June 7th, Audie Murphy was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery. His gravesite, near the Amphitheater, is second most visited gravesite year round. President Kennedy's grave is the most visited
In 1996 the Texas Legislature officially designated his birthday, June 20th, as Audie Murphy Day. On June 9, 1999, Governor George W. Bush, Texas made a similar proclamation declaring June 20th to officially be Audie Murphy Day in the state of Texas.
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 withstood 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 a 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 it 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!
Author of Poem
~Audie Murphy~
Join us in celebrating Audie Murphy Day on his birthday, today Thursday, June 20, 2002, at Freedom Plaza in downtown Farmersville, Texas.
Audie Leon Murphy, son of poor Texas sharecroppers, rose to national fame as the most decorated U.S. combat soldier of World War II.
Among his 33 awards and decorations was the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for bravery that can be given to any individual in the United States of America, for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty."
He also received every decoration for valor that his country had to offer, some of them more than once, including 5 decorations by France and Belgium.
Credited with either killing over 240 of the enemy while wounding and capturing many others, he became a legend within the 3rd Infantry Division. Beginning his service as an Army Private, Audie quickly rose to the enlisted rank of Staff Sergeant, was given a "battle field" commission as 2nd Lieutenant, was wounded three times, fought in 9 major campaigns across the European Theater, and survived the war.
Although his family was financially poor, his direct ancestors had compiled fine military records in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Other kinfolk had fought in the Texas Revolution, Mexican War, and World War I. Besides Audie, two more brothers saw World War II action.
The young Audie Murphy faced a hard-scrabble existence. As a song lyric reads "daylight to dark, work's never done, Lord have mercy on a sharecropper's son." The story goes that Audie learned to be a crack shot because the family depended on his hunting for much of their meat supply and money for bullets was so scarce, that a missed shot meant no food on the table.
In 1936 Emmett Murphy deserted his family. Audie quit school and went to work full time as a farm hand. He did whatever had to be done to help his mother and keep the rest of the family together. Then his mother, Josie Bell Murphy, died. Audie, at age 16, the oldest child at home, faced up to the dilemma of placing the younger children in an orphanage and going to work in the county seat at a combination grocery-service station.
By age 16, both of Audie's parents were dead, leaving him orphaned and needing to take care of his younger siblings.
When the United States declared war in December of 1941, Audie rushed to enlist. He first attempted to join the Marines. He was turned away for being too small. Audie in 1941 was 5' 5" tall and weighed only 110 lbs. Undeterred, he attempted to join the Army Paratroopers and was again turned away.
Finally, Audie enlisted in the Regular Army as an infantryman. He signed the papers a few days after his 18th birthday. This is significant since it is highly possible that Audie was only 17 at the time and had somehow altered his birth certificate in order to serve.
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. What Audie accomplished during this period is most significant and probably will never be repeated by another soldier, given today's high-tech type of warefare. The U.S. Army has always declared that there will never be another Audie Murphy.
Audie went through recruit training at Camp Wolters, Texas. Upon completion of Basic, he went through Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Meade, Maryland. Finally, Audie was shipped overseas where he joined B Company, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division which was operating in North Africa.
He arrived in February of 1943. Audie saw little action in N. Africa as the war there was in the mopping uo phase. 5 months later, Audie received his baptism of fire as he landed in Sicily on July 10, 1943. Audie's captain did his best to keep the small soldier from fighting by making him a runner.
Audie however had other plans and he slipped off to join any patrol he could. Audie soon distinguished himself under fire as a resourceful and effective soldier. Finally the Captain gave up and promoted Audie to Corporal.
Audie's next action was in the invasion of Salerno on the Italian mainland. Here Audie again excelled as a soldier. While leading a night patrol, Audie and his men ran into a group of German soldiers. After fighting their way out of an ambush, they took cover in a rock quarry. The German sent a squad of soldiers in to get them out but were stopped by intense machine gun and rifle fire. Three of the Germans were killed and several more captured. For his actions at Salerno, Audie was promoted to Sergeant.
THE CROSSES GROW ON ANZIO
Oh, gather 'round me, comrades; and listen while I speak
Of a war, a war, a war where hell is six feet deep.
Along the shore, the cannons roar. Oh how can a soldier sleep?
The going's slow on Anzio. And hell is six feet deep.
Praise be to God for this captured sod that rich with blood does seep.
With yours and mine, like butchered swine's; and hell is six feet deep.
That death awaits there's no debate; no triumph will we reap.
The crosses grow on Anzio, where hell is six feet deep.
Poem written by
~Audie Murphy, 1948~
Audie missed the next invasion at Anzio due to a serious attack of malaria.
Audie soon recovered and rejoined his unit just in time for some of the fiercest fighting of the war.
For three days the Americans fought to escape their beachhead but were unsuccessful. The situation deteriorated to a stalemate with neither side gaining.
This went on for months and the soldiers dug in for the long haul. Audie volunteered for numerous patrols and his unit came under artillery fire almost every night.
Audie was soon evacuated from the front with another severe attack of malaria. Within 10 days he was back at the front. Soon after the unit was pulled out for a short rest. Audie was offered a battlefield commission to 2nd Lieutenant. Audie, not wanting to leave his unit, refused the promotion.
Once back at the front, Audie quickly surveyed his area and discovered that there was only one route the enemy armor could pass through. Audie heavily mined the area.
When the Germans attacked, the lead tank hit a mine and blocked the road competely. The Germans withdrew but Audie wanted to ensure that they could not move the damaged tank.
Taking a small patrol forward, Audie ordered them to cover him while he approached the tank. He first threw two Molotov cocktails at the tank. Neither ignited. A grenade he tossed inside was ineffective.
The Germans guarding the tank began firing at him. Audie next used rifle grenades and finally managed to knock the tank treads off one side. For this action, Audie was awarded the Bronze Star.
On May 23, the 3rd Division finally broke out of the Anzio beachhead. After fighting their way to Rome, the Division was then ordered to a rear area for amphibious training.
On august 15, 1944, the Division made yet another landing, this time in Southern France. Three hours after landing, Audie's battalion was tasked with capturing an enemy artillery position high up on a ridge.
The men of 1st Battalion slowly advanced up the slope, struggling all the way. As they reached the top, the Germans opened fire with deadly results. Every avenue of approach was covered by machine guns. Audie, whose platoon had been in the rear of the lines, moved forward, out of the line of ambush, and took stock of the situation.
Half the unit was pinned down, the other half was being decimated by enemy fire. Audie could not reach the enemy positions with grenades and his carbine was ineffective, Slowly, he crawled down the slop and reached the heavy weapons platoon.
Commandeering a .30 cal machine gun, Audie crawled back up the slope. Setting up the gun, Audie opened fire and quickly killed two Germans.
With only one belt of ammunition, Audie used short bursts and forced the German gunners to cease firing and duck down. Once out of ammunition, Audie and another soldier, Private Lattie Tipton, charged the first enemy position and quickly silenced it.
As they prepared to charge the next position, Tipton noticed a German soldier waving a white flag. Standing up to take the soldier prisoner, Tipton was killed by a single rifle bullet. Audie was enraged by this act and picked up the German machine gun.
He first charged one enemy position with grenaes an the gun and killed both enemy soldiers in it. He charged several more positions and killed all of the soldiers within them.
When it was over, they discovered that the artillery they had been sent to silence was a fake. They had been suckered into an ambush.
For his actions, Audie was awarded the Distibuished Service Cross.
As the 3rd Divsion continued their advance, Audie was wounded in the heel by a shell fragment. He received the Purple Heart and spent two weeks in an Evac hospital.
After returning to his unit, they were ambushed while on patrol. Audie, who crawled out of the ambush zone, charged the enemy position and using two hand grenades, silenced it.
For this action, which saved the lives of this patrol, Audie was awarded the Silver Star. Several days later, his platoon was ambushed again and several more soldiers were killed.
Audie grabbed a radio and crawled forward to where he could see the enemy position. While under intense fire, Audie called in mortar and artillery fire on the Germans.
Official Army records indicate the indirect fire killed 15 and wounded 35 enemy soldiers. For this, Audie received his second Silver Star, three days after earning his first.
Several days later, Audie was ordered to the 15th Regiment's headquarters. Once there he was discharged from the Army as a Sergeant and then commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant.
With his new rank, Audie returned to his platoon, this time to command it. On October 26, 1944 Audie was wounded again, this time in the hip by a sniper's bullet. He was evacuated to a hospital and spent the next 3 months recuperating.
Rejoining his unit in January, 1945, Audie led his men against the German stronghold at Holtzwihr. For three days they attacked the fortress with no success.
Soon, Audie was the only officer left alive. He took command of the company and organized the next asault.
As they waited in the snow for the order to attack, 6 German tanks and 250 Infantrymen approached from Holtzwihr. Being greatly outnumbered, Audie ordered his men to pull back. Audie called in artillery on the approaching enemy but did not stop them.
Audie decided to take action. Near his position was a burning tank destroyer. Audie climbed on top, and turned the machine gun on the approaching Germans. As Audie fired from the burning tank, the artillery began to land in earnest and the german advance faltered.
For almost an hour, Audie contineud to lay down fire on the Germans. When he ran out of ammuntion, he dropped into the snow and discovered he had been wounded, his third, in the leg. Enemy soldiers lay dead just 10 yards from the tank destroyer.
For this daring feat, Audie was recommended for and received the Medal of Honor.
He was awarded the CMOH for his bravery near Holtzwihr, France, on January 26, 1945.
Official Narrative reads;
For Medal of Honor Recipient
"2nd Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2nd 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. 2nd Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry.
With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2nd 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 2nd 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. 2nd 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".
His Medal was issued on August 9, 1945. His war-time efforts won him promotions up to Major, US Army. When he was discharged he was the most decorated American soldier of the War, garnering 27 different medals (5 each from France and Belgium). In addition to the Medal of Honor, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, The Legion of Merit, The Purple Heart, the Silver Star with First Oak Leaf Cluster and the Bronze Star with First Oak Leaf Cluster, as well as numerous Campaign Medals.
On 21 September, 1945, Audie was released from the Army as an active member and reassigned to inactive status. During this same time, actor James Cagney invited Murphy to Hollywood in September 1945, when he saw Murphy's photo on the cover of Life Magazine.
The next couple of years in California were hard times for Audie Murphy. Promotion picture for the Military.
Struggling and becoming disillusioned from lack of work while sleeping in a local gymnasium, he finally received token acting parts in his first two films.
His first starring role came in a 1949 released film by Allied Artists called, Bad Boy. In 1950 Murphy eventually got a contract with Universal-International (later called Universal) where he starred in 26 films, 23 of them westerns over the next 15 years. His 1949 autobiography To Hell And Back was a best seller. Murphy starred as himself in a film biography released by Universal-International in 1955 with the same title.
The movie, To Hell and Back, held the record as Universal's highest grossing picture until 1975 when it was finally surpassed by the movie Jaws.
Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in WWII, plays himself in the film version of his military career, which culminates in his receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor. With David Janssen. (1955)
The movie, To Hell and Back, held the record as Universal's highest grossing picture until 1975 when it was finally surpassed by the movie Jaws.
In the mid-60s the studios switched from contract players to hiring actors on a picture-by-picture basis. Consequently, when his contract expired in 1965 Universal did not renew. This gave him the opportunity to work with other studios and independent film producers. In the 25 years that Audie spent in Hollywood, he made a total of 44 feature films.
Audie Murphy wrote some poetry and was quite successful as a songwriter. He usually teamed up with talented artists and composers such as Guy Mitchell, Jimmy Bryant, Scott Turner, Coy Ziegler, or Terri Eddleman.
Dozens of Audie Murphy's songs were recorded and released by such great performers as Dean Martin, Eddy Arnold, Charley Pride, Jimmy Bryant, Porter Waggoner, Jerry Wallace, Roy Clark, Harry Nilsson and many, many others.
His two biggest hits were Shutters and Boards and When the Wind Blows in Chicago.
Eddy Arnold recorded When the Wind Blows in Chicago for his 1993 album Last of the Love Song Singers which is currently in release by RCA.
Audie sufferred from what is now known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)and was plagued by insomnia and depression. During the mid-60's he became dependent for a time on doctor prescribed sleeping pills called Placidyl.
When he recognized that he had become addicted to this prescription drug, he locked himself in a motel room, stopped taking the sleeping pills and went through withdrawal symptoms for a week.
Always an advocate for the needs of veterans, he broke the taboo about discussing war related mental problems after this experience.
In a effort to draw attention to the problems of returning Korean and Vietnam War veterans, Audie Murphy spoke-out candidly about his personal problems with PTSD, then known as "Battle Fatigue".
He publicly called for United States government to give more consideration and study to the emotional impact war has on veterans and to extend health care benefits to address PTSD and other mental health problems of returning war vets.
With his wife Pamela
While on a business trip on May 28, 1971, (Memorial Day Weekend) he was killed at the age of 46. A private plane flying in fog and rain crashed in the side of a mountain near Roanoke, Virginia. Five others including the pilot were also killed. Although Audie owned and flew his own plane earlier in his career at Hollywood, he was among the passengers that tragic day.
ALONE AND FAR REMOVED
Alone and far removed from earthly care
The noble ruins of men lie buried here.
You were strong men, good men
Endowed with youth and much the will to live
I hear no protest from the mute lips of the dead.
They rest; there is no more to give.
So long my comrades,
Sleep ye where you fell upon the field.
But tread softly please
March o'er my heart with ease
March on and on,
But to God alone we kneel.
Written by
~Audie Murphy~
No. I'm a blonde!
Wanna know what I think.....(((((((((POOF!)))))) )))))))
Wow.....Awesome..... I'm speechless.
What a great write up on the life of Audie Murphy. Audie was truly a man who grabbed life by the horns and never quit.
Thanks Bunny for the great thread. I feel this one ranks up there as "One of the best".
(Plate here soon)
Time out: 08:49
KMG-365
This is a wonderful thread. Of course, I've seen 'To Hell and Back' 2 or 3 times.
As a young girl in the early 50's, I had the biggest crush on Audie Murphy. The crush on him followed crushes on Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. LOL
I also visited his grave site at Arlington. Visiting Arlington National Cemetary and the Viet Nam Wall were experiences I will never forget.
God Bless our Veterans.
God Bless and Protect our Military.
God Bless America.
Good Morning Victoria. Thanks for the dinner and wonderful evening yesterday.
When I visited Arlington a few years ago, I was intrigued to see that Audie Murphy's grave had no American flag like the one on DoughtyOne's photo.
Instead, it was marked by a single Texas flag.
We Texans definitely do remember this favorite son of ours, and because of the Texas observance of his birthday, I think we will remember him for a long time to come. But I wonder how long Americans on the whole will remember Audie.
Thanks for the post.
They still remember York. I think they'll remember Murphy. Someone will do a movie and remind them of him. As for his grave site, I think it's great to see a Texas flag there. I wouldn't mind placing a California flag there also. It would be nice to see flags there from a number of states. Thanks for the comments.
As long as there is a US Army we will remember Audie Murphy. There is a SGT Audie Murphy club that NCO's are inducted in and the 3RD Infantry Division sings the Audie Murphy song everyday before PT. He is one of the most revered soldiers in the Army, and his legend along with Alvin York's gets passsed on all the time.
Nice story Sam. Thanks a lot.
Nice Picture. Love the Thompson SMG.
Today's classic warship, USS NORTH DAKOTA (BB-29)
Delaware Class
Displacement. 20,000
Length. 518'9"
Beam. 85'3"
Draft. 26'11"
Speed. 21 k.
Complement. 933
Armament. 10 12", 14 5", 4 3-pdrs., 2 21" torpedo tubes.
Commissioned on 11 April 1910
Sold for scrap on 16 March 1931
North Dakota (BB-29) was laid down 16 December 1907 by Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, Mass.; launched 10 November 1908; sponsored by Miss Mary Benton; and commissioned at Boston 11 April 1910, Comdr. Charles P. Plunkett in command.
In her first years North Dakota operated with the Atlantic Fleet in maneuvers along the East Coast and in the Caribbean. She sailed 2 November 1910 for her first Atlantic crossing, visiting England and France prior to winter-spring maneuvers in the Caribbean. In the summers of 1912 and 1913 she carried Naval Academy midshipmen for training in New England waters, and on 1 January 1913 she joined the honor escort for Natal as the Brazilian ship entered New York harbor with the body of the late Whitelaw Reid, United States Ambassador to Brazil.
As Mexican political disturbances strained relations with the United States, North Dakota sailed for Vera Cruz, where she arrived 26 April 1914, five days after American sailors had occupied the city. She cruised the coast of Mexico to protest Americans and their interests until a more stable government took office, and returned to Norfolk 16 October. An even more intensive program of training was taken up by the Atlantic Fleet as war threatened, and North Dakota was in Chesapeake Bay for gunnery drills when the United States entered World War I.
Throughout the war, North Dakota operated in the York River, Va., and out of New York training gunners and engineers for the expanding fleet. Then, on 13 November 1919, she stood out of Norfolk to carry home the remains of the late Italian Ambassador to the United States. While in the Mediterranean she sailed at Athens, Constantinople, Valencia, and Gibraltar before returning to the Caribbean for the annual spring maneuvers. In the summer of 1921, she took part in the Army-Navy bombing tests off the Virginia Capes in which the German warships Frankfurt and Ostfriesland were sunk to demonstrate the potentialities of airpower. She interrupted fleet operations during the next two summers to again cruise with midshipmen, contributing to the future strength of the Navy by educating its officers-to-be. The cruise of 1923 took her to Scandinavia, Scotland, and Spain.
North Dakota decommissioned at Norfolk 22 November 1923. Her name was struck from the Navy List 7 January 1931, and she was sold for scrapping 16 March 1931.
