Audie Murphy
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 | This article possibly contains original research. |
Audie Leon Murphy | |
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| File:Audie1.jpg Most decorated U.S. combat soldier of World War II | |
| Allegiance | U.S. Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 (USA) Texas National Guard (1950–1966) |
| Rank | First Lieutenant (USA), Major (TNG) |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star Medal (2) Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal (2) Purple Heart (3) Knight of the Legion of Honor French Croix de guerre (+ palm) |
| Other work | actor, songwriter |
Audie Leon Murphy (June 20, 1924 – May 28, 1971) was an American soldier in World War II. In 27 months of combat action, he became the most decorated U.S. combat soldier of World War II.
Murphy received the Medal of Honor, the military's highest award for valor, along with 32 additional medals awarded for bravery and service.
In the later part of his life, he went on to have a successful movie career, including the extremely popular To Hell and Back (1955), based on his memoir of the same name (1949).
Biography
Early life
Audie Leon Murphy was born to Emmett and Josie Bell Murphy (née Killian), two poor sharecroppers, and grew up near Celeste, Texas (Hunt County). Murphy went to school in Celeste until the fifth grade, when he dropped out to work and help support his family. He also lived in the rural area of Farmersville, Texas and in Greenville, Texas. Murphy was the sixth of twelve children, only nine of whom survived to see their 18th birthday.
During the 1930s, Murphy also worked in a combination general store, garage, and filling station in Greenville, Texas. In 1940, his father deserted the family and never returned. At 16, Murphy was working in a radio repair shop when his mother died on May 23, 1941. Later in the year in accordance with his older sister, Corrinne, Murphy put his three youngest siblings into an orphanage to ensure their care.
Immediately following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Murphy — then just 17 years old — tried to enlist in the military, but the services rejected him because he had not yet reached the required 18 years of age. Shortly after his 18th birthday in June 1942, Murphy was finally accepted into the United States Army, after being turned down by the Marines and the paratroopers for being underweight and of slight build. He was sent to Camp Wolters, Texas, for basic training. During a session of close order drill, he passed out. His company commander then tried to have him transferred to a cook and bakers' school because of his baby-faced youthfulness and apparent physical weaknesses, but Murphy insisted on becoming a combat soldier. His wish was granted; after 13 weeks of basic training, he was sent to Fort Meade, Maryland for advanced infantry training.
Due to his fragile physical appearance, Murphy still had to "fight the system" to get overseas and into combat. His persistence paid off, and in early 1943 he was shipped out to Casablanca, Morocco as a replacement in Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment (United States), 3rd Infantry Division. Murphy saw no action in Africa, but instead participated in extensive training maneuvers along with the rest of the 3rd Division. His combat initiation finally came when he took part in the liberation of Sicily in July 1943. Shortly after arriving, he experienced his first encounter with death by killing two Italian officers as they tried to escape on horseback. Murphy contracted malaria while in Sicily, and this illness put him in the hospital several times during his Army years. After Sicily was secured from the Germans, the 3rd Division invaded the Italian mainland, landing near Salerno in September 1943. Murphy distinguished himself in combat on many occasions while in Italy, fighting at the Volturno River, at the Anzio beachhead, and in the cold, wet, desolate Italian mountains. While in Italy, his instinctive skills as a combat infantryman began to earn him promotions, increased responsibilities, and decorations for valor.
Following its participation in the Italian campaign, the 3rd Division invaded Southern France on August 15 1944. Shortly thereafter, Murphy's best friend, Lattie Tipton (referred to as "Brandon" in Murphy's book To Hell and Back), was killed while approaching some German troops feigning surrender. Murphy went into a rage, and single-handedly wiped out the German machine gun crew which had just killed his friend. He then used the German machine gun to destroy several other nearby enemy positions. For this act he received the Distinguished Service Cross (second only to the Medal of Honor).
Just weeks later, he received Silver Stars for two more heroic actions. Murphy, by now a staff sergeant and holding the position of Platoon Sergeant, was eventually awarded a battlefield commission to second lieutenant, which elevated him to the Platoon Leader position. He was wounded in the hip by a sniper's ricocheting bullet 12 days after the promotion. Audie spent some ten weeks recuperating. Within days of returning to his unit he became the company commander (still wearing bandages, January 25, 1945) and suffered further wounds from a mortar round (which killed two others nearby).
The very next day--the high temperature was at 14 degrees with 24 inches of snow on the ground--the battle at Holtzwihr began with Murphy's unit at an effective strength of 19 out of 128. Murphy sent all of his men to the rear while he took pot-shots at the Germans until out of ammunition. He then proceeded to use a burning, disabled tank destroyer's .50 caliber machine gun to cut into the German infantry at a distance, including one full squad of German infantry that had crawled in a ditch to within 100 feet of his position. This nearly single-handed battle continued for slightly more than an hour. His focus on the battle before him stopped only when his telephone line to the artillery fire direction center was cut by either U.S. or German artillery. As his remaining men came forward, he quickly organized them to conduct the counter attack, which proved very successful. These actions earned Murphy the Medal of Honor near Holtzwihr, France, on January 26, 1945.
Medal of Honor citation
The official U.S. Army citation for Audie Murphy's Medal of Honor reads:
- Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B 15th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division.
- Place and date: Near Holtzwihr France, 26 January, 1945.
- Entered service at: Dallas, Texas. Birth: Hunt County, near Kingston, Texas, G.O. No. 65, 9 August 1944.
- Citation: Second Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. 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, one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire, which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from three 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 Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad that 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 his single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way back 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. 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.
Lifted to "Living Legend" status
Audie Murphy was credited with destroying 6 tanks besides killing 250 German soldiers and wounding and capturing many others. By the end of World War II, he was a legend within the 3rd Infantry Division as a result of his heroism and battlefield leadership. His principal U.S. decorations included the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Star Medals, the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Star Medals with Valor device, and three Purple Hearts (for the three wounds he received in combat). Murphy participated in campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany, as denoted by his European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one silver battle star (denoting five campaigns), four bronze battle stars, plus a bronze arrowhead representing his two amphibious assault landings at Sicily and southern France. The French government awarded Murphy its highest award, the Legion of Honor (Grade of Chevalier). He also received two Croix de Guerre from France and one from Belgium. In addition, Murphy was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge (a complete list of his awards and decorations appears later in this article). Murphy spent 29 months overseas and just under two years in combat with the 3rd Infantry Division, all before he turned 21 years of age and was eligible to vote.
In early June 1945, one month after Germany's surrender, Murphy returned from Europe to a hero's welcome in his home state of Texas, where he was showered with parades, banquets, and speeches. Murphy was discharged from active duty with the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant in September 1945.
After the Korean War broke out in June 1950, Murphy joined the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas National Guard. However, that division was not called up for combat duty, and Murphy remained in the United States during all his National Guard service. By the time he left the Guard in 1966, he had attained the rank of major.
Post war illness
Murphy suffered from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after his return from the war. He was plagued by insomnia, bouts of depression, and nightmares related to his countless bloody battles. His first wife, Wanda Hendrix, often talked of his struggle with this condition, even claiming that he had at one time held her at gunpoint. For a time during the mid-1960s, Murphy became dependent on doctor-prescribed sleeping pills called Placidyl. When he recognized that he had become addicted to the drug, he locked himself in a motel room, where he forced himself to stop taking the pills, and went through withdrawal symptoms for a week.
Always an advocate of the needs of America's military veterans, Murphy eventually broke the taboo about publicly discussing war-related mental conditions. In an effort to draw attention to the problems of returning Korean and Vietnam War veterans, Murphy spoke out candidly about his own problems with PTSD, known then and during World War II as "battle fatigue" and commonly known as "shell shock." He called on the United States government to give increased consideration and study to the emotional impact that combat experiences have on veterans, and to extend health care benefits to address PTSD and the other mental health problems of returning war veterans.
Personal life
Murphy married actress Wanda Hendrix in 1949. They were divorced in 1951, having produced no children. He then married former airline stewardess Pamela Archer, with whom he had two children: Terry Michael Murphy (born 1952) and James Shannon Murphy (born 1954). Audie Murphy eventually became a successful actor, rancher, and businessman. He also bred and raised Quarter Horses and owned ranches in Texas, Tucson, Arizona and Perris, California.
In 1955 Murphy became interested in Freemasonry. He was encouraged by his close friend, Texas theater owner Skipper Cherry, to petition and join the Masonic Order in California. He returned to Texas to become a 32d degree Scottish Rite Mason and to join the Shriners. He was active in various Masonic events and was a member in good standing for the rest of his life.
Movie career
Actor James Cagney invited Murphy to Hollywood in September 1945 after seeing the young hero's photo on the cover of the July 16 edition of Life Magazine. But the next few years in California were difficult for Murphy as he trained to become an actor. He became disillusioned from lack of work, was broke financially, and slept on the floor of a gymnasium owned by his friend Terry Hunt (Murphy would later name one of his sons Terry out of respect for his friend). But he eventually received token acting parts in the films Beyond Glory and Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven. Murphy's third movie, Bad Boy, gave him his first leading role. He starred in the 1951 adaptation of Stephen Crane's Civil War novel, The Red Badge of Courage. He expressed great discomfort in playing himself in To Hell and Back. In 1959, he starred in the western film No Name on the Bullet.
First starring role
After returning home from World War II, Murphy bought a house in Farmersville, Texas for his oldest sister Corinne, her husband Poland Burns, and their three children. The idea was that Audie's three siblings, Nadine, Billie, and Joe, who had been living in an orphanage since Murphy's mother's death, would also be able to live with Corinne and Poland and would become part of a family again. Unfortunately, six children under one roof created too much stress on everyone. The arrangement didn't work out as smoothly as expected, particularly with Nadine and Joe, so Murphy came and picked them up.
Joe and Nadine wanted to stay with Murphy, but he was having a hard time surviving. Despite a lot of post-war publicity and James Cagney's help, Murphy's acting career had gone nowhere. Murphy's oldest brother Buck and his wife agreed to take in Nadine, but Murphy didn't know what to do with Joe.
Murphy went to James "Skipper" Cherry, a Dallas theater owner whom he had previously befriended, and sought his advice. Cherry was a member of a consortium of Texas theater owners who were part of Variety Clubs International and was involved with the Variety Clubs International Boy's Ranch, a 4,800 acre (19 km²) ranch near Copperas Cove, Texas. Cherry arranged for the Boy's Ranch to take Joe in. Joe loved it there and Murphy was able to visit him, as well as Skipper Cherry, frequently.
During one of these visits, Murphy confided to Cherry that even with Cagney's help and acting lessons, he wasn't getting anywhere in Hollywood. In a 1973 interview, Cherry recalled, "He was discouraged and somewhat despondent concerning his movie career." Variety Clubs was financing a film called Bad Boy to help promote the organization's work with troubled children.
Cherry called Texas theater executive Paul Short, who was producing the film, and suggested they considered giving Murphy a significant role in the movie. Murphy looked good in the screen test, but the president of Allied Artists did not want to cast someone with so little acting experience as a major character. However, by this time, Cherry, Short, and the other Texas theater owners had decided that Audie Murphy was going to play the lead or they weren't financing the film. Their money talked and Murphy was cast as the lead. He turned in such a fine performance that the Hollywood powers that be finally recognized his talent. As a direct result of this film, Universal Studios signed Murphy to his first seven-year studio contract.
Autobiography
Murphy's 1949 autobiography To Hell and Back became a national bestseller. In this book, which Murphy wrote with the assistance of his writer friend "Specs" McClure, Murphy modestly describes some of his most heroic actions — without portraying himself as a hero. Not once does he mention any of the many decorations he received for his incredible combat exploits. Instead, he chooses to praise the skills, bravery, and dedication of the other soldiers in his platoon.
Murphy played himself in the 1955 Universal movie of his book. The film grossed almost ten million dollars during its initial theatrical release, and at the time became Universal's biggest hit of the studio's entire 43-year history. This movie held the record as the company's highest-grossing motion picture until 1975, when it was finally surpassed by Steven Spielberg's Jaws. Universal gave Murphy latitude in choosing the various roles, as long as plenty of action was included. Terry Murphy, who played Joe Preston Murphy (at age 4), is in fact Murphy's oldest son (in real life, Murphy's brothers and sisters included Corinne, Charles Emmett (Buck), Vernon, June, Oneta, J.W., Richard, Eugene, Nadine, Billie, and Joseph).
Harold B. Simpson's 1975 comprehensive biography, Audie Murphy, American Soldier, covers the breadth of Murphy's life. The book emphasizes Murphy's military exploits, and includes photos, maps, and battle maneuver diagrams. Murphy's post-war career is also well-documented.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Audie Murphy has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1601 Vine Street. In the twenty-five years Murphy spent in Hollywood, he made a total of 44 feature films, most of them Westerns.
Music career
In addition to motion picture acting, Audie Murphy also became successful as a country music songwriter. He teamed up with talented artists and composers such as Guy Mitchell, Jimmy Bryant, Scott Turner, Coy Ziegler, and Terri Eddleman. Many of Murphy's songs were recorded and released by such performers as Dean Martin, Eddy Arnold, Charley Pride, Jimmy Bryant, Porter Waggoner, Jerry Wallace, Roy Clark, and Harry Nilsson. His two biggest hits were "Shutters and Boards" and "When the Wind Blows in Chicago". Eddy Arnold recorded the latter for his 1983 RCA album, Last of the Love Song Singers.
Death
While on a business trip on May 28, 1971 (during Memorial Day weekend), flying in bad weather with a pilot unqualified to fly on instruments, Murphy's private plane crashed into Brush Mountain, near Catawba, Virginia, some 20 miles west of Roanoke. The pilot and all five passengers, including Murphy, were killed. Audie Murphy was 46 years old. In 1974, a large granite memorial marker was erected near the crash site.
On June 7,1971, Audie Murphy was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. A small walkway leads to his final place of rest in Section 46, located near the Amphitheater. It is the second most-visited gravesite, second only to President John F. Kennedy's grave.
The tombstones of Arlington's Medal of Honor recipients are normally decorated in gold leaf, but Murphy had requested that his stone remain plain and inconspicous, as would be the case with an ordinary soldier. An unknown person maintains a small American flag next to his engraved Government-issue headstone, which reads as follows:
- Audie L. Murphy, Texas. Major, Infantry, World War II. June 20, 1924 to May 28, 1971. Medal of Honor, DSC, SS & OLC, LM, BSM & OLC, PH & two OLC.
(Key to abbreviations: DSC = Distinguished Service Cross; SS = Silver Star; LM = Legion of Merit; BSM = Bronze Star Medal; PH = Purple Heart; OLC = Oak Leaf Cluster.)
An Oak Leaf Cluster signifies a subsequent award of the same decoration. Interestingly, First Lieutenant Audie Murphy was one of very few company-grade officers ever to be awarded the Legion of Merit. That decoration is usually awarded only to officers in the rank of lieutenant colonel and above.
Other honors
- An Audie Murphy National Fan Club was established in the 1950s. Headed by various fans over the years, the club still exists today with over 400 fans in 9 countries.
- On November 17, 1973, the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio, Texas was dedicated to Murphy. There is a one-ton bronze, eight-foot-tall statue of Murphy there, created by sculptress Jimilu Mason. He is dressed in battle fatigues holding a rifle with bayonet. Inside the hospital, a museum depicts Murphy's life and has items including a uniform, other clothing, books and pictures.
- In early 1986, the U.S. Army established the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club at Fort Hood, Texas. This elite membership group recognizes noncommissioned officers (sergeants) who have displayed the integrity, professionalism, commitment to mentoring subordinate soldiers, leadership abilities and personal ethics as exemplified by Audie L. Murphy. In 1994, the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club spread Army-wide, to all commands with installations retaining the selection process for their own NCOs.
- In 1996 the Texas Legislature officially declared his birthdate, June 20, as "Audie Murphy Day". U.S. Highway 69 North, from North Greenville city limits to Fannin County line was renamed "The Audie Murphy Memorial Highway". In 1996, he was inducted posthumously into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
- In 1999, then-Governor George W. Bush also issued a proclamation declaring June 20 to officially be "Audie Murphy Day" in the state of Texas.
- From the mid-1990s through the present, an annual celebration of Audie and other veterans in all branches of service has been held on the weekend closest to Murphy's birthday at the American Cotton Museum (recently renamed the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum) in Greenville and in Farmersville. The museum houses a large collection of Audie Murphy memorabilia and personal items.
- In 2000, Audie Murphy was honored with his portrait on a thirty-three cent United States postage stamp. There is also an Audie Murphy Middle School in Fort Hood, Texas, named in his honor.
Trivia
- Audie Murphy's height and weight at his enlistment was 5 ft 5 in and 110 lb. After a three year enlistment, he grew to 5 ft 7 in and 145 lb.
- Was the original choice to play the Scorpio Killer in Dirty Harry.
- Had horrible nightmares due to post traumatic stress disorder, and sometimes slept with a gun under his pillow.
- Purchased a Middle Eastern oil field in the 1960s which was blown up during the Six Day War, causing him to file for bankruptcy.
- His highest grossing film was the autobiographical To Hell and Back.
- Would often say he had "no talent."
- His films earned him close to $3 million in his 24 years as an actor.
- Former World War II General and President Dwight Eisenhower did not enjoy Murphy's films, saying his combat scenes were unbelievable due to his small stature. However, Murphy's relatively short height is not particularly noticeable in To Hell and Back or in his other action movies.
- To Hell and Back is introduced by General Walter Bedell Smith, United States Army, Retired. During World War II, Smith served as Chief of Staff to General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
- Murphy was a life member of the National Rifle Association.
- Audie was reluctant to star in To Hell and Back fearing that he was cashing in on his war experience. He even suggested that his role be played by Tony Curtis.
- Always a modest hero, Murphy gave away his awards and decorations to friends. When these were replaced by family members, he again gave them to those closest to him.
- In the PlayStation version of Medal of Honor, there's a cheat called Audie Murphy mode (activated by the password 'Mostmedals'), in which the player becomes invulnerable and with an infinite ammo supply.
See Also
- Matt Urban, a WWII veteran who posthumously became the most decorated serviceman in United States history.
Bibliography
Graham, Don. No Name on the Bullet. N.Y.: Viking, 1989.
Murphy, Audie. To Hell and Back. N.Y.: Holt, 1949.
External links
- Articles lacking sources from August 2006
- 1924 births
- 1971 deaths
- American military personnel of World War II
- Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
- Army Medal of Honor recipients
- Recipients of the Silver Star medal
- Recipients of the Combat Infantryman Badge
- Légion d'honneur recipients
- American film actors
- Plane crash victims
- United States Army officers
- American heroes