John J. Murphy

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to John J. Murphy, Private First Class, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Nantillois, France, October 31, 1918. Private Murphy displayed a remarkable example of heroism by carrying two wounded men from the gun pit after being seriously wounded himself when a German shell exploded within a few feet of the piece which was being; loaded, setting fire to several boxes of powder and to the camouflage covering of the pit. After carrying the wounded men to safety, he returned to the pit, closed the breech of the piece, verified its laying, and fired it, preventing what probably would have been a very serious explosion. He was quickly carried to the aid station, where it was found that he had suffered serious burns from the terrific heat, besides being wounded in several places by shell fragments.