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.
Audie grew up tough and had a bad temper And he would fight you anytime or anyplace He was a daredevil, and nothing could scare him He was tough as an old boot, though he had a baby face.
In August 1944, Murphy's division moved to southern France as part of Operation Dragoon. It was there that his best friend, Lattie Tipton, was lured into the open and killed by a German soldier pretending to surrender. Enraged by this act, Murphy charged and killed the Germans that had just killed his friend.
Photographs of Audie Murphy with horses. Audie Murphy loved horses and was unquestionably one of the best horse-riding actors in Hollywood during his time.
Murphy eventually passed on the opportunity of enrollment at West Point, in part because of limitations resulting from his war injuries. At the end of his active Army service, he was given 50 percent disability classification and transferred to the Officers' Reserve Corps.
The Extraordinary Life of Audie Murphy: A Closer Look at A American Legend Hero
Was Audie Murphy tough?
The March to War
made because Audie proved himself to be brave, fierce, a strategic thinker, a skillful sharpshooter, and a born leader. One of his fellow United States Army Officers said of Murphy, “Don't let that baby face fool you, that's the toughest soldier in the Third Division.”
Despite suffering from multiple illnesses and wounds throughout his service, Murphy become one of the most praised and decorated soldiers of World War II. He is credited with killing 241 enemy soldiers.
Murphy suffered from what is now known as post-traumatic stress disorder, experiencing headaches, depression and nightmares; he once said that he could sleep only with a loaded pistol under his pillow. In 1971, at the age of 46, Murphy died in the crash of a private plane near Roanoke, Virginia.
Audie was only 5 ft. 5 inches tall and 112 pounds when he attempted to join the Marines. But on June 30, 1942 young Audie Murphy enlisted into the U.S. Army. Little did the Army know, but this youngster from Texas was to become the most decorated soldier of World War II.
Audie Murphy quotes are still relevant today. He wrote, "I'll tell you what bravery really is. Bravery is just the determination to do a job that you know has to be done." Upon Audie's return to America, his boyish good looks were noticed by Hollywood executives and he launched an acting career.
Four days after divorcing his first wife, actress Wanda Hendrix (Saddle Tramp, Sierra, Wagon Train), Audie married former airline stewardess, Pamela Archer, with whom he had two sons, James Shannon Murphy, and Terrance Michael Murphy. Audie's life ended as he began it—bankrupt.
The decoration he won here was one of many in the past and many to come. Later as the troops made their way through a French vineyard they encountered Germans when Murphy stepped out alone in the action killing six of the enemy prisoner and took 11 prisoners.
His decorations for valour are not likely to ever be matched. We've not found a great deal about Major Murphy and his religious beliefs; but I feel confident that he was a God-fearing Christian, as is indicated in the quotation and poem which opened this page; wherein he wrote, "But to God alone we kneel."
In June 1942, shortly after his seventeenth birthday, Corrine adjusted Murphy's birth certificate to make it appear that he was eighteen. Approaching the US Marine Corps and US Army Airborne, Murphy was rejected due to his small stature (5'5", 110 lbs.). He was similarly rejected by the US Navy.
He did, however, fulfill his promise to get his younger siblings out of the orphanage and bought a home for older sister Corinne so she could help rear the children. Audie Murphy's wartime heroics landed his photo on the cover of the July 16, 1945 issue of Life.
On May 28, 1971, Audie Murphy, the most decorated US soldier in World War II, died in an airplane crash on the slopes of Brush Mountain, near New Castle, VA. Three years later, the Veterans of Foreign Wars placed a stone monument near the site of the crash.
How many people died in the plane crash with Audie Murphy?
On May 28, 1971, Murphy was aboard a private plane that crashed into Brush Mountain, near Catawba, Virginia, due to bad weather and low visibility. The pilot and the four other passengers on the aircraft also perished, resulting in a total of six fatalities in addition to Murphy.
Audie Leon Murphy, June 20, 1924 – May 28, 1971, was the most highly decorated American soldier in World War II. He is buried in Section 46, grave 366-11 in Arlington National Cemetery.
During World War II Murphy served as a combat soldier and killed hundreds of Germans; he once jumped onto a burning tank destroyer to turn its machine gun on enemy troops. Wounded three times, Murphy was awarded more than 30 medals for his bravery, including some by the French and Belgian governments.
For his gallantry, Murphy was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Portions of the incident were recreated in the popular 1955 autobiographical film To Hell and Back, which starred Murphy. He was honorably discharged in 1945.
Audie Murphy received the Purple Heart three times during World War II. He also received every combat award for valor available from the Army — including the Medal of Honor — as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism.
After lying about his age to enlist, Audie Murphy became one of the most decorated US soldiers of WWII. He went on to act in Hollywood, but died in a plane crash aged just 45. His grave at Arlington Cemetery is the most visited after John F Kennedy's.
Audie earned two Silver Stars. The first was earned on October 2nd, 1944 after killing and wounding seven German machine gun operators at the L'omet Quarry in France during World War II. The second was earned three days later when he advanced on a German position in a crawling stance, while leading his men.
During Murphy's 3 years active service as a combat soldier in World War II, Audie became one of the best fighting combat soldiers of this or any other century.
