Morton B. “Turk” Murphy III was born October 11, 1921 to Emma and Morton B. Murphy II in Sioux Rapids, Iowa. He graduated from Emmetsburg Catholic High School in 1939 and later began working for the Iowa Packing Company in Des Moines. Murphy joined the United States Navy Reserve in 1942 and entered Officer's Candidate School. He attended flight training in California, Minnesota, Florida, and New Jersey. After graduating from flight training in 1944, he married Alys V. Petersen, a nursing student who he had met at the University of Iowa. Soon after his marriage, Murphy was activated for combat duty, and served in the Pacific theater on the aircraft carriers USS Saratoga and USS Monterey as a night fighter pilot. After the war, Murphy transferred to regular Navy in 1946 and sailed on a goodwill cruise around Central and South America on the aircraft carrier USS Leyte. Murphy transferred back to the Navy Reserve in 1948, and served until resigning in 1965. He worked for Economy Fire and Casualty Company from 1961 until his retirement in 1984. He worked in Wisconsin as the staff adjuster, field production supervisor, and underwriting manager from 1969-1975. He then transferred to the Lebanon, Indiana branch to work as resident secretary and regional manager. Murphy was later promoted to resident vice president for the Freeport, Illinois branch in 1978. During his retirement, moved to Madison, Wisconsin and remained active in the VF-34 veteran group until his death in 2011.
