Commodore Isaac Murray (August 1, 1896–October 18, 1947)

By Harrison Smith

Early Life

Commodore Isaac Murray was born on August 1, 1896¹ to Pheobie Gordon and Isaac Murray in St. Augustine, Florida.² This birth date is recorded on his military service card; however, according to the census, he was two-years-old in 1900 and twelve in 1910 suggesting that he was born in 1898. He may have lied about his age so that he could sign up for the draft. Murray spent his childhood in St. Augustine alongside his seven siblings, Dorcas, Agnes, Moses, William, James, Ethel and Dorothy. He lived at home in 1910 when, according to the census, he was twelve-years-old.³

Military Service

U.S. World War I Draft Registration Card, 1917-1918

On May 18, 1917, Congress passed the Selective Service Act which made all men between the ages of twenty-one to thirty-one years old register for the draft. Just like thousands of other men, Murray went and registered on June 5, 1917 in St. Augustine, Florida, as seen on his draft card.

At that time, Murray was employed by the Florida East Coast Railway.⁴ Though he may have been nineteen and not twenty-one-years old. The Florida East Coast Railway was a railroad funded by Henry Flagler, it was constructed primarily in the 1880s and 1890s with the goal of connecting Jacksonville to Miami. Murray was inducted into the U.S. Army on August 4, 1918 in St. Augustine, Florida. He was sent to Camp Devens, Massachusetts, for basic training.⁵

S.S. Oxfordshire

After arriving in Camp Devens, Murray was assigned as a Private to Co. D of the 546th Engineers Service Battalion.⁶ He would train in Massachusetts for about a month before being transferred to Camp Humphreys, Virginia to await passage to France.⁷ On September 25, 1918, Murray and his company would depart from New York aboard the S.S. Oxfordshire as seen in this photo.⁸

During World War I, most African Americans served in support units. A non-combatant unit was based around surveying and creating infrastructure. There main objective was to construct the things needed to help win the war. This would include bridges and roads for transportation. These labor units were under constant fear of an attack from the enemy. For example, an Engineer company could be assigned to dig trenches sometimes meters away from an enemy trench line. The unit received credit for serving in the Meuse-Argonne campaign, the largest battle the American Army has ever fought; it decisively ended the war. ⁹ Fortunately for them, the war ended shortly after their arrival on November 11, 1918, when the armistice was signed. Before the Armistice, Co. D 546th Engineers served in Malancourt, France, near Verdun, and later in Dombasle, France. After the armistice, Company D moved to Azerailles, Belleville, and Dijon, among other places. ¹⁰ On August 17, 1919, Murray and his company departed from France aboard the S.S. George Washington and would arrive in Hoboken, New Jersey, on August 26, 1919.¹¹ The unit was then transported to Camp Merritt, New Jersey, where Murray was honorably discharged on September 12, 1919.¹²

Post Service Life

After his military service, Murray went back to his family in St. Augustine and continued his work as a laborer for the railroad industry.¹³ He married Charlotte Williams Kemp on September 6, 1922, and together they started a family of three children, Ernest (b. 1924), Rebecca (b. 1926), and James (b. 1929).¹⁴ In 1940, the family still lived together in St. Augustine and Murray continued to work for the railroad industry with an income of $690 dollars.¹⁵ Commodore Isaac Murray died on October 18, 1947 and was buried in St. Augustine National Cemetery.¹⁶ He is located in Section D, Grave 87.¹⁷ He was fifty-one years old.

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