General Orders: Headquarters, 82d Airborne
Division
General Orders No. 64, December 13, 1944
Action Date: June 10, 1944
507th Parachute Infantry Regiment
82d Airborne Division
The President of the United
States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes
pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant (Infantry)
Murray L. Harvey (ASN: 0-1284867), United States Army, for gallantry
in action while serving with Headquarters Company, 507th Parachute Infantry
Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, in action on 10 June 1944, near ****,
France.
First Lieutenant Harvey advanced under heavy enemy machine gun fire
and cleaned out a small church that was being held by the enemy. He
personally killed three Germans and enabled his platoon to continue
its advance.
During the assault of the Merderet River Bridge, First Lieutenant Harvey's
platoon was pinned down on the far bank by machine gun fire from the
church 50 yards from the edge of the bridge. First Lieutenant Harvey,
with two men, immediately crawled down the river bank and advanced toward
the enemy in the mud and water. He was fired upon, but moved into grenade
range, threw four grenades and destroyed the machine gun and four riflemen.
His aggressive disregard for personal safety enabled his platoon to
continue its advance with minimum losses through an area where the enemy
had excellent positions and fields of fire.
First Lieutenant Harvey's unhesitating action in doing the job himself prevented
a delay in the mission of his platoon and contributed materially to
the success of the assault.
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