| Audie L. Murphy | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 20, 1924 Kingston, Hunt County, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | May 28, 1971 (aged 46) Brush Mountain near Catawba or Roanoke, Virginia, U.S. |
| Buried at | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army Army National Guard |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 (US Army) 1950–1966 (Texas National Guard) |
| Rank | First Lieutenant (USA) Major (TNG) |
| Unit | 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division (USA) 36th Infantry Division (TNG) |
| Battles/wars | World War II Italy: Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, Rome France: Operation Dragoon, Holtzwihr [1] |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star Legion of Merit Bronze Star Purple Heart French Legion of Honor French Croix de Guerre Belgian Croix de guerre[1] |
| Other work | Actor, songwriter |
Audie Leon Murphy (June 20, 1924 – May 28, 1971) was a highly decorated and famous soldier. Through LIFE magazine's July 16, 1945 issue ("Most Decorated Soldier"/cover photo), he became one the most famous soldiers of World War II and widely regarded as the most decorated American soldier of the war. After the war he became a celebrated movie star for over two decades, appearing in 44 films.[2] He later had some success as a country music composer.
During twenty-seven months in action in the European Theatre.[3] he received the Medal of Honor, the U.S. military's highest award for valor, along with 32 additional U.S. and foreign awards (medals, ribbons, citations, badges...)[3][4] including five awards from France and one from Belgium.[1][5]
Murphy's successful movie career included To Hell and Back (1955), based on his book of the same title (1949).[3][6] He died in a plane crash in 1971 and was interred, with full military honors, in Arlington National Cemetery.[1][3][5]
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Murphy was born in Kingston, Hunt County, Texas,[7] to poor sharecroppers of Irish descent[4], Emmett Berry Murphy (February 20, 1886–September 20, 1976), and his wife, Josie Bell (née Killian; 1891–1941)[8] He grew up on farms in the Farmersville and Greenville areas, and near Celeste, Texas. He was the sixth of twelve children,[8] two of whom died before reaching adulthood.[1] His siblings were, by age in descending order: Elizabeth Corinne (May 5, 1910 – March 28, 1980), Charles Emmett "Buck" Vernon (b. 1915 – d. 1919), Ariel June, Oneta (b. 1918 – d. 1919), J.W. (b. 1920 – d. 1920), Richard Houston (b. February 16, 1926 – d. 1954 or 1959), Eugene Porter, Verda Nadine, Willie Beatrice "Billie", and Joseph Preston (b. February 19, 1935 – d. January 29, 1968).[9]
Audie attended elementary school in Celeste until his father abandoned the family in 1936. Audie dropped out in the fifth grade to help support his family. He worked for one dollar per day, plowing and picking cotton on any farm that would hire him. Murphy became very skilled with a rifle, hunting small game like squirrels, rabbits, and birds to help feed the family.[1] One of his favorite hunting companions was neighbor Dial Henley. When Henley commented that Murphy never missed what he shot at, Murphy replied, "Well, Dial, if I don't hit what I shoot at, my family won't eat today."[10] On May 23, 1941, his mother died. He worked at a combination general store, garage and gas station in Greenville. Boarded out, he worked in a radio repair shop. Later that year, with the approval of his older, married sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Corinne Burns (sometimes referred to as "Corrine"), who was unable to help, Murphy placed his three youngest siblings in an orphanage to ensure their care. He reclaimed them after World War II.
Murphy had long dreamed of joining the military. After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Murphy tried to enlist in the military, but the services rejected him because he was underage.[5]
Murphy tried once again to enlist but was declined by the Marines and the Army paratroopers as too short and underweight at 5 feet 5.5 inches (166.4 cm) and 110 pounds (50 kg). The Navy also turned him down for being underweight.[4] The United States Army finally accepted him [5] and he was inducted at Greenville[8] and sent to Camp Wolters, Texas for basic training.[1][8] During a session of close order drill, he passed out. His company commander tried to have him transferred to a cook and bakers' school but Murphy insisted on becoming a combat soldier, and after 13 weeks of basic training, he was sent to Fort Meade, Maryland for advanced infantry training.[1][8]
Murphy still had to "fight the system" to get overseas and into action. His persistence paid off, and in early 1943 he was shipped out to Casablanca, Morocco as a replacement in 3rd Platoon, Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division.[5] 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 invasion of Sicily on July 10, 1943.[1][5] Shortly after arriving, Murphy was promoted to corporal[1] after killing two Italian officers as they tried to escape on horseback. He contracted malaria while in Sicily, an illness which put him in the hospital several times during his Army years.
After Sicily was secured from Axis forces, the 3rd Division invaded the Italian mainland, landing near Salerno[1] in September 1943.[5] While leading a night patrol, Murphy and his men ran into German soldiers but fought their way out of an ambush, taking cover in a quarry.[1] The German command sent a squad of soldiers in, but they were stopped by intense machine-gun and rifle fire.[1] Three German soldiers were killed and several others captured. As a result of his actions at Salerno, Murphy was promoted to sergeant.[1]
He distinguished himself in action on many occasions while in Italy, fighting at the Volturno River,[5] at the Anzio beachhead,[5] and in the cold, wet Italian mountains. While in Italy, his skills as a combat infantryman earned him promotions and decorations for valor.[5] Following its participation in the Italian campaign, the 3rd Division landed in Southern France on August 15, 1944 as part of Operation Dragoon.[5] Shortly thereafter, Murphy's best friend, Lattie Tipton (referred to as "Brandon" in Murphy's book To Hell and Back), was killed by a German soldier in a machine gun nest who was feigning surrender. [1] Murphy went into a rage and single-handedly wiped out the German machine gun crew which had just killed his friend.[1] He then used the German machine gun and grenades to destroy several other nearby enemy positions. For this act, Murphy received the Distinguished Service Cross[1] (second in precedence only to the Medal of Honor).
During seven weeks of fighting in that campaign in France, Murphy's division suffered 4,500 casualties.[5] Just weeks later, he received two Silver Stars for further heroic actions.[1] 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 platoon leader.[1] He was wounded in the hip by a sniper's ricocheting bullet 12 days after the promotion and spent ten weeks recuperating. Within days of returning to his unit, and still bandaged, he became company commander on January 25, 1945 and suffered further wounds from a mortar round which killed two others nearby.[1]
The next day, January 26 (the temperature was 14 °F (−10 °C) with 24 inches (61 cm) of snow on the ground), his unit participated in the battle at Holtzwihr, France.[1][5] After fighting for some time, Murphy's unit was reduced to an effective strength of 19 out of 128. Murphy sent all of the remaining men to the rear[5] while he shot at the Germans with his M1 carbine until he ran out of ammunition. He then climbed aboard an abandoned, burning M10 tank destroyer and used its .50 caliber machine gun[1] to cut down the German infantry,[5] including one full squad of German infantry who crawled in a ditch to within 100 feet (30 m) of his position. He was able to call in artillery fire using a land-line telephone and, under heavy fire, was wounded in the leg.[1][5] He nonetheless continued his nearly single-handed battle for almost an hour.[1][5] He only stopped fighting when his telephone line to the artillery fire direction center was cut by enemy artillery. As his remaining men moved forward, he quickly organized them into a counter-attack[1][5] which ultimately drove the enemy from Holtzwihr. For these actions, Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor.[1][5]
When asked after the war why he had seized the machine gun and taken on an entire company of German infantry, he replied simply, "They were killing my friends."[11][12]
Murphy was removed from the front lines and made a liaison officer. He was promoted to 1st lieutenant on February 22, 1945. On June 2, 1945, Lt. Gen. Alexander Patch, commander of the US Seventh Army, presented him with the Medal of Honor and Legion of Merit. The Legion of Merit was given him for meritorious service with the 3rd Infantry Division in France from January 22 to February 18, 1945. On June 10, Murphy left Paris by plane and arrived in San Antonio, Texas four days later.
Murphy was awarded 33 U.S. decorations and medals, five medals from France, and one from Belgium.[1][5] He received every U.S. decoration for valor available to Army ground personnel at the time.[12] He earned the Silver Star twice in three days, two Bronze Star Medals, three Purple Hearts, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the Medal of Honor.[12]
The official U.S. Army citation for Murphy's Medal of Honor reads:[1][13]
Murphy was credited with destroying six tanks in addition to killing over 240 German soldiers and wounding and capturing many others.[5] His principal U.S. decorations included the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars with Valor device, and three Purple Hearts. 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. During the French Campaign, Murphy was awarded two Presidential Citations, one from the 3rd Inf, Division, and one from the 15th Inf. Regiment during the Holtzwihr action.
The French government awarded Murphy its Chevalier of the Legion of Honor.[14] He also received two Croix de guerre medals from France[14] and the Croix de guerre 1940 Palm from Belgium.[14] Murphy was also awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge. (A complete list of his awards and decorations appears later in this article.) He spent 29 months overseas and just under two years in combat with the 3rd Infantry Division, all before he turned 21.[5]
In early June 1945, one month after Germany's surrender, he returned from Europe to a hero's welcome in his home state of Texas,[5] where he was feted with parades, banquets, and speeches. Murphy was discharged from active duty with the U.S. Army as a First Lieutenant, at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio on August 17, 1945,[8] and discharged from the U.S. Army on September 21, 1945.[1][5]
He garnered nationwide recognition, appearing on the cover of Life magazine for July 16, 1945 as the "most decorated soldier". 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. By the time he left the Guard in 1966, he had attained the rank of Major.
His medals and awards are on display at the Dallas Scottish Rite Temple Museum and the China Room of the 15th Infantry Regiment (Kelley Hill, Fort Benning, Georgia).
| Medal of Honor | |
| Distinguished Service Cross | |
|
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Silver Star (with oak leaf cluster) |
| Legion of Merit | |
|
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Bronze Star (with oak leaf cluster and Valor device) |
|
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Purple Heart (with two oak leaf clusters) |
| Department of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Award | |
| U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal | |
|
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Presidential Unit Citation (with oak leaf cluster) |
| American Campaign Medal | |
|
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European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with one silver service star & four bronze service stars, representing nine campaigns, and one bronze arrowhead, representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France) |
| World War II Victory Medal | |
| Army of Occupation Medal (with Germany Clasp) | |
| Armed Forces Reserve Medal | |
| French Legion of Honor - Grade of Chevalier | |
|
|
French Croix de guerre (with Silver Star) |
| French Croix de guerre (with Palm) | |
| Medal of Liberated France | |
| Belgian Croix de guerre (with 1940 Palm) | |
| French Fourragère in Colors of the Croix de guerre |
Marksman Badge with Rifle Component Bar
Expert Badge with Bayonet Component Bar
| Rank | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| Private | June 30, 1942 | Army of the United States |
| Private First Class | May 7, 1943 | Army of the United States |
| Corporal | July 15, 1943 | Army of the United States |
| Sergeant | December 13, 1943 | Army of the United States |
| Staff Sergeant | January 13, 1944 | Army of the United States |
| Second Lieutenant | October 14, 1944 | Army of the United States |
| First Lieutenant | February 16, 1945 | Army of the United States |
| First Lieutenant | August 21, 1945 | Officers Reserve Corps |
| Captain | June 14, 1950 | Texas National Guard |
| Captain | October 19, 1950 | National Guard of the United States |
| Major | February 14, 1956 | Texas National Guard |
| Major | February 14, 1956 | National Guard of the United States |
| Major | November 8, 1966 | United States Army Reserve |
| Major | May 22, 1969 | United States Army Retired Reserve |
After seeing the young hero's photo on the cover of the July 16 edition of Life Magazine and sensing star potential, actor James Cagney invited Murphy to Hollywood in September 1945. Despite Cagney's expectations, the next few years in California were difficult for Murphy. He became disillusioned by the lack of work, was frequently broke, and slept on the floor of a gymnasium owned by his friend Terry Hunt. He eventually received token acting parts in the 1948 films Beyond Glory and Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven.[5] His third movie, Bad Boy, gave him his first leading role.[4]
He also starred in the 1951 adaptation of Stephen Crane's Civil War novel, The Red Badge of Courage, which earned critical success.[5] Murphy expressed great discomfort in playing himself in To Hell and Back. In 1959, he starred in the western No Name on the Bullet, in which his performance was well-received despite being cast as the villain, a professional killer who managed to stay within the law.
After returning home from World War II, Murphy bought a house in Farmersville, Texas for his oldest sister Corrine, her husband Poland Burns, and their three children. His three youngest siblings, Nadine, Billie, and Joe, had been living in an orphanage since Murphy's mother's death, He intended that they would be able to live with Corrine and Poland. However, six children under one roof proved difficult for Corrine and Poland to parent, and Murphy took his siblings to live with him.
Despite a lot of post-war publicity, his acting career had not progressed and he had difficulty making a living. Buck, Murphy's oldest brother, and his wife agreed to take Nadine in, but Murphy could not find a home for Joe. He approached James "Skipper" Cherry, a Dallas theater owner who was involved with the Variety Clubs International Boy's Ranch, a 4,800 acres (19 km2) ranch near Copperas Cove, Texas. He arranged for Joe to live at the Boy's Ranch. Joe was very happy there and Murphy was able to frequently visit his brother as well as his friend Cherry. In a 1973 interview, Cherry recalled, "He was discouraged and somewhat despondent concerning his movie career."
Variety Clubs International was financing a film Bad Boy to help promote the organization's work with troubled children. Cherry called Texas theater executive Paul Short, who was producing the film, to suggest that they consider giving Murphy a significant role in the movie. Murphy performed well in the screen test, but the president of Allied Artists did not want to cast someone in a major role with so little acting experience. Cherry, Short, and other Texas theater owners decided that they wanted Murphy to play the lead or would not finance the film. The producers agreed and Murphy's performance was well-received by Hollywood. As a result of the film, Universal Studios signed Murphy to a seven-year studio contract. After a few box-office hits at Universal, the studio bosses gave Murphy increased scope in choosing his roles.
Murphy's 1949 autobiography To Hell and Back became a national bestseller. The book was ghostwritten by his friend David "Spec" McClure, already a professional writer.[17] Murphy modestly described some of his most heroic actions—without portraying himself as a hero. He did not mention any of the many decorations he received, but praised the skills, bravery, and dedication of the other members of his platoon. Murphy even attributed a song he had written to "Kerrigan".[18]:183
Murphy portrayed himself in the 1955 film version of his book with the same title, To Hell and Back. Murphy was initially reluctant to star in To Hell and Back, fearing it would appear he was cashing in on his war experience. He suggested Tony Curtis for the role. In To Hell and Back, unlike most Hollywood films, where the same soldiers serve throughout the movie, Murphy's comrades are killed or wounded as they were in real life. At the film's end, Murphy is the only member of his original unit remaining. At the ceremony where Murphy is awarded the Medal of Honor, the ghostly images of his dead friends are depicted. This insistence on reality has been attributed to Murphy and his desire to honor his fallen friends.
The film grossed almost US$10 million during its initial theatrical release, and at the time became Universal Studios's biggest hit of the studio's 43-year history. The movie held the record as the company's highest-grossing motion picture until 1975, when it was surpassed by Steven Spielberg's Jaws.
Audie Murphy's oldest son, Terry, portrayed Audie's younger brother Joseph Preston "Joe" Murphy (at age four).[19]
The film was introduced by General Walter Bedell Smith, United States Army, Retired. During World War II, Smith had served as Chief of Staff to General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Harold B. Simpson's 1975 comprehensive biography, Audie Murphy, American Soldier, covers the breadth of Murphy's life. The book emphasizes his military exploits, and includes photos, maps, and battle-maneuver diagrams. Murphy's post-war career is also well-documented.
In the 25 years he spent in Hollywood, Murphy made 44 feature films, 33 of them Westerns. His highest grossing film was the autobiographical To Hell and Back, which was the highest grossing film for Universal Pictures, until Jaws in 1975.[4] His films earned him close to $3 million in his 23 years as an actor.[4] He also appeared in several television shows, including the lead in the short-lived 1961 NBC western detective series Whispering Smith, set in Denver, Colorado. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Murphy has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1601 Vine Street.
In addition to acting, Murphy also became successful as a country music songwriter. He teamed up with musicians and composers including Guy Mitchell, Jimmy Bryant, Scott Turner, Coy Ziegler, Ray and Terri Eddlemon. Murphy's songs were recorded and released by well-known artists including 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".
Murphy was reportedly plagued by insomnia, bouts of depression, and nightmares related to his numerous battles throughout his life. His first wife, Wanda Hendrix, often talked of his struggle with this condition, even claiming that he had held her at gunpoint once. For a time during the mid-1960s, he 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 took himself off the pills, going through withdrawal 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". 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 other mental-health problems suffered by returning war veterans.
Murphy married actress Wanda Hendrix in 1949; they were divorced in 1951. He then married former airline stewardess Pamela Archer, by whom he had two children: Terrance Michael "Terry" Murphy (born 1952) and James Shannon "Skipper" Murphy (born 1954). They were named for two of his most respected friends, Terry Hunt and James "Skipper" Cherry, respectively. Murphy became a successful actor, rancher, and businessman,[5] breeding and raising quarter horses. He owned ranches in Texas, Tucson, Arizona and Menifee, California.[4]
Around 11:08am on May 28, 1971,[5] Murphy was killed when the private plane in which he was a passenger crashed into Brush Mountain, near Catawba, Virginia, 20 miles west of Roanoke, Virginia in conditions of rain, clouds/fog and zero visibility.[5] The pilot and four other passengers were also killed.[20] The aircraft was a twin engine Aero Commander 680 with registration number N601JJ, flown by a pilot who had private-pilot license and a reported 8,000 hours of flying time, but who held no instrument rating. The aircraft was recovered on May 31, 1971.[21]
In 1974, a large granite[22] marker was erected at 37.364554N 80.225748W lat/long at 3,100' elevation, near the crash site. A close friend, Captain Carl Swickerath (whose own burial site is now directly in front of Murphy's), represented the Murphy family at the dedication.
On June 7, 1971, Murphy was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.[5] The official U.S. representative at the ceremony was decorated World War II veteran and future President George H. W. Bush. Murphy's grave site is in Section 46, headstone number 46-366-11, located across Memorial Drive from the Amphitheater.[5] A special flagstone walkway was later constructed to accommodate the large number of people who visit to pay their respects.[5] It is the second most-visited grave site, after that of President John F. Kennedy.[5]
The headstones of Medal of Honor recipients buried at Arlington National Cemetery are normally decorated in gold leaf. Murphy previously requested that his stone remain plain and inconspicuous,[5] like that of an ordinary soldier. An unknown person maintains a small American flag next to his engraved Government-issue headstone, which reads as follows:
(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. First Lieutenant 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 of the rank of lieutenant colonel and above. At his funeral, a friend noted "Like the man, the headstone is too small".
Questions arose about the nature of the plane crash that claimed Murphy's life. In April 1971, Murphy had sought the release of his friend, Teamster Union president Jimmy Hoffa, from federal prison on conviction in 1964 of jury tampering. (Murphy had tried to persuade Edward Grady Partin of Baton Rouge, the Teamsters business agent who had provided immunized testimony against Hoffa, to recant his earlier claims.[23]) Following Murphy's death, Arthur Egan, who had worked with Murphy in the bid to get Hoffa freed, said he suspected that the fatal plane crash was not an accident. However, Hoffa was freed seven months after Murphy's death and no forensic evidence has arisen to suggest the plane crash was in any way connected to the Hoffa case or not the result of an accident.[23]
A number of schools and other buildings have been named after Murphy, and he has been the subject of several statues.