Charles P. Murray was born in Baltimore, Maryland on September 26. 1921 and moved to Wilmington, NC when he was just a year old. He graduated from New Hanover High School in 1938. He was drafted into the Army in 1942 after completing three years at the University of North Carolina.

In October 1944, in northeast France, he joined the 30th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Division as a replacement platoon leader. He became the company commander in early December.

According to an article in the New York Times, "Lieutenant Murray was leading an Army platoon into a valley near Kayserberg, France, early on December 16, 1944, to take a bridge and build a roadblock, when he told his men to rest. He went ahead and spotted some 200 German soldiers preparing to attack an American battalion positioned on a nearby ridge." Thanks to his heroics, the Americans were spared. For this he received the Congressional Medal of Honor.

In his honor, our school was named after him when it was built in 2001.  Charles Murray died on August 12, 2011 at his home in Columbia, South Carolina.

For detailed accounts about his life and heroics, click the following links:

Wilmington Star News - article written by Wilbur Jones

NY Times Obituary - article by Daniel Slotnik

Wilmington Star News - Obituary

Congressional Medal of Honor Society - official government website