Frederick Murphy earned the Medal of Honor posthumously in Germany at the end of World War II, when he was serving as a medic. His story is incredible, a tale of patriotism, dedications and a desire to serve the Republic. Take a moment to learn his story, and to honor and remember him.

Murphy was killed while saving many Americans trapped in a minefield, even after he was, first, wounded in the shoulder, and then had his foot blown off by a mine. Read his Medal of Honor citation:

Citation:An aid man, he was wounded in the right shoulder soon after his comrades had jumped off in a dawn attack 18 March 1945, against the Siegfried Line at Saarlautern, Germany. He refused to withdraw for treatment and continued forward, administering first aid under heavy machinegun, mortar, and artillery fire. When the company ran into a thickly sown antipersonnel minefield and began to suffer more and more casualties, he continued to disregard his own wound and unhesitatingly braved the danger of exploding mines, moving about through heavy fire and helping the injured until he stepped on a mine which severed one of his feet. In spite of his grievous wounds, he struggled on with his work, refusing to be evacuated and crawling from man to man administering to them while in great pain and bleeding profusely. He was killed by the blast of another mine which he had dragged himself across in an effort to reach still another casualty. With indomitable courage, and unquenchable spirit of self-sacrifice and supreme devotion to duty which made it possible for him to continue performing his tasks while barely able to move, Pfc. Murphy saved many of his fellow soldiers at the cost of his own life.

What is o remarkable is that Murphy did not need to be in Germany. He tried to enlist after Pearl Harbor, while he was a student at the University of Pennsylvania, but was denied after failing two physical exams. Undaunted, he had back surgery and then enlisted as a medic in the 65th Infantry Division. 

From Boston, Massachusetts, Murphy is buried at Lorraine Cemetery in France. He was 27 years old when he was killed in action, leaving behind his wife and high school sweetheart, Virginia, and a two month old baby daughter, who received his Medal of Honor from General OW Griswold on February 27, 1946 at Quincy City Hall.