I was introduced to Audie this week, thanks to Dale Smith of Caldwell. Smith, a Navy man himself who served in the late 50s, brought several Internet printouts.
Smith suggested a story in the paper about the veteran from Texas.
What are Murphy’s local ties to the community, I asked. Murphy made an appearance at the Caldwell Night Rodeo and stayed at the Saratoga Hotel.
The Caldwell man said the soldier is a true American hero and shared more information.
I told Smith I’d see what we could do, making no promises. An hour later, the gentleman was back, apologizing for bothering me a second time in one day.
He had a videotape of Murphy’s true story, “To Hell and Back,” a bestseller the soldier wrote after he was medically discharged. The book was published in 1949.
“If there’s a heaven, and I believe there is, this is the man I want to meet when I get there,” Smith said, choking back his emotions.
Minutes later I started to watch the movie. Murphy, who still looked 18 years old at the age of 30, played himself. It starts with a young boy honing his sharp-shooting skills. His parents were sharecroppers in Texas.
Fast-forward to the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Murphy tried to join the Marines and Navy, only to be turned away because of his diminutive body. Shortly after his 18th birthday, the Army took Murphy, but his supervising officers doubted his abilities, especially because he had been so sick since his enlistment.
The private became a second lieutenant by the end of 1944.
In 1971, the Veterans’ Administration Hospital in San Antonio was named Audie L. Murphy Veterans’ Memorial Hospital. These are excerpts read into the Congressional Record that account his bravery during the war.
… I believe it would be most fitting for it to be named in memory of America’s most decorated veteran of World War II, the late Capt. Audie Murphy.
Just as the name of Sgt. Alvin York epitomized the heroes of World War I, Audie Murphy is remembered by most Americans as the hero of World War II. … They symbolize the generations of men who have been willing to put their personal safety aside to preserve freedom for their fellow man. … during World War II, Audie Murphy, the son of a Texas tenant farmer, was awarded 24 citations for his battlefield deeds, including the Medal of Honor and a battlefield commission as a second lieutenant.
In January 1945, the infantry company which Lt. Murphy commanded in eastern France was besieged by six German tanks. Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepare 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, 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 advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 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 three sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused the attack to waiver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back.
For an hour, the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep 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 singlehanded 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.
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.
Infantryman Tony V. Abramski, who witnessed the brave actions of Lt. Murphy, said later: “The fight that Lt. Murphy put was the greatest display of guts and courage I have ever seen. There is only one in a million who would be willing to stand up on a burning vehicle, loaded with explosives around 250 raging [Germans] for an hour and do all of that when he was wounded.”
Murphy was 19 at the time. He received 33 awards, including the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for bravery that can be given to any individual in the U.S. He was credited with killing 240-plus of the enemy while wounding and capturing many others.
After being wounded three times in later combat activity, Murphy returned home, despite his desire to become a career soldier. He did well on the silver screen because audiences knew who he was. He starred in 44 films, many western films and “Red Badge of Courage” during the 25 years he was in Hollywood. He also wrote poetry and songs that were performed by Dean Martin, Eddy Arnold and Charley Pride.
Murphy died in a private plane crash on May 28, 1971. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His gravesite is the most visited year-round, second only to President John F. Kennedy’s. Smith shared all these details with me and explained that although he never served in wartime, he identified with Murphy.
“I was sworn in on my 17th birthday and I wanted to make my military service a career, but I wasn’t able to,” Smith said. “I’ve always had the greatest admiration for him. He was always a perfect gentleman. I think he’s a great example of what military men are today.”
I’m grateful Smith was persistent in having Audie Murphy’s heroic story told in today’s paper.
Every veteran who served the country is a hero.
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