FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Audie Murphy ~ 16 June 08

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[Kathy in Alaska]

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~ Hall of Heroes ~

Audie Murphy

(part 1)
All info from

this website.

           

Early life

He was born in Texas, to Emmett Berry and Josie Bell Murphy (née Killian) who was of Irish descent, poor sharecroppers, and grew up on farms between

Farmersville and Greenville, as well as near Celeste, Texas (Hunt County). Murphy was the sixth of twelve children, nine of whom survived until the age of eighteen. His brothers and sisters included Corinne, Charles Emmett (Buck), Vernon, June, Oneta, J.W., Richard, Eugene, Nadine, Billie, and Joseph Murphy. He went to school in Celeste until the eighth grade, when he dropped out to help support his family (his father deserted them in 1936), working for a dollar a day, plowing and picking cotton on any farm that would hire him. He became very skilled with a rifle, hunting small game to help feed the family.

One of his favorite hunting companions was neighbor Dial Henley who noticed that young Audie never missed when he shot at squirrels, rabbits, or birds. When that was pointed out to him, Murphy remarked, "Well, Dial, if I don't hit what I shoot at, my family won't eat today." During the 1930s Murphy worked at a combination general store/garage and filling station in Greenville, Texas. At sixteen he was working in a radio repair shop when his mother died on May 23, 1941. Later that year, in agreement with his older sister, Corrinne, Murphy was forced to place his three youngest siblings in an orphanage to ensure their care (he reclaimed them after World War II).

Enlistment

After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Murphy (then just 16 years old) tried to enlist in the military, but the services rejected him for being underage. In June 1942, shortly after his 17th birthday (sister Corrine adjusted his birth date so he appeared to be 18 and legally allowed to enlist, and his war memoirs, To Hell and Back, maintained this misinformation, leading to later confusion and contradictory statements as to his year of birth), Murphy was accepted into the United States Army, at Greenville, after being turned down by the Marines and the paratroopers for being too short (5'5"/1.65 m) and of slight build.He was sent to Camp Wolters, Texas, for basic training and during a session of close order drill, passed out. His company commander tried to have him transferred to a cook and bakers' school because of his baby-faced youthfulness, 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.

 

Battles

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 on July 10, 1943. Shortly after arriving, Murphy was promoted to corporal 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 the Germans, the 3rd Division invaded the Italian mainland, landing near Salerno in September 1943. 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 rock quarry. The German command sent a squad of soldiers in but they were stopped by intense machine-gun and rifle fire: Three German soldiers were killed and several others captured. For his actions at Salerno, Murphy was promoted to sergeant.

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 Italian mountains. While in Italy, his instinctive skills as a combat infantryman earned him promotions and decorations for valor.

Following its participation in the Italian campaign, the 3rd Division invaded Southern France on August 15, 1944 (Operation Anvil-Dragoon). Shortly thereafter, Murphy's best friend, Lattie Tipton (referred to as "Brandon" in Murphy's book To Hell and Back), was killed while approaching a German soldier who was 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 and grenades to destroy several other nearby enemy positions. For this act, Murphy received the Distinguished Service Cross (second only to the Medal of Honor).

During seven weeks of fighting in that campaign in France, Murphy's division suffered 4,500 casualties.

Just weeks later, he received two Silver Stars for further 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 and spent ten weeks recuperating. Within days of returning to his unit, and still bandaged, he became company commander (January 25, 1945), and suffered further wounds from a mortar round which killed two others nearby.

The next day, January 26 (the temperature was 14 degrees with 24 inches of snow on the ground), the battle at Holtzwihr (France) 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 an abandoned, burning 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. Wounded in the leg during heavy fire, he continued this nearly single-handed battle for almost 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 a counter attack, which ultimately drove the enemy away from Holtzwihr.   These actions earned Murphy the Medal of Honor.

Murphy was then 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 awarded for outstanding services with the 3rd Infantry Division during January 22, 1944 to February 18, 1945. On June 10, Murphy left Paris by plane, arriving in San Antonio, Texas four days later.

Audie Murphy received 33 US medals, plus five medals from France and one from Belgium.  It has been said that he received every US medal available at the time; 5 of them awarded more than once.

His height and weight at his enlistment were 5 feet 5.5 inches and 110 pounds; after his three year enlistment, they were 5 ft 7 inches and 145 lbs.

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. 2d Lt. 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. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire, which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d 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 2d 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. 2d 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.

More info and great photos at this website.

Death

Just after noon on May 28, 1971 (during Memorial Day weekend), while on a

business trip, and 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, as well as Murphy and four other passengers, were killed. He was 46 years old. In 1974, a large granite memorial marker was erected near the crash site. A close friend, Captain Carl Swickerath (who is now buried directly in front of Murphy), represented the Murphy family at the dedication.

On June 7, 1971, Murphy was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with a full-honors ceremony.  The official U.S. representative at the ceremony was the decorated World War II veteran and future President George H. W. Bush. Murphy's gravesite is in Section 46, located across Memorial Drive from the Amphitheater. A special flagstone walkway was later constructed to accommodate the large number of people who stop to pay their respects.  It is the second most-visited gravesite, after that of President John F. Kennedy's.

The headstones of Arlington's Medal of Honor recipients are normally decorated in gold leaf, but Murphy had requested that his stone remain plain and inconspicuous, 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. 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 of the rank of lieutenant colonel and above.

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission!

[BIGLOOK]

Aloha Night Owl!

[laurenmarlowe]

United States Marine Corps Band~National Anthem

[South40]

One of the must visit sites if you ever visit the Arlington National Cemetary.

[AZamericonnie]

Supporting our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen
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[SandRat]

3rd ID

[HopeandGlory]

Good morning Troops, Veterans and Canteeners.

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Our Flag Flying Proudly One Nation Under God

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Lord, Please Bless Our Troops they're fighting for our Freedom.

Prayers going up.

[Jet Jaguar]

IN!

[laurenmarlowe]

PERSIAN GULF (June 12, 2008) Aviation Machinist Mate 2nd Class Timothy Hayhurst inspects an actuator in the jet shop of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) before installing it onto the engine an F/A-18 Super Hornet. Lincoln is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility supporting maritime security operations. U.S Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Geoffrey Lewis (Released)

PACIFIC OCEAN (June 11, 2008) Cmdr. Richard T. Brophy, the newly appointed commanding officer of the "Talons" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 115, hugs his brother Lt. Cmdr. Mark Brothy, after a fly-by change of command ceremony above the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Lt. Cmdr. Brothy is assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) and visited Ronald Reagan to witness his brother's change of command ceremony. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joe Painter (Released)

NORFOLK, Va. (June 4, 2008) Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Nicholas Beyer holds his 4-month-old son for the first time during homecoming celebrations for the crew of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 at Naval Station Norfolk. Beyer and several other new fathers were among the first allowed to walk off the ship in order to meet and hold the children whose births they missed due to the deployment. Nearly 7,500 Sailors have returned to their homeports from a scheduled deployment with the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (CSG) supporting maritime security operations in the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher S. Wilson (Released)

[ConorMacNessa]

Greetings To All Who Enter This Canteen, To Our Serving Military, Our Veterans, Their Families, FRiends and To Our Allies!

Missing Man Setting

Never Forget Those Who Sacrificed All That We Could Live In Freedom!!

[AZamericonnie]

Hope you had a good Fathers Day Bigs...*Hugs*

[fatima]

((((Hugs)))) Thanks for the ping.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Please note: The author of the Hall of Heroes is StarCMC. Please thank her for today’s thread.

Audie Murphy

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[AZamericonnie]

Aww.....that baby is precious! Thank you Lauren for the pics of our finest!

[Twinkie]

Audie Murphy also was an actor for a time after he got out of the service as I’m sure everyone knows. He worked with Doug McClure on a western movie I think it was. I remember McClure being interviewed several years ago and saying that Audie had flashbacks to the war pretty bad. McClure said that one day he knocked on Audie’s trailer door on location, and that Murphy came to the door holding a gun pointed at him and in a trancelike state. McClure said he just held up both hands, said “Easy Audie”, and backed slowly down the steps from the trailer and left. After a while Murphy was back at himself.

[laurenmarlowe]

Evening everybody!

God Bless all our Troops, Veterans, and their families.

[Old Sarge]

I’m Over Here!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Due to technical difficulties, poster error, we are a tad late today,
BUT, you, Hawaii are FIRST!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

And even with a head start, lauren, snags the silver!!

[PROCON]

Thanks for tonight’s wonderful thread, Birthday girl!! :-)

[Kathy in Alaska]

And rounding out the top 3 is South40....bagging the bronze!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Honoring Our Heroes

AbnSarge USA
Allegra
3 sons (armymarinemom and amdad)
Brett USN (CindyDawg)
Brother and Son-in-Law (kalee)
Cannoneer No. 4
Capt Jason Clendenin (friend of Frou)
Chris USA (amom)
Clarinet_King USAF (NerdDad/CDBear)
Col Mike (gpapa)
CMS USA
David USAF (LUV W)
Defender2
Deven USA (Shimmer)
Ethan USMC (georgiabelle)
Ev USA (Mozie)
Fred (DocRock)
Future Snake Eater USA (RightOnline)
GulfWar1Vet USA
IS2 Brianne USN (My Hearts in London - Everett)
IS2 Heather USN (My Hearts in London - Everett)
Jade Falcon USN
JemiansTerror USA (Jemian)
Jet Jaguar USAF
Joel (NEMDF)
Jonathan USMC (AZbushgal)
Josh USN (doug from upland)
Karen USA (fatima's granddaughter)
KB4W USAF (arbee4bush)
Kenneth (Sweetbaby/LadyPilgrim)
Kevin USMC (skimask)
Kevin and David USA (vigilante2)
Laurita USA
LCpl Carter USMC
Lindsay (Sweetbaby/LadyPilgrim)
Lt David (Coldwater Creek)
M1911A1 USMC (M0sby)
M1Tanker
MEG33's Navy Grandson
Mike1Sg USA (mystery-ak)
Milo828 USA (mystery-ak)
Nate USN (sneakers)
Old Sarge USA
OneLoyalAmerican USCG
PFC Dan USA (son of swmobuffalo)
Robert, Jeremy, Daynnis USA (SoldierDad)
Sat-Com Chris USA (son of KC Burke)
Sgt Dusty USA (MountainDad)
Sgt Sean Reed (preed)
Sgt Spencer USA (grame)
Son USCG (GodBlessUSA)
SPC Mike USA (AbnSarge)
SSGT John Linde USA (JFoxbear)
Terrence USN (Sweetbaby/LadyPilgrim)
The Sailor
tongue-tied USN/USA
Tonkin USN/USCG
txradioguy USA
Valerie USAF (Shimmer)
Victor and Tony D USMC (weldgophardline)
William USA (jackv)

 

[BIGLOOK]

Aloha Connie!

And thanks.....but a bit lonely since my son is in the Philippines.

Chalk this up to the bright side though; I'm proud of him.

[acad1228]

acad1228’s Daily Dose O’ Da Blues!Little Joe McLerron (aka "Son Piedmont")

Little Joe McLerron - Diddy Wah Diddy
Click here to purchase music by Little Joe McLerron

B.B. King - The Thrill Is Gone
Click here to purchase music by B.B. King

Chris Duarte Group - Big Legged Woman
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Corey Stevens - Blue Drops Of Rain
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John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom
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Support the artists you hear in the Canteen (buy their music)!

(FReepmail me if you would like to be added to the "Daily Dose O' Da Blues" Ping List.)

[muawiyah]

Thanks. Always good to remember Audie.

Although I didn't know the man I did serve in the 1st and 15th Infantry, albeit in Headquarters Company ~ he was in Company C.

Our service was also 24 years apart.

One of the privileges given to a Guard of Honor (best appearance before standard 24 hour guard duty) was to post inside the 1/15 headquarters building. There you could spend your evening standing in front of the ancient silver bowl given to the unit by the Dowager Empress, or just looking at the lebenteen gazillion flags and ribbons that had been awarded to them in their nearly two centuries of existence.

Or, you could go to the West side of the building and read through the pictures and citations given to the 20 something Medal of Honor Awardees who'd also served in the 1/15th over the years, including a large percentage of every meaningful battle or military event in American history up until the Viet Nam War ~

Audie Murphy was, in an historic sense, just another in a long line of authentic heroes, who somehow ended up in the same small part of the Infantry.

The unit history reads like the brief of an encyclopedia of American military history. BTW, in the Korean War, for all you Marines out there, following the withdrawal of the Marines from Chosin, the 1/15 was the last unit to hold the perimeter at Hungnam. Supposedly back in WWII Eisenhower had somehow convinced himself that the 1/15 was an otherwise unrecognized Marine brigade, and there we see that same phenomenon at work.

We are coming up on the 210th anniversary of the activation of the 1/15th ~ July 16, 1798.

[mylife]

Thanks for todays dose!

[Tanniker Smith]

Good evening, Kathy!

Good evening, everybody!

[PROCON]

Evening Conor, how did your Father’s Day go?!

[AZamericonnie]

I must have missed something....why is he in the Philippines?

[mylife]

Duarte

[acad1228]

Hey folks! Today’s featured artist, Little Joe McLerron, is one of my son’s best friends. Check out his website. He’s a very talented and interesting young man.

[mylife]

Checking it out.
Glad to see that Blues rock is still going strong!

[Soaring Feather]

Little Joe McLerron - Diddy Wah Diddy

Way COOL!! Thanks acad!

[ConorMacNessa]

It went very well, thanks! How did yours go?

[Soaring Feather]

Thanks Kathy.

[mylife]

Old school!

I like the white boy electric blues rock the best but thats some fine work there!

[mylife]

Show Joe this....

TASTE~Gambling Blues

[Kathy in Alaska]

A PRAYER OF PROTECTION

The light of God surround you
The love of God enfold you
The power of God protect you
The presence of God watch over you
Wherever you are, God is,
And all is well.
Amen.

BLESS THIS HOUSE

 Bless this house O Lord we pray; Make it safe by night and day; 
Bless these walls so firm and stout, Keeping want and trouble out:
Bless the roof and chimneys tall, Let thy peace lie over all;
Bless this door, that it may prove ever open to joy and love.
Bless these windows shining bright, Letting in God's heav'nly light;
Bless the hearth a'blazing there, with smoke ascending like a prayer;
Bless the folk who dwell within, keep them pure and free from sin;
Bless us all that we may be Fit O Lord to dwell with thee;
Bless us all that one day we May dwell O Lord with thee. 

(Click on graphics for music)

[PROCON]

Father's Day coincided with Oregon State University's commencement so restaurants were packed, so it was the old T-Bone on the B-B-Q...deeeelicious!

Thanks again for the Missing Man Setting!!

[mylife]

Rory toward the end of his life What a loss

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Thanks for tonite’s thread Star and Ma!
Good evening everyone!

[Jet Jaguar]

He sounds good, with earphones found.

[fatima]

U.S Army Special Forces Run.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN9Hc2tL7-k&NR=1

[mylife]

L0L! looking at these old videos I have to laff! I used to dress like that in the day.

Off the Handle

[fatima]

USMC Cadence. ‘Mama Can’t you see.’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxrmr4nJgqA&feature=related

[mylife]

Hey dere! Splashed some chipolte and tamarind on that fajitas....Yom!

[fatima]

#USMC Cadences
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfeHkg3jooA&feature=related

[PROCON]

Hiya MS, is your Maine weather starting to look like summer?!

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Tamarind too?
Interesting!

[mylife]

Ohh yeah... Worsteshersire is classic on beef!