Colonel James A. Murphey, Jr.
10 January 1949 to January 1951

Cardinal, September 29, 1950

Post Commandant Vet of 34 Years Continuous Service

Son Fights in Korea As Father Preps Post for Reservist Training.

"We're well and doing fine." 

This was the heartening news that Colonel James A. Murphy, post commandant, received in the last letter from his son, 1st Lieutenant James A. Murphy, Jr., serving with the 1st Cavalry Division in the combat zone, Korea.  While Lieutenant Murphey fights in the front lines, his dad, a veteran of 34 years continuous service in the Army, has the trememdous job of readying Camp Atterbury for reservists' training.

Colonel Murphy began his army career whenthe Texas National Guard was mobilized to put down Mexican border disturbances in 1916.  His first foreign service came in 1920 when he served with the Army of Occupation after World War I.  In July of 1920, Colonel Murphey successfully passed his exanimation for a regular army commission.  He returned to the States with the 29th Infantry Division.

The years between World War I and II found 1st Lieutenant Murphey attending army schools that were to give him a wide field of instruction and experience in many phases of military operations.  These included the infantry school, tank school and transportation school.  After attending the latter, Lieutenant Murphey was transferred from the Infantry to the Quartermaster Corps.

"There were fifteen years there," Colonel Murphey said, "when officer promotions in the army were very scarce.:

However when things began to open up Colonel Murphey began to go up the ladder.  He was made captain in 1933, major in 1939, lieutenant colonel in 1942 and full colonel in 1943.  In that year he was assigned as Commanding Officer of the Quartermaster group in Iceland.

Returning briefly to the States in 1944, Colonel Murphey was reassigned to the 15th Army in Europe.  He stayed in the neighborhood of the Rhine River until VE Day.  At that time his unit was one of the first to be redeployed to the Pacific.  There he joined the 10th Army and stayed on Okinawa from VJ Day to late 1945.

In 1947 Colonel Murphey once again went to the Far East Command as Commanding Officer of the American Graves Registration Unit with headquarters in Manilla, P. I.  He supervised the recovery and return of the honored dead throughout the Pacific area.

Colonel Murphey came to Camp Atterbury in February of 1949.  With him are his wife, daughter and his son's wife and her daughter.