Lieutenant Colonel Michael C. “Mike” Murphy earned a Purple Heart, the Legion of Merit and air medals for his actions in World War II. He was the first pilot to land on June 6, 1944, or D-Day, the Normandy invasion, and he is buried in Lebanon’s St. Joseph Cemetery.
Several members of Murphy’s family lived here in Lebanon including his mother and his sister. His mother, Nella Murphy, lived here during WWII and cabled him shortly after hearing of his derring do in France. He also owned farmland in Boone County. His hometown during the war was Lafayette, but he had connections to several Hoosier towns and cities.

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