American Federation of Musicians

Scope and Contents William Murphy served aboard Intrepid as a musician third class and was a member of the Navy band (both the “square” and “swing” bands) during World War II, from 1943 to 1945. Murphy began his interview by stating that he remembered living in South Omaha, Nebraska, and then relocating to a small town near Chicago at the age of 4 or 5. Murphy explained that his mother and sister were musicians, and that he had experimented with music, playing all through high school, a theme that would...