Maxwell Murray (June 19, 1885 – August 4, 1948) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

officer, who rose to the rank of major general. Murray commanded the 25th Infantry Division during the

Attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...

. He was the son of Major General

Arthur Murray Arthur Murray (born Moses Teichman; April 4, 1895 – March 3, 1991) was an American ballroom dancer and businessman, whose name is most often associated with the dance studio chain that bears his name. Early life and start in dance Arthur Mur ...

Early years and World War I

Maxwell Murray was born on June 19, 1885, at

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York (state), New York, General George Washington stationed his headquarters in West Point in the summer and fall of 1779 durin ...

, a son of Major General

(the first Chief of the Coast Artillery Corps) and his wife Sarah Wetmore DeRussy, daughter of Union Brigadier General

René Edward De Russy René Edward De Russy (February 22, 1789 – November 23, 1865) was an engineer, military educator, and career United States Army officer who was responsible for constructing many Eastern United States coastal fortifications, as well as some fort ...

. Murray attended the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

from 1903–1907, and was commissioned a second lieutenant of

Cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

on June 14, 1907. During World War I, Murray was transferred to the Field Artillery branch on January 13, 1917, and was sent with the 5th Field Artillery, 1st Division, to France. Murray was promoted to the temporary rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

and was put in command of the 5th Field Artillery during the

Battle of Cantigny The Battle of Cantigny, fought May 28, 1918, was the first major American battle and offensive of World War I. The U.S. 1st Division, the most experienced of the five American divisions then in France and in reserve for the French Army near th ...

, Battle of Soissons and Second Battle of the Marne. For his leadership, he was awarded the

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation, state or country. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in act ...

and

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...

. He was also decorated with the Croix de guerre with Guilt Star and

Fourragère The ''fourragère'' (, from , "fodder") is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, in the form of a braided cord. The award was first adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, ...

by the government of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Interwar service

After the war, upon his return from the European battlefield, Murray was reverted to the rank of major in the

Field Artillery Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support army, armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement. Until the ear ...

and was put in command of the Artillery training center at

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg (formerly Fort Liberty from 2023–2025) is a United States Army, U.S. Army Military base, military installation located in North Carolina. It ranks among the largest military bases in the world by population, with more than 52,000 m ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. Between 1919 and 1920, Murray took a special course at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

and after graduation, he was transferred to the Office of Chief of Field Artillery, under the command of Major General William J. Snow. In 1924, Murray attended the

Field Artillery School The United States Army Field Artillery School (USAFAS) trains Field Artillery Soldiers and Marines in tactics, techniques, and procedures for the employment of fire support systems in support of the maneuver commander. The school further develo ...

Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (137 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark a ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, where he gained more knowledges about Field Artillery. Subsequently, he attended the

Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

. His next assignment was as an aide to

Governor-General of the Philippines The governor-general of the Philippines (; ; ) was the title of the Executive (government), government executive during the colonial period of the Philippines, first by History of the Philippines (1521–1898), the Spanish in Mexico City and l ...

Dwight F. Davis Dwight Filley Davis Sr. (July 5, 1879 – November 28, 1945) was an American tennis player and politician. He is best remembered as the founder of the Davis Cup international tennis competition. He was the Assistant Secretary of War from 1923 ...

from 1929 to 1932. Subsequently, Murray was transferred back to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he was appointed a member of Field Artillery Board. In this capacity, Murray was promoted to the rank of colonel. In 1936, he was transferred to the

5th Field Artillery Regiment The 5th Field Artillery Regiment was constituted as part of the Regular Army (United States), Regular Army in January 1907. Individual battalions have lineages which date back further. Currently, it is a parent regiment under the U.S. Army Reg ...

, where he was appointed an executive officer of the unit and a commanding officer the following year.

World War II

With the Japanese

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...

in December 1941, Murray served as a commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division (former

Hawaiian Division The Hawaiian Division was a division of the United States Army, dedicated to the defense of Hawaii. This division was named rather than numbered, as were the Philippine, Panama Canal and Americal Divisions. It was first activated under the peac ...

). During his command, 25th Division performed intensive training due to its deployment in the Pacific. He served in this capacity until the end of April 1942, when he was replaced by major general

J. Lawton Collins General Joseph Lawton Collins (1 May 1896 – 12 September 1987) was a senior United States Army officer. During World War II, he served in both the Pacific and European Theaters of Operations, one of a few senior American commanders to do so. H ...

. In addition, Murray was awarded with his first

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

for his service as CG of 25th Infantry Division. Major General Murray subsequently served as a commanding general of the 35th Infantry Division stationed at

Camp San Luis Obispo Camp San Luis Obispo is the original home of the California Army National Guard. It served as an Infantry Division Camp and Cantonment Area for the United States Army during World War II. History Camp San Luis Obispo, formerly called Camp Merr ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. He was succeeded by Major General Paul W. Baade in January 1943 and transferred to

Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial d ...

, Southern California, where he commanded the local sector within

Western Defense Command Western Defense Command (WDC) was established on 17 March 1941 as the command formation of the United States Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast region of the United States during Wo ...

under the command of general

John L. DeWitt John Lesesne DeWitt (9 January 1880 – 20 June 1962) was a four-star general in the United States Army. He was best known for overseeing the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. After the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanes ...

. Murray also received an

Oak Leaf Cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a spec ...

to the

for his service in Western Defense Command. In 1943, Major General Murray was transferred to the combat area in

New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...

Central Pacific area Pacific Ocean Areas (POA) was a major Allied military command in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands during the Pacific War and one of three United States commands in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. ...

, where he commanded the Guadalcanal Island Forward Area. This command included the

Fiji Islands Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

. For his service in this capacity, Murray was awarded with the Second

to the

. In November 1945, Murray returned to the United States and was assigned to the headquarters of the Army Ground Forces in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Murray finally retired from the Army on September 30, 1946.

Retirement

Major General Maxwell Murray died of a heart attack on August 4, 1948, at the age of 63 years at his home in

Siasconset, Massachusetts Siasconset is a census-designated place (CDP) at the eastern end of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, United States with an elevation of 52 feet (16 m), and a population of 205 at the 2010 census. Although unincorporated, the village ha ...

. He and his wife Phyllis Muriel Howard (1890–1976) had a son, Colonel Arthur Maxwell Murray (USMA Class of 1938) (1913-2000) and a daughter, Ann Murray Hess (1915-2001). He is buried together with his family at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

Decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Major General Maxwell Murray:

References

External links

ANC Explorer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Maxwell 1885 births 1948 deaths Military personnel from New York (state) United States Army Field Artillery Branch personnel People from West Point, New York Attack on Pearl Harbor United States Army generals United States Military Academy alumni United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni United States Army War College alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni United States Army personnel of World War I Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Legion of Merit Honorary commanders of the Order of the British Empire American recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) United States Army generals of World War II