She was the best commander I had the privilege of serving under as her 1sg. She was fair but strict , she was a good commander in a field environment and as a garrison commander. She took over command from a commander who didn’t think about but one thing and that was retiring. 62Nd received numerous awards during IG inspections under her command. It honor to serve under Maj. Murphy.
Warren Groseclose
Maj. Murphy took over a unit that was in need of structure and some discipline. The previous commander was a retired on active duty guy waiting out his time and gave no guidance or leadership to any of the new junior officers that came on board. Maj. Murphy was quick to pick up on this and she was very instrumental in getting us up to speed for the next IG inspection and very good at recognizing peoples talents and giving them enough rope to do their jobs.
Harry Trumbull
Sally was not just the first (and only) female commander of the 62nd. Before her arrival, there had been other female officers in command of aviation battalion HHCs, but Sally was the first female commanderof a line aviation unit.
My thoughts -
I was detached from the 62nd to the 11th AVN BN to serve a temporary assignment in the S-1 section when then MAJ Murphy arrived in the BN HQ and asked me the way to the CDRs office. At the time I did not know why she was there but soon learned she had come to be interviewed for the position of Commander of the 62nd. My first thought upon learning that was how would the unit ever survive a female commander? And as it turned out, my first thought was also way off the mark. When I returned to the 62nd from my temporary assignment as the S-1, MAJ. Murphy was already in command. My first duty position upon return was as a section leader in the Command Flight Platoon. But soon after that the platoon leader was re-assigned to the BN S-2 and despite my being a 1LT (the platoon leader position called for a CPT in those days), MAJ. Murphy appointed me the new Command Flight (UH-1H) platoon leader. And in all honesty, in my 26 years of service she was the best commander (at any level) that I ever served under. She was fair while being firm, but most important to me was she let me command my platoon with no interference. Bottom line is she allowed me to do my job the way I thought it should be done and only offered guidance if I asked for it, or if it appeared I might be about to make a wrong decision (and we all know that never happened). And above all she never allowed anyone else to interfere with operation of the company and how the other platoon leaders and myself conducted day-to-day business. Her leadership was one I tried to emulate in my future assignments and I believe it did well to assist me in the completion of a successful career.
Harry The BOSS 16
Rollie Hubbard
I never had the opportunity to serve under Col. Murphy, but I have on many occasions spoke with Sally. She volunteered to be our first vice president of the Association. She provided tremendous assistance in writing the original by-laws. She is a true leader.
The 62nd would like to honor Col. Murphy on her huge accomplisments. We asked our fellow members their thoughts on Col. Murphy and below are some of their replies. We also included an article written about her by Martin J. Pociask from HFI.
First and only female Commander of the 62nd Aviation Company and first female UH-1H pilot.
FORT MYER, Va. (Army News Service, March 27, 2009) -- Members of "Freedom Team Salute" honored retired Col. Sally D. Murphy, the Army's first female helicopter pilot, Wednesday at Fort Myer Spates Community Club.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of Murphy's graduation from the Army Aviation school at Fort Rucker, Ala., when she became the Army's first female helicopter pilot. She joined the Army's Women Army Corps in 1972, and entered the aviation school when women were first allowed in.
Murphy flew helicopters for the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan., and commanded the 62nd Aviation Company in Germany and the 78th Aviation Battalion (Provisional) in Japan.
Col. Laura J. Richardson, Fort Myer Military Community garrison commander, is one of thousands of women who have followed in Murphy's footsteps as a female aviator. She spoke at the event about how Murphy's shadow loomed over her during aviation training.
"From my own experience as a female helicopter pilot, I understand and appreciate the time, effort, knowledge and dedication it took Col. Murphy to become the Army's first female helicopter pilot," Richardson said. "More importantly, I appreciate the tough road that Col. Murphy forged, making it possible for me and other female Army aviators to follow along in a ready made path, making it so much easier for us."
After Richardson spoke, Judith Matteson of the U.S. Army Women's Museum spoke about the history of women aviators. She mentioned Bessie Coleman, civil aviator, who became the first African-American airplane pilot. Matteson introduced a brief video that highlighted women's contributions to the Army in its many conflicts.
Col. David Griffith, director of Freedom Team Salute spoke next. He mentioned the 1.9 million Soldiers that FTS has recognized before talking about Murphy's contributions to the military.
Freedom Team Salute is an Army program that recognizes the bond between Soldiers, family and their community; celebrates the sacrifices made by all those who support Soldiers; and honors the millions of Army veterans who have served and who remain as a living connection to generations of duty, honor and patriotism.
"Because of (Murphy), women make up 15 percent of the Army, and are present in 91 percent of the Army's occupations," Griffith said.
He then presented Murphy with her official commendation from FTS, and Murphy took the stage.
Her voice broke at times, but she managed to tell the story of how she became the first female Army aviator, from her childhood as a tomboy through her time in Military Intelligence, all the way to her service with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
"I love being in the Army, I love being an aviator, and I love being in intelligence," she said.
She spoke about how her husband, son and daughter-in-law are all currently serving in the Army, and that she was proud of all of them. She exited the podium to a standing ovation, and the audience of Soldiers, civilians and retired female Soldiers enjoyed a luncheon.
It was Richardson who pointed out the significance of honoring Murphy during Women's History Month, and at Fort Myer, the birthplace of military aviation, and she concluded her remarks with a heartfelt thank-you to Murphy.
"Thank you, Col. Murphy, for your steadfastness and courage, to go where no woman in the Army had ever gone before and to pave the way for the rest of us" Richardson said. "I know your efforts will continue to inspire future female Army aviators for generations."
Article written by Alex McVeigh for the Pentagram newspaper at Fort Myer, Va
