Raymond Murphy Obituary

Major General Raymond P. Murphy, 92, a retired U.S. Army officer and United States Military Academy graduate who served in World War II and Vietnam, died on September 30, in Alexandria, Virginia. Major General Raymond P Murphy was born December 11, 1917 in Anaconda, Montana. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1942 where he earned nine varsity letters in football, basketball, and lacrosse, was the football team captain and received the Army Athletic Association Trophy as the outstanding athlete in his graduating class. General Murphy had a distinguished 33 year career as an artillery officer, with combat assignments during World War II and Vietnam. He had roles at all levels of the Army Command structure from small units to major commands, at home and abroad. Shortly after graduation from West Point, he served with the British 14th Army during the India-Burma and Central Burma Campaigns, from 1942-1945. He returned to combat command in Vietnam in 1967 with II Field Force Artillery, and became Chief of Staff, II Field Force Vietnam in July 1968. While in Vietnam he participated in five campaigns. General Murphy returned to West Point from 1945-1949 as Assistant Athletic Director while earning a masters degree in Education from Springfield College, served as Director of Athletics from 1963-1966, and as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics from 1977-1980. General Murphy was inducted in to the West Point Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 for his athletic achievements and contributions to the development of intercollegiate athletics at West Point. Additional assignments included tours in Germany, Korea, and Japan, and he received military higher education at the Fort Sill Artillery School, the Command and General Staff College and the Army War College. General Murphy's commands during his career including the 47th Artillery Brigade in Los Angeles, the US Army Air Defense Command, 1st Region, Stewart Field, New York, US Army Air Defense Command, Colorado Springs. Prior to his retirement in 1975, General Murphy was vice deputy chief of staff for operations and senior Army member of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) in Colorado Springs. General Murphy's service decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry w/Palm. In 1948, he married Mary Jean Strain of Great Falls, Montana, who predeceased him in 1971. In 1973 he married Elaine Morton Casey of Boston, Massachusetts. General Murphy is survived by his wife, seven children - Karen Murphy Walter of Colorado Springs, Brian Murphy of New York, NY, General George W. Casey, Jr. of Ft. Myer, VA, Joan Casey Gettys of Wilmington, NC, Winn Casey Cullen of Cold Spring Harbor, NY, Peter W. Casey of Avon, CO, Ann Casey Bukawyn of Short Hills, NJ, and by fourteen grandchildren and five great grandchildren.