November 27 while at the Chosen Reservoir in the defense of Hill 1282, "the first hill the Chinese would come to as they moved down from the Manchurian border," said Murphy. Easy Company came under surprise attack from two battalions of the 235th Chinese Regiment. Murphy was ordered to a position between the two machine guns on the left flank of the company to prevent enemy infiltration.

During the course of the fighting, the solitary machine gun defending the right flank of the company became inoperable, and the order was given to replace it with one of the machine guns from the left flank. Upon witnessing the gunners relocating their machine gun, Murphy picked up several ammunition cans and carried them to the new gun position, dauntless in the face of heavy enemy fire, waist-deep snow, and 30 degree below zero temperatures. Murphy the posted himself in the center of the company and fired his Browning Automatic Rifle on the enemy soldiers with devastating effectiveness. It was enough to draw heavy enemy fire on himself and resulted in Murphy's suffering severe injuries to his left arm from grenade fragments. Corpsmen pulled him from the line and took him to the aid station where it was discovered he had also sustained a gunshot wound in the course of his actions.

The ceremony to honor the Korean War veteran was attended by family members, Marines from the "The Chosin Few," Korean War Veterans, the "Music City" Detachment of the Marine Corps League, members of Company 1,3d Bn, 24 Marines, 4th Marine Division, local recruiters, and the Nashville Young Marines.