Arthur David Murray

Arthur David Murray (1883-1957) was a high-ranking officer in the United States Navy.
Biography
Arthur David Murray was born in 1883 in Sioux Falls in South Dakota. He attended the Armour Institute of Technology in Chicago and obtained a degree in electrical engineering. He enlisted in the navy in 1917 at the age of 35 and served in the navy for 30 years (1917-1947). Murray was in command of the which was part of a Black Sea Detachment that performed quasi-diplomatic and humanitarian roles around Black Sea ports in the aftermath of World War I.
White Russian Evacuation and Order of St. Stanislaus
In November, 1920, Murray led men while under fire from Bolshevik forces. Despite five casualties, Murray held a key Red Cross warehouse with supplies of about $1 million and a dock area at Sevastopol. "That night with ten more men and machine guns we held a dock all night ", which was then used to aid the evacuation of 70,000 white Russians as they fled Bolsheviks. For his heroic action he was awarded the Order of St. Stanislaus Class III with bows and swords, from the Russian government in exile.
Greek Genocide
In 1921, during the Greek Genocide, Murray was in Izmit during the evacuation of the town following the Izmit massacre. He was also in Samsun in the same year, and reported on the deportation of 2,500 girls to the interior, some arriving naked, and some being robbed even of the filling in their teeth. He also reported on the massacre of 550 Greeks by Turks just outside of Samsun. Murray's testimony is housed in the US National Archives.
USN service timeline
March 26, 1917: Arthur Murray enrolls in US Naval Reserve Force for a period of four years, with provisional rank of Ensign.
April 9, 1917: Arthur Murray called to Active Duty
September 26, 1917: Navy Yard, Boston Mass. “Having taken the oath of allegiance to the United States, I hereby accept office as provisions Ensign in the Class 4 for G.S. United States Naval Reserve Force, Dated September 26, 1917”—Arthur David Murray
October 15, 1917: Reserve Officers class at Annapolis. Murray completed the 16-week course of instruction at the Reserve Officer’s School at the US Naval Academy, graduating Feb.1, 1918
January 15, 1918: Ordered to USS Utah (Engineer) upon completion of course at the Naval Academy
June 1, 1918: Ordered to proceed through New York, to Liverpool, England Division Nine, Battleship Force Two (to USS Texas)
November 17, 1918: Ordered to proceed to Cardiff, Wales Base 14
January 21, 1919: Murray requests permission to wear a service Chevron (approved), As “I have been in the war zone since June 24, 1918, on the USS Texas, with the British Grand Fleet operating in the North Sea.”
February 10, 1919: Detached from Cardiff Wales, ordered to proceed to Plymouth, England to report to the Commander, US Naval Base at that place.
March 27, 1919: Ordered to USS Zeppelen (Engineer) “During this period of time I have found Mr. Murray a very conscientious and efficient Engineering Officer and I consider that his services have been of exceptional value to the Engineering Department of this vessel.”—A.E. Brock, Chief Engineer, USS Zeppelen, October 31, 1919
November 20, 1919: Ordered to Receiving Station Boston
Feb 24, 1920: Ordered to report to USS Overton (Deck). At the time Overton and others in the Clemson class were commissioned it was reported that “these vessels are the fastest in the world. They have attained forty-four miles an hour at sea.”
June 30, 1920: USS Overton Commissioned Arthur Murray, Leader “It took me only a little over three years to get a battleship of my own. Tell Arlene so she can be proud of her Dad.”
August 18, 1921: Cruised to Batum, Russian Port. First trip made to Bolshevik town by an American ship
November, 1920 Leading ten men, under fire from Bolshevik forces, Murray held a dock area at Sevastopol, and proceeded to aid the evacuation of an estimated 146,000 imperial soldiers and white civilian Russians as they fled Bolsheviks. For his heroic acts he was awarded the Order of St. Stanislav, Class III, with bows and swords, from the Russian government in exile.
September 21, 1921: Ordered to USS St. Louis (Engineer)
December 5, 1921: Reported to RS Boston and USS Henderson
March 12, 1922: Detached from duty on board the USS Henderson; Reported to Commandant of Fifth Naval District for duty at Receiving Barracks, Hampton Roads, Va. (employment on shore duty); Will proceed and report to Commandant of First Naval District for duty on board the Receiving Ship at Boston.
June 3, 1922: Ordered to report to USS Brazos (Deck) without delay
August 15, 1924: Ordered to Navy Yard Boston
August 27, 1926: Detached from duty at the Navy Yard, Boston, and ordered to report to Rear Admiral Charles L. Hussey, USN, Commander, Train Squadron One, Fleet Base Force, for duty as aide on his Staff.
July 18, 1927: Detached from USS Antares and aide duty to Commander, Train Squadron One, Fleet Base Force, and assigned to duty to Rear Admiral Walter S. Crosley.
March 18, 1928: Authority granted for Murray to proceed to USS Utah, from Guantanamo Bay, to sail to Hampton Roads, Va.
June 15, 1929: Ordered to NTS Newport
April 18, 1931: Ordered to USS Memphis. Served as Gunnery officer
March 7, 1932: Ordered to USS Hannibal in Canal Zone. Served as the Navigator, he surveyed in Central and S. America
June 12, 1933: Murray requests and is granted a one-month leave plus seven days travel time from July 9 to spend time in Hyannis with his family. He rejoins the Hannibal at the Navy Yard in Norfolk at the end of his leave.
May 23, 1934: Transferred to 1st Naval District
September 2, 1936: Ordered to USS Salinas as engineering officer, Norfolk, Virginia
1939: Assigned to Receiving Station, New York, where he served at Pier 92 as engineering officer during World War II
September 18, 1946: The Naval Retiring Board convened and Arthur to be “permanently incapacitated for active service by reason of physical disability which is the result of an incident of the service.” Arthur Murray is 64 years old.
April 25, 1947: The President of the United States approved the proceedings and findings of the Naval Retiring Board. ADM placed on retired list on May 1, 1947 in the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
Awards
In 1920, Murray was awarded the Order of St. Stanislaus, Class III medal by the Russian government in exile for his role in fighting the Bolsheviks and the evacuation of an estimated 146,000 imperial soldiers and white civilian Russians.

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