The SECRETARY OF THE NAVY WASHINGTON
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting
The NAVY CROSS to
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER DAVID RODNEY MURPHY
UNITED STATES NAVY
For service as set forth in the following
CITATION

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to David Rodney Murphy, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy, for extraordinary heroism in action from 12 through 16 October 1966 while serving in a detachment of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron SIX (HS-6), temporarily embarked in U.S.S. INTREPID (CVS-11), flying as Plane Commander of an armored search and rescue helicopter during a series of related rescue missions in support of combat operations in Southeast Asia. Lieutenant Commander Murphy was vectored to an inland area of North Vietnam on two separate search and rescue flights in valiant attempts to rescue a downed Navy pilot. Although encountering intense enemy fire, he persisted in his determined attempts to locate and rescue the survivor. During the second search, his helicopter, while in a hover, was riddled by enemy automatic-weapons fire which completely disabled one of its engines. Lieutenant Commander Murphy successfully flew the aircraft out of range of the enemy’s guns and retired toward the sea where, nearing the heavily-fortified coastline, a barrage of accurate enemy antiaircraft fire inflicted additional heavy damage to the already crippled helicopter and wounded all personnel. Nonetheless, he and his crew tenaciously nursed their helicopter through the enemy fire toward a United States destroyer, approximately fifteen miles from the enemy coastline. When the helicopter lost complete directional control as it neared the destroyer, Lieutenant Commander Murphy skillfully ditched the aircraft in an upright position, thereby preventing further injury to all personnel on board. By his outstanding courage, exceptional skill and fearless devotion to duty, he upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

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