John S. Murphy, Jr.

John Murphy enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard on March 30, 1957, and transferred to the U.S. Air Force Reserve on October 12, 1961. After completing his bachelor's degree, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant through the Air Force ROTC program at Texas Technological College on May 30, 1964, and went on active duty beginning July 13, 1964. Lieutenant Murphy next completed Undergraduate Pilot Training and was awarded his pilot wings at Reese AFB, Texas, in August 1965, followed by B-52 Stratofortress Combat Crew Training from September 1965 to January 1966. His first assignment was as a B-52 pilot with the 26th Bomb Squadron at Altus AFB, Oklahoma, from January 1966 to June 1967, and after completing F-105 Thunderchief Combat Crew Training, he served as an F-105 pilot with the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Korat Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, from February to October 1968. Captain Murphy served as an instructor pilot with the 3500th and 3501st Pilot Training Squadrons at Reese AFB from November 1968 to August 1971, and then completed F-4 Phantom II Combat Crew Training before serving as an F-4 pilot with the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Korat Royal Thai AFB from November 1971 until he was forced to eject over South Vietnam while flying a Tiger Fast FAC mission, and was taken as a Prisoner of War by North Vietnamese forces on June 8, 1972.