Audie Murphy’s single handed battle, kills 50, holds line -

ww2today.com ^ | 1/26/2015

[virgil283]

today 26 Jan 1944-"Lieutenant Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to a prepared position 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. Lieutenant Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, Lieutenant Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer which was in danger of blowing up any instant and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to the 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. ..."

.....

[yawningotter]

I don’t know about “Greatest Generations”, but I do know that Audie Murphy was one of the greatest of his generation.

[stylin19a]

“There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which can not fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance-that principle is contempt prior to investigation.”

FreepRegards.

[Rannug]

Let us not forget Cpl. Ira Hayes.

[ansel12]

Evidently you are just trolling, I think that is your third or fourth useless post to me.

[ansel12]

Hayes did win the commendation medal.

[Redbob]

"He is of the same generation as Jimi Hendrix, Jane Fonda, John McCain, The Beatles, Elvis, The Chicago Seven, Janis Joplin, Bob Seeger, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Van Morrison, Jim Morrison and most all of the youth leaders of the 1960s that you can name."

That's a bunch of crap.

Janis was BORN in 1943, Seeger was BORN in 1945 - while Audie Murphy was in the Army in Europe: how does that make him the same generation?

[ansel12]

Read post 27, they are the same generation, just as Bill Clinton and Sarah Palin are boomers.

Audie Murphy is not a generation of one, no one is.

What Seeger are you guys talking about? I thought Seeger was Pete Seeger, the folk singer.

[exit82]

today 26 Jan 1944

Should be 26 Jan 1945.

Great to remember the exploits of this hero, and of the many wonderful military men this nation has produced.

[Rebelbase]

"I think he met a sad end."

A friend's father was the CAP pilot who discovered the wreckage.

[2001convSVT]

"Obeying orders."
"So they were hiding safely behind trees, just as I thought."

From what I remember Lt. Murphy was devastated by the loss of so many brothers that he and couldn't stand the thought of losing another. In that battle he made a pact with God and himself, that no one else in his company would die, until he was no more. True Love for ones brothers.

[virgil283]

"He was revered in England"

Thanks....what a neat comment.

[xone]

Audie wasn’t in Shane, but the end of that movie was a tear jerker. Alan Ladd stared.

[Ditto]

My dad was born in 1930 and joined the Navy at 17 in 1947.

That was two years after WWII and three years before Korea.

[T-Bone Texan]

"...Hendrix was a paratrooper...

Hendrix also liked to beat white women. He and MLK had that in common.

[D Rider]

Audie’s response was: “Let’s find out using real loaded guns.”

Now that's funny.

[Talisker]

True Love for ones brothers.

That's a perfect expression of the character of Audie Murphy, but if his men had felt the same way about him they would have defied his orders and stood beside him fighting, and not left him alone to face the enemy while they hid. IMHO, the only reason they weren't court-martialed was that it would take away from the story of his staggering courage, so the Army let it go.