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Sgt Murrell F. Stinnette was a seaman and had been to the West Indies and Puerto Rico.

He joined the National Guard 27 June 1940 and volunteerd for the U.S. Rangers in September 1943.

On 7 December 1944, on Hill 400 (Castle Hill) in Germany, Stinnette and a comrade, Colden met with terrible opposition and both were wounded badly. Ranger Bill Petty remembered coming to their aid. Stinnette was applying pressure on Colden’s stomach to try and stop the bleeding from a bad shrapnel wound. All this time he was also bleeding. Stinnette had built up a rich and aggressive vocabulary from being a sailor and a soldier, being in pain may have amped up his lashing out at Bill Petty with curses, startling the platoon sergeant. He ordered Petty to take Colden to the bunker for aid. Petty came back thru shell fire again to retrieve Stinnette but he had died of his wounds.

From the book "The Battalion, The Dramatic Story of the 2nd Ranger Battalion in WWII" from Col. Robert W. Black:
"Many men exhibited valor while defending the hill. Pfc Fred Dix, whose foot was mangled, hobbled to Platoon Sergeant Petty's location to tell him that Pfc Garness Colden was in desperate need of attention. Petty ran to the position and found Sgt. Murrell Stinnette had already arrived and was attempting to help Colden. Petty could see that Stinnette was himself seriously wounded, pale from loss of blood and bleeding from the mouth. Petty decided that he would take Stinnette to the bunker and return for Colden. Sergeant Stinnette insisted Colden should be the first to be treated. When Petty hesitated, Stinnette said with force that he had his hand on Colden's stomach. It was ripped by shrapnel, and Petty would take Colden first. Murrell Stinnette had served a hitch in the Navy and service on land and sea had given him a rich and aggressive vocubulary. Stinnette lashed Petty with curses, startling the platoon sergeant. Petty followed Stinnettes order, picking up Colden and carrying him to the bunker. Petty then made another run through shell fire to get back to Stinnette. The effort was in vain: Stinnette was dead, his body contorted from the agony of his final moments. Petty's grief was overwhelming and he took solace that Stinnette had sacrificed himself to save Colden."