New Mexico Medal of Honor Recipients Honored at Flag Day Ceremony

(SANTA FE,NM)—A Medal of Honor Recipient from New Mexico, the widow of another local recipient, and the parents of a soon-to-be-awarded local Medal of Honor Recipient were the guests of honor at the 16th Annual Flag Day Massing of the Colors Ceremony in Santa Fe on June 14th.

Former U.S. Army Corporal Hiroshi Miyamura received a standing ovation from the crowd attending the ceremony at the Santa Fe Veterans’ Memorial. Also receiving a rousing welcome were Mary Ann Murphy, widow of Medal of Honor Recipient Raymond G. “Jerry” Murphy, and Larry and Rose Petry, parents of U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry.  The Santa Fe native will be presented the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama at a special White House ceremony next month.  Sgt. Petry is currently stationed in Washington State and was unable to attend the ceremony.

In addition to honoring the American Flag and all those who have served under it, Keynote Speaker Brigadier General Jack Fox (U.S. Army retired) honored Petry, Murphy and Miyamura as true heroes who truly risked their lives to save their comrades on the battlefield.

“Today we tend to toss the word ‘hero’ around a lot, often mention baseball players, football players and other athletes,” said Gen. Fox. “But their actions truly were heroic, because these brave warriors put the safety of their fellow soldiers above the safety of their own. “

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the President of the United States. Petry becomes only the 13th New Mexican to receive the award, which was established shortly after the Civil War to honor heroic acts by soldiers on the battlefield. Only three of the 13 are still alive (former U.S. Army Special Forces Staff Sgt. Drew Dix of Mimbres in southern New Mexico was unable to attend).

Petry is only the second active duty member of the military to receive the honor since the end of the Vietnam War, as well as the second to be given the award for heroic battlefield actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. In May of 2008 in the eastern Afghan province of Paktia, he lost his hand after saving others from a grenade during a rear daylight raid on an insurgent stronghold. Petry was clearing the courtyard of a targeted compound with two other fellow Army Rangers when they came under heavy fire.

A bullet pierced both of Petry's legs, and he and one of the other soldiers took cover behind a chicken coop. As another U.S. Army sergeant arrived for help, a grenade was thrown from the other side of the coop. It landed about 30 feet away and exploded, wounding Higgins and the other soldier. A second grenade landed even closer to the wounded Rangers — just a few feet away. Petry grabbed it and tried to toss it away, but it exploded in his hand. His actions are credited with saving his life as well as the three other Rangers.

Miyamura, a native and long time resident of Gallup, is credited with saving the lives of his fellow squad members during the Korean War, when enemy forces threatened attacked his unit on April 24th, 1951. The U.S. Army Corporal ordered the retreat of his platoon while he single-handedly fended off attackers with a machine gun—and when his ammunition ran out, a bayonet. He was severely wounded, ultimately captured, and held as a Prisoner of War—but not before killing more than 50 enemy soldiers and ensuring the safety of his fellow soldiers. Miyamura was released in August of 1953.

Second Lieutenant Jerry Murphy was a U.S. Marine who received his Medal of Honor for his heroic actions, like Miyamura, in the Korean War. The native of Pueblo, Colorado is credited with saving dozens of lives of his evacuation platoon in support of assault units attacking a cleverly concealed and well-entrenched hostile force from extremely heavy enemy fire on February 3, 1953. Murphy was painfully wounded by mortar shrapnel, but refused treatment and instead led the charge up the heavily fortified hill. He also led the evacuation of wounded soldiers—providing cover despite being wounded a second time from gunfire.

“I’m really honored and touched to be here today,” said Miyamura after the Flag Day ceremony. “I’ve said it all along, but I’m no hero. I was just a soldier, doing my job. But I’m glad it inspires people even today.”

The parents of U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry, Larry and Rose Petry, are honored during the ceremony.	Mary Ann Murphy, widow of U.S. Marine 2nd Lt. Raymond “Jerry” Murphy, waves to the crowd.