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Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. Murphy received the Medal of Honor for valor that he demonstrated at the age of 19 for single-handedly holding off an entire company of German soldiers for an hour at the Colmar Pocket in France in January 1945, then leading a successful counterattack while wounded and out of ammunition. Murphy was born into a large family of sharecroppers in Hunt County, Texas. His father abandoned them, and his mother died when he was a teenager. Murphy left school in fifth grade to pick cotton and find other work to help support his family; his skill with a hunting rifle was a necessity for putting food on the table.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Murphy's older sister helped him to falsify documentation about his birthdate in order to meet the minimum-age requirement for enlisting in the military. Turned down by the Navy and the Marine Corps, he enlisted in the Army. He first saw action in the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily; then in 1944 he participated in the Battle of Anzio, the liberation of Rome, and the invasion of southern France. Murphy fought at Montélimar and led his men on a successful assault at the L'Omet quarry near Cleurie in northeastern France in October.
After the war, Murphy embarked on a 21-year acting career. He played himself in the 1955 autobiographical film To Hell and Back, based on his 1949 memoirs of the same name, but most of his roles were in westerns. He made guest appearances on celebrity television shows and starred in the series Whispering Smith. Murphy was a fairly accomplished songwriter. He bred quarter horses in California and Arizona, and became a regular participant in horse racing.
Suffering from what would today be described as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Murphy slept with a loaded handgun under his pillow. He looked for solace in addictive sleeping pills. In his last few years, he was plagued by money problems but refused offers to appear in alcohol and cigarette commercials because he did not want to set a bad example. Murphy died in a plane crash in Virginia in 1971, which was shortly before his 46th birthday. He was interred with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. His grave is one of the most visited sites in the cemetery.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Murphy's older sister helped him to falsify documentation about his birthdate in order to meet the minimum-age requirement for enlisting in the military. Turned down by the Navy and the Marine Corps, he enlisted in the Army. He first saw action in the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily; then in 1944 he participated in the Battle of Anzio, the liberation of Rome, and the invasion of southern France. Murphy fought at Montélimar and led his men on a successful assault at the L'Omet quarry near Cleurie in northeastern France in October.
After the war, Murphy embarked on a 21-year acting career. He played himself in the 1955 autobiographical film To Hell and Back, based on his 1949 memoirs of the same name, but most of his roles were in westerns. He made guest appearances on celebrity television shows and starred in the series Whispering Smith. Murphy was a fairly accomplished songwriter. He bred quarter horses in California and Arizona, and became a regular participant in horse racing.
Suffering from what would today be described as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Murphy slept with a loaded handgun under his pillow. He looked for solace in addictive sleeping pills. In his last few years, he was plagued by money problems but refused offers to appear in alcohol and cigarette commercials because he did not want to set a bad example. Murphy died in a plane crash in Virginia in 1971, which was shortly before his 46th birthday. He was interred with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. His grave is one of the most visited sites in the cemetery.
Audie Murphy - Wikipedia
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Thank you my friend Maj Marty Hogan for making us aware that June 20 is the anniversary of the birth of The United States Army's most decorated soldier in WWII
Audie Leon Murphy .
Images:
1. 2LT Audie Murphy Medal of Honor
2. Audie Murphy (2nd from left, 2nd row) posing with fellow GI's Photo taken by Capt. Hugh A. O'Neill, surgeon, 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division
3. Audie Murphy Ribbon Display with listing of awards
4. Audie Murphy's Medals on display
Medal of honor Citation from cmohs.org/recipient-detail/2907/murphy-audie-l.php
"Rank: Second LieutenantOrganization: U.S. Army
Company: Company B
Division: 15th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division
Born: Hunt County, near Kingston, Tex.
Departed: Yes
Entered Service At: Dallas, Tex. G.O. Number: 65
Date of Issue: 08/09/1945
Place / Date: Near Holtzwihr France, 26 January 1945
Citation
2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machinegun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective."
On March 5, 1945, 1st Lieutenant Audie Murphy was called to Nancy, France by order of the 3rd Infantry Division Commander, Major General John "Iron-Mike" O' Daniel. On this day, General O' Daniel presented to 1st Lieutenant Murphy the Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star.
After 'Iron Mike" pinned the medals on Audie's uniform, he pulled out of his pocket a Medal of Honor. Without giving it to Audie, O' Daniel showed the medal to him and stated that General Alexander Patch, the 7th Army Commander, would soon pin it on Audie during a different ceremony.
The Medal of Honor was given to Murphy June 2, 1945 at the airport of Salzburg by General Patch, CG 7th Army. Some members of US-congress where present at this ceremony.
From ausa.org/audie-leon-murphy
"Audie Leon Murphy was a legend in his own time-- war hero, movie actor, writer of country western songs and poet. His biography reads more like fiction than fact. He lived only forty-six years, yet he made a lasting imprint on American history.
Audie was born on a sharecropper farm in north Texas on June 20, 1924. As a boy, he chopped cotton for $1 a day and was noted for his feats of derring-do and for his accuracy with a gun. He had only five years of schooling and was orphaned at sixteen. After being refused enlistment in both the marines and the paratroopers for being too small (5'5") and underweight (110lbs), he enlisted in the U.S. Army a few days after his eighteenth birthday. After basic training at Camp Wolters, Texas, and advanced training at Fort Meade, Maryland, Audie went overseas. He was assigned to the famous 15th Infantry in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany. He earned a battlefield commission for his courage and leadership ability. Audie spent some 400 days on the front lines and earned thirty-three military awards, citations, and decorations, including every medal of valor that america gives as well as three French and one Belgian medal. Lieutenant Audie Murphy was the most highly decorated soldier in American history.
Discharged from the Army on September 21, 1945, Audie went to Hollywood at the invitation of movie star James Cagney. He remained in California for the rest of his life and was closely associated with the movie industry, both as an actor and as a producer. He acted in forty-four films, starring in thirty-nine of them. His best known film is "To Hell and Back" adapted from the best selling book of this war experience by the same name. Most of his movies, however, were westerns. Audie Murphy was voted the most popular western actor in America in 1955 by motion picture exhibitors.
In 1950, Audie joined the 36th Infantry Division ("T-Patcher") of the Texas National Guard and served with it until 1966. He was killed in a plane crash on a mountain top near Roanoke, Virginia, on May 28, 1971. Fittingly, his body was recovered two days later on Memorial Day.
On 7 June, Audie Murphy was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery. His gravesite is near the amphitheater and it is the 2nd most visited gravesite year round.
He was the greatest soldier in the 200 year history of the United States."
Audie Leon Murphy (1925-1971) Video Tribute
America's Most Decorated Soldier of WWII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aYg3YRniWk
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Orlando Illi Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" Price CPT Jack Durish Capt Tom Brown MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) Sgt Albert Castro SSG David Andrews Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. CPL Dave Hoover SGT Mark Halmrast SPC Margaret Higgins SrA Christopher Wright PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
Audie Leon Murphy .
Images:
1. 2LT Audie Murphy Medal of Honor
2. Audie Murphy (2nd from left, 2nd row) posing with fellow GI's Photo taken by Capt. Hugh A. O'Neill, surgeon, 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division
3. Audie Murphy Ribbon Display with listing of awards
4. Audie Murphy's Medals on display
Medal of honor Citation from cmohs.org/recipient-detail/2907/murphy-audie-l.php
"Rank: Second LieutenantOrganization: U.S. Army
Company: Company B
Division: 15th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division
Born: Hunt County, near Kingston, Tex.
Departed: Yes
Entered Service At: Dallas, Tex. G.O. Number: 65
Date of Issue: 08/09/1945
Place / Date: Near Holtzwihr France, 26 January 1945
Citation
2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machinegun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective."
On March 5, 1945, 1st Lieutenant Audie Murphy was called to Nancy, France by order of the 3rd Infantry Division Commander, Major General John "Iron-Mike" O' Daniel. On this day, General O' Daniel presented to 1st Lieutenant Murphy the Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star.
After 'Iron Mike" pinned the medals on Audie's uniform, he pulled out of his pocket a Medal of Honor. Without giving it to Audie, O' Daniel showed the medal to him and stated that General Alexander Patch, the 7th Army Commander, would soon pin it on Audie during a different ceremony.
The Medal of Honor was given to Murphy June 2, 1945 at the airport of Salzburg by General Patch, CG 7th Army. Some members of US-congress where present at this ceremony.
From ausa.org/audie-leon-murphy
"Audie Leon Murphy was a legend in his own time-- war hero, movie actor, writer of country western songs and poet. His biography reads more like fiction than fact. He lived only forty-six years, yet he made a lasting imprint on American history.
Audie was born on a sharecropper farm in north Texas on June 20, 1924. As a boy, he chopped cotton for $1 a day and was noted for his feats of derring-do and for his accuracy with a gun. He had only five years of schooling and was orphaned at sixteen. After being refused enlistment in both the marines and the paratroopers for being too small (5'5") and underweight (110lbs), he enlisted in the U.S. Army a few days after his eighteenth birthday. After basic training at Camp Wolters, Texas, and advanced training at Fort Meade, Maryland, Audie went overseas. He was assigned to the famous 15th Infantry in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany. He earned a battlefield commission for his courage and leadership ability. Audie spent some 400 days on the front lines and earned thirty-three military awards, citations, and decorations, including every medal of valor that america gives as well as three French and one Belgian medal. Lieutenant Audie Murphy was the most highly decorated soldier in American history.
Discharged from the Army on September 21, 1945, Audie went to Hollywood at the invitation of movie star James Cagney. He remained in California for the rest of his life and was closely associated with the movie industry, both as an actor and as a producer. He acted in forty-four films, starring in thirty-nine of them. His best known film is "To Hell and Back" adapted from the best selling book of this war experience by the same name. Most of his movies, however, were westerns. Audie Murphy was voted the most popular western actor in America in 1955 by motion picture exhibitors.
In 1950, Audie joined the 36th Infantry Division ("T-Patcher") of the Texas National Guard and served with it until 1966. He was killed in a plane crash on a mountain top near Roanoke, Virginia, on May 28, 1971. Fittingly, his body was recovered two days later on Memorial Day.
On 7 June, Audie Murphy was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery. His gravesite is near the amphitheater and it is the 2nd most visited gravesite year round.
He was the greatest soldier in the 200 year history of the United States."
Audie Leon Murphy (1925-1971) Video Tribute
America's Most Decorated Soldier of WWII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aYg3YRniWk
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Orlando Illi Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" Price CPT Jack Durish Capt Tom Brown MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) Sgt Albert Castro SSG David Andrews Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. CPL Dave Hoover SGT Mark Halmrast SPC Margaret Higgins SrA Christopher Wright PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
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Amazing man. I have read about him before but always appreciate the reminder
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