Page 30 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2020- Online Magazine
P. 30
Dick Murphy
Continuing to Serve
by Larry A. Williams
Ft. Dix, New Jersey only to find jungle training and Vietnam
that everyone was going home orientation. “I arrived at a
for Christmas. “I had just left firebase and was immediately
home; I wasn’t ready to go right met by the first sergeant, an
back. I asked the drill sergeant E-6 (four stripes). He ordered,
what I could do. He said, ‘Come with me. You’re in charge
‘Murphy, we need a fireman.’” now, and come hell or high
Dick thought, “Oh boy, I’m going water, I’m leaving in two hours,
to be a fireman! I found out the so let’s walk the perimeter.’ In
‘fireman’s’ job was to keep a big one hour and 45 minutes, we
coal furnace going to keep the were through; I was on my own.
barracks warm!” Before he left, he said, ‘We get
hit (incoming enemy fire) about
Dick was sent to Camp Chaffee, five days a week.’ Sure enough,
Arkansas for Advanced we got hit that very night - first,
Infantry Training. In 1955, with mortars, then with machine
his first overseas assignment guns and small arms. I was hit in
was to Battalion A, 559th Field the left leg but kept fighting. The
Artillery unit in Erlangen, battle lasted about 45 minutes.
Germany. Murphy met a local After making sure everyone was
he first thing that strikes German girl in church named ok, I went to the medic who sent
you about retired Army Katharina “Kay” Shultheis, me to a MASH unit. There they
TCommand Sergeant Major whose family had survived graded soldiers as “not so bad,
Dick Murphy is his deep voice. bombings from Allied forces bad, worse than bad, and body
Brusque and to the point after during WWII. “They weren’t bag.” It took a week before a
many years of giving orders, both exactly thrilled that she was doctor came by, cut my swollen
in the military and on the job, marrying an American G.I., but leg open and bandaged it. I was
the gruff voice belies the heart we got married anyway.” They sent back to my unit where I
of gold within. The man is an had two children, Marilyn and survived the Tet Offensive in
endless bundle of energy, even at Marc. In 1959, Murphy was January 1968. I finally received
age 83. Richard was born on July transferred to the 2nd Battalion the Purple Heart on April 11,
16, 1936, the only child of James 34th Field Artillery unit in Ft. 1968.” Murphy left Vietnam on
and Lucy Murphy in Taunton, Sill, Oklahoma where he was August 30, 1968.
Massachusetts. James was a a gunnery instructor. In 1962,
silversmith who worked for Reed Sgt. Murphy was transferred to He returned to Ft. Sill in
& Barton in Taunton. Dick said, the 8th Infantry Division in Bad September 1968. In 1970, he
“My family never owned a car. Kreuznach, West Germany. He volunteered to go back to
Someone would come by and remained there until 1966.
pick up my dad and take him to Staff Sergeant Murphy
work.”
received orders for Vietnam
At Memorial High, Dick played and left out of Ft. Lewis,
catcher on the baseball team and Washington on August
later loved bowling and water 23, 1967. Arriving at Cam
skiing. He had an uncle who was Ranh Bay, Murphy was
in the Army during WWII, and loaded on a C130 transport
by age 16, Dick knew he wanted plane with other troops at
to join the Army. He enlisted on Phu Cat Air Force Base and
December 20, 1954. He dutifully taken somewhere in South
showed up for basic training at Vietnam for one week of
30 Senior Link
