Charles Patrick “Chuck” Murray Jr. was born on September 26, 1921, in
Baltimore, City of Baltimore, Maryland. He was the son of Charles Patrick Murray and Florence Mildred Brown Murray. He was married to Anne King Murray. After graduating from Wilmington's New Hanover High School in 1938, he attended the University of North Carolina. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942, after his third year of college.

In October 1944, Charles arrived in northeastern France as a platoon leader with Company C, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, which had previously landed at Saint-Tropez and was advancing toward Germany. By December 8, he became company commander, and on December 16, 1944, near Kaysersberg, he led a reconnaissance patrol that encountered about 200 German troops attacking another U.S. unit. Despite being vastly outnumbered and losing radio contact, Murray single-handedly launched a bold counterattack using rifle grenades and automatic fire, killing and scattering many of the enemy. Wounded by a grenade during the fight, he refused to withdraw until his men were safely positioned. For this extraordinary courage, he was awarded the Medal of Honor on August 1, 1945, in Salzburg, Austria, before the entire 3rd Infantry Division. Murray later served as the chief U.S. intelligence officer in Salzburg during the occupation period and received multiple decorations.

Murray remained in the Army after World War II, serving with the 82nd Airborne Division and participating in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He eventually rose to the rank of colonel. He commanded the 3rd US Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), a ceremonial unit tasked with guarding the Tomb of the Unknowns, among other duties. In 1970, he transferred to Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina, from where he retired in 1973. Murray worked for the South Carolina Department of Corrections until his final retirement. He died from congestive heart failure on August 12, 2011, and is now buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA. Murray Middle School in Wilmington is named in his honor.

Medal of Honor Citation:
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Charles Patrick “Chuck” Murray, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty while commanding Company C, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division, displaying supreme courage and heroic initiative near Kaysersberg, France, on 16 December 1944, while leading a reinforced platoon into enemy territory. Descending into a valley beneath hilltop positions held by our troops, he observed a force of 200 Germans pouring deadly mortar, bazooka, machinegun, and small arms fire into an American battalion occupying the crest of the ridge. The enemy’s position in a sunken road, though hidden from the ridge, was open to a flank attack by First Lieutenant Murray’s patrol but he hesitated to commit so small a force to battle with the superior and strongly disposed enemy. Crawling out ahead of his troops to a vantage point, he called by radio for artillery fire. His shells bracketed the German force, but when he was about to correct the range his radio went dead. He returned to his patrol, secured grenades and a rifle to launch them and went back to his self-appointed outpost. His first shots disclosed his position; the enemy directed heavy fire against him as he methodically fired his missiles into the narrow defile. Again he returned to his patrol. With an automatic rifle and ammunition, he once more moved to his exposed position. Burst after burst he fired into the enemy, killing 20, wounding many others, and completely disorganizing its ranks, which began to withdraw. He prevented the removal of three German mortars by knocking out a truck. By that time a mortar had been brought to his support. First Lieutenant Murray directed fire of this weapon, causing further casualties and confusion in the German ranks. Calling on his patrol to follow, he then moved out toward his original objective, possession of a bridge and construction of a roadblock. He captured ten Germans in foxholes. An eleventh, while pretending to surrender, threw a grenade which knocked him to the ground, inflicting eight wounds. Though suffering and bleeding profusely, he refused to return to the rear until he had chosen the spot for the block and had seen his men correctly deployed. By his single-handed attack on an overwhelming force and by his intrepid and heroic fighting, First Lieutenant Murray stopped a counterattack, established an advance position against formidable odds, and provided an inspiring example for the men of his command.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, en.wikipedia.org, valor.militarytimes.com