William McMurry was born on September 16, 1945, in Scottsdale, Arizona. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 26, 1966, and completed basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas, in April 1966. Pvt McMurry next attended Radio Operator Training at Fort Ord, California, from April to June 1966, followed by Radio Teletype Operator Training at Fort Gordon, Georgia, from June to September 1966. He attended Basic Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia, in October 1966, and deployed to Southeast Asia in November 1966, receiving Special Forces training in-country with Company E, 5th Special Forces Group in South Vietnam from November 1966 to February 1967. His next assignment was as a Radio Operator with Company C, 5th Special Forces Group in South Vietnam from February 1967 until he was captured and taken as a Prisoner of War in South Vietnam on February 7, 1968. After spending 1,865 days in captivity, Staff Sergeant McMurry was released during Operation Homecoming on March 16, 1973. He was briefly hospitalized to recover from his injuries at Letterman Army Hospital at the Presidio of San Francisco, and then received an assignment to complete his bachelor's degree at Arizona State University from June 1973 to June 1976. His next assignment was as a Traffic Control Sergeant with the 504th Military Police Battalion at the Presidio of San Francisco from June 1976 to November 1977, followed by service as a Forester and then as a Radio Teletype Operator with Company A, Headquarters U.S. Army Garrison at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, from November 1977 to September 1979. SFC McMurry next served as a Squad Leader and Platoon Sergeant with the 552nd Military Police Company in South Korea from October 1979 to October 1980, and then as a Traffic Control Sergeant and Training NCO with the 89th Military Police Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas, from December 1980 to July 1982. His final assignment was as an Enlisted Advisor and then Senior Enlisted Advisor with the U.S. Army Readiness Group at Redstone Arsenal and Huntsville, Alabama, from July 1982 until his retirement from the Army on February 1, 1986.

His 2nd Bronze Star Medal Citation reads:

Staff Sergeant William G. McMurry, Jr. distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious service to the United States of America while detained as a Prisoner of War in Southeast Asia during the period 7 February 1968 to 16 March 1973. His ceaseless efforts, by a continuous showing of resistance to an enemy who ignored all international agreements on treatment of prisoners of war, in the extremely adverse conditions of the communist prisons of Southeast Asia demonstrated his professional competence, unwavering devotion and loyalty to his country. Despite the harsh treatment through his long years of incarceration, this American continued to perform his duties in a clearly exceptional manner which reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Army.