05/25/2026
In November 1944, soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 102nd Infantry “Ozark” Division were patrolling near Immendorf, Germany in preparation for a large-scale attack.
The land around the American soldiers was flat and there were not many places to hide from the enemy. Fighting in the area had died down and it had been relatively quiet except for occasional German artillery barrages. As Private Robert Murray and the other American soldiers walked down a road the quiet was suddenly broken by the crash of enemy artillery fire. When the barrage ended, Murray lay dead in the road, hit by shrapnel.
This care package, on display at the Michigan History Museum, was sent by Murray’s family before he was killed. It contains items that would have been welcomed by an infantryman marching through Germany: extra socks, foot powder, ci******es and matches.
Following his death, the Army sent the package back to Murray’s grieving family in Coopersville, Michigan. They never opened it. The package remained unopened until the family donated it to the museum where it was opened to catalog its contents.
The care package stands as a testament to Murray and all who served in World War II. This Memorial Day we remember those who served and sacrificed for our freedom.
