AMERICAN DECORATION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 31, Issue 9, 11 December 1945, Page 5

AMERICAN DECORATION

LOCAL BOY'S HEROISM INCIDENT AT OKINAWA The home of Mr and Mrs George Murray j of King W'ha'katane was the scene of considerable excitement recently when Mrs Murray received the news that lier son Private Ist Class Kenneth. Murray, of the 96th Division U.S. Army, had received two medals from his "Uncle j Sugar' as the U.S. Signal Corps have re-cliristened their Uncle Sam. ! Ever since 1938 } when Kenneth first came to this district with his he has been very popular with hosts of people in all walks of life—all of whom we l'cel sure will join in congratuating Mr and ; Mrs Murray upon this obvious indication of their son's successful life in the U.S. Army. Kenneth was born in the town of Wallace in U.S.A., in < 1924 ? and he enlisted in the U.S. Army on the 7th August 1944. From then the tempo of his life quickened considerably, for by the 11th ol' August lie was on his < way to New Caledonia for basic , training. On the 20th of ] 1944 ? Kenny was with the ,96th , Division as part of General McArtliur's amphibious attack upon the island of Leyte in the Marshall's Group—through which campaign he came unscathed. He next saw action, and torrid action when Marc Mitscher's Task Force 58 successfully assaulted • Okinawa Jimo. Jfenneth's section Soared ashore in the first. Wave } and it was in this action that he was wounded and for his part therein was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for Bravery. His official citation can best describe the incident which occurred during the storming of Shuri Ridge on the 11th April 1945. I quote: "Pte. Ist Class Kenneth Murray aAvarded Bronze Star Medal General Orders No. 517. For heroic service in connection with m'ilitary operations, against enemy Okinawa Island 11th April, 1945. While acting as letter bearer \ ? as woundec. making' it difficult for him to walk. Despite this wound he continued with his job and carried a wounded man down a steep ravine and across open ground covered by enemy fire. Not until the wounded man was safely out of the line of fire did Pte Murray give up his job when he collapsed. By his courageous Pte Murray saved the life of a wounded man." The efficiency of the American Red Cross Units is amply displayed by the fact that Kenneth was evacuated by plane to Saipan - Military Hospital (a matter of 1500 miles) in a few hours. There was enacted yet another of those amazing coincidents that seem to happen in the overseas life of most New Zealanders. When Kenny was recovering from his operation in the 39th General Military Hospital on Saipan his first visitors were Tech. Sergeants Jack Reed and Herbie Pozner of the Hospital Laboratory to whom he had been introduced by the writer right here in Whaka--lane in 1944. The war ended whilst he was in Mindoro in the Phillipincs receiving treatment for malaria and. hookworm and bis future plans depend upon his. response to treatment. The 'Purple Heart' arrived here, by air mail last week and proves to be an exceptionally handsome award fittingly graced by an official tooled leather jewel case. . Meanwhile the Bronze Star for Bravery is in transit and ) as this is a new medal created in this war; its arrival in Whakatane is eagerly awaited by students of this branch of military art. And so ends another local boy's military and all his friends are hoping soon to welcome h'is return to our town's life. His- mother very fittingly spoke with the voice of all mothers in our land when she said: 'T don't care if he doesn't win any kinds of aw T ards, as long as he comes home safe and well."