Good! A fine soldier, a beautiful person, and the star of John Huston’s classic “The Red Badge of Courage.”
Not bad at all as an actor. He played himself in “The Audie Murphy Story” too. Talk about multiple skills.
They didn’t honor him before?
I’ve been to the Texas Capitol in Austin.
His portrait is right there in the chamber.
A bit behind the times by 3 years. He was honored back in Aug. 2013.
I remember how the communists in Hollywood tried to destroy his image with their very negative critiques of his acting ability.
FREEDOM FLIES IN YOUR HEART LIKE AN EAGLE
Dusty old helmet, rusty old gun,
They sit in the corner and wait.
Two souvenirs of the Second World War
That have witnessed the time and the hate.
Mute witness to a time of much trouble
Where kill or be killed was the law.
Were these implements used with high honor?
What was the glory they saw?
Many times I’ve wanted to ask them...
And now that we’re here, all alone,
Relics all three of that long ago war. . .
Where has freedom gone?
Freedom flies in your heart like an eagle.
Let it soar with the winds high above
Among the Spirits of soldiers now sleeping.
Guard with care and with love.
I salute my old friends in the corner.
I agree with all they have said . . .
And if the moment of truth comes tomorrow,
I’ll be free, or by God, I’ll be dead!
. . . Audie Murphy, 1968
Many great heroes hail from Texas.
Let that be a warning to those who would “Mess with Texas”
I heard a story that during Audie’s funeral at Arlington, anti-war protestors were making a scene at the gate.
A military officer approached a protestor and said — ‘’Please. Show some respect. We are burying Audie Murphy today.’’
The protestor replied - ‘’Who the Hell is Audrey Murphy?’’
There's a museum near Greenville TX.
Audie Murphy was one of the greatest American heroes and deadliest men of all time. Every elementary age child should be told his story. Audie was born into a large and very poor sharecropper’s family. Deserted by his father, he had to quit school to help take care of his family and learned hunting skills as a child to put food on his family’s table. These hunting skills served him well in killing an estimated 240 German and Italian soldiers in WWII.
Let me share with you some of this man’s fine qualities: Audie was modest, smart, humble, sincere, generous, funny, honest, had quiet authority, a hunter who learned to think like the enemy, took the hard & long way to avoid getting shot & killing his enemy, was aggressive in returning fire & taking & holding ground, a calculated risk taker, clear thinker & level headed in midst of chaos, let his training take over & work mechanically, would get mad & disgusted & work harder to win the war, a self-starter who controlled his fears, an outdoorsman, hard worker, very energetic, patriotic, brave, courageous, a fighter, warrior, leader, servant, teacher, audacity, lifelong learner, greatness, a lover of children - dogs - horses, protector, provider, responsible, quick, selfless, with the ability to cut quickly through the bull, a straight talker, a straight shooter, forgiving, loving, loyal, a friend, family oriented, complementary, and very stubborn when he was right.
He also had his faults and suffered for years with PTSD. I was a US Army Combat Infantryman for years fighting America’s enemies overseas and I thought often about Audie and how he would act and perform in a situation. He was and is a great example for myself and many others.
Audie Murphy was truly a great American hero who deserves to be honored, remembered, and his story told to a new generation of Americans.
As a kid growing up in the 60s, one of our two t.v. stations had “The Early Show” every weekday at 4:30. Included in the Saturday newspaper was a t.v. guide, which my parents required me to go through and circle what shows I wanted to watch the next week. (They made the final decision.) I was “totally in love” with Audie Murphy and was always permitted to watch any movie he was in. One day, my parents informed me that he was older than they. I was so disappointed! (There is more to my “love affair” with Audie Murphy as I grew up in the next county over from where his plane crashed...)