Murphy, Donald Max (1922 - 1944): Carl Wayne Gray Genealogies

1922 - 1944 (22 years)

Name	Murphy, Donald Max
Birth	25 Oct 1922 [1]
Gender	Male
Reference Number	MURP.D004
_FGRAVE	56771095
Military Service	World War II, Private First Class, Company C, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division [2, 3]
	Private First Class. Awarded The Purple Heart Medal for military merit and for wounds received in action resulting in his death on November 14, 1944. At that time, he was in combat with the 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division engaged in the recapture of Breakneck Ridge near Limon on Leyte Island. Also eligible posthumously for The American Campaign Medal, The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with at least one bronze battle star, The Philippine Liberation Medal and The WWII Victory Medal. Buried with military honors at Manila American Cemetery, Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippines. Honored also at WWII Memorial in Flora, Illinois. (This information has been posted on the National World War II Memorial's Registry of Remembrances website by Robert Medley Gatewood. It is entered here with his permission.) Source: https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=1898100
		World War II Honoree, Murphy, Donald Max (1922-1944)
		Donald Max Murphy (1922-1944)
		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007 On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. …
		United States of America Flag, 48 Stars (1912-1959) In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959,…
		United States Army
		Private First Class, United States Army and United States Army Air Fores (Sep 1942-Aug 1948)
		United States Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
		Military Service Ribbons, Murphy, Donald Max (1922-1944) Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
		Purple Heart Medal, United States Military
		Purple Heart Medal, United States Military
		American Campaign Medal, United States Military
		American Campaign Medal, United States
		Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
		Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
		Philippine Liberation Medal, Republic of the Philippines
		Philippine Liberation Medal, Republic of the Philippines
		World War II (1939-1945)
		Leyte, Philippines
		24th Infantry Division, United States Army
		24th Infantry Division, United States Army
		21st Infantry Regiment, United States Army
Death	14 Nov 1944	Leyte, Leyte Province, Eastern Visayas, Philippines [1]
Death	Cause: Killed in Action
Burial	Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Metro Manila, National Capital, Philippines [1]
	Plot D, Row 16, Grave 191 There is also a Memorial Headstone located at Old Union Cemetery, Louisville, Clay County, Illinois, FindaGrave Memorial #25058005
		Manila American Cemetery and Memorial
		Burial Flag, United States Military Veterans
		Memorial Headstone, Murphy, Donald Max
Person ID	I43051	Carl Wayne Gray Research
Last Modified	15 May 2023

Notes

Following is a letter that was written to his parents by a soldier that was with him in the Philippines.

Dear Mrs. Murphy,

I really don't know just how to really begin yet I've got to write and let you know just how I feel and the rest of the fellows in the platoon feel too. This is the first chance I've had to write or I'd have done it much sooner. Mrs. I know how you feel about Donald's death and I want you to know we all feel pretty bad ourselves, not nearly as bad as you though, but I thought maybe this letter might help just a little if you knew just a little more about everything. I'll begin at the start.

My name is Fred Heitzinger. I'm the same age as Don. I came from a little town in Pennsylvania. Ever since Don and I joined the company he and I were the best of pals. I don't know if he ever mentioned anything about me, but I still thought the world of him. We both were in the same squad from start to finish and come through some pretty tough spots in the New Guinea invasion. I really never got to know Don until we were settled and shared the same hut together and became darn good pals.

A lot of nights we'd talk about home, our loved ones and everything in general. Don used to call me City Slicker and I'd call him a Plow Jockey. It was all in fun just something to argue about. We became attached to each other like brothers, at least that's the way I looked at it.

Well at last the orders come down we were hitting the P. I.'s. We knew it was going to be the toughest fighting we'd ever had, but everyone was ready for it. We knew there would be a lot of us that wouldn't come out of it alive and there was but not one of those men died in vain. We are fighting for our country and you people back home whom we love so dear. I'm sure that there is not a fellow here today that wouldn't gladly give his life so the things he loved would be untouched. Our division has gotten a very good name for itself. I guess it was because we went through the hardest fighting in the P. I.'s and Don was in the thick of it. All like the rest of us, we'd been under fire for about ten days and nights together. The eleventh day we were ordered to take this hill which is known as "break neck Hill". The Japs were making their last stand and did quite a good job of it. Not one lived to get off.

Well, we advanced under very heavy fire. Just at the bottom is where Don got hit. He was an important man because he was armed with a BAR, the one weapon the Japs hate the worse, so Don drew a lot of fire and was finally hit. I was right in back of him and seen it all. It came fast and he didn't know a thing about it. Thank God for that.

Mrs. Murphy, you can be the proudest mother, if it were not for Don our whole squad of twelve men would have gotten it. He gave us fire while we advanced. We owe a great deal to him and are darn proud he was one of us. You had a great son Mrs. Murphy. He died a hero in the eyes of God and all of us.

One thing Don had the best burial ceremony that could be had. Pastor Yufond gave grace. Mrs. Murphy, as you can see I'm not much good at this but I wanted you to know.

Would you please show this or tell Sarah just what took place. I'm sure Don would want it that way.

Enclosed is some snapshots we took in New Guinea. They aren't very good but I thought you'd like them. I've sent home for large sizes and will send them also as soon as I receive them. Will close now. I hope this helped just a little.

On behalf of the squad,
Yours,
Fred Heitzinger

Contributor: Jane Ries (47157457)

Sources

[S13389] Findagrave.com, Memorial, Murphy, Donald M., (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56771095), none. (Reliability: 2).
[S15404] Robert Medley Gatewood, Brochure, Flora, Illinois, World War II Veterans Memorial, page #4, (https://genealogy.carlwgray.com/showmedia.php?mediaID=18791) (Reliability: 2).
[S13370] https://www.wwiimemorial.com/, World War II Honoree, Donald Max Murphy, (https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=1898100) (Reliability: 2).