Information: The first column shows data points from Murphy, Audie, 1924-1971 in red. The third column shows data points from Murphy, Audie in blue. Any data they share in common is displayed as purple boxes in the middle "Shared" column.
<p>Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor, songwriter, and rancher. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. Murphy received the Medal of Honor for valor that he demonstrated at the age of 19 for single-handedly holding off a company of German soldiers for an hour at the Colmar Pocket in France in January 1945, then leading a successful counterattack while wounded and out of ammunition.</p>
<p>Murphy was born into a large family of sharecroppers in Hunt County, Texas. His father abandoned them, and his mother died when he was a teenager. Murphy left school in fifth grade to pick cotton and find other work to help support his family; his skill with a hunting rifle helped feed his family.</p>
<p>After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Murphy's older sister helped him to falsify documentation about his birthdate in order to meet the minimum-age requirement for enlisting in the military. Turned down initially for being underweight by the Army, Navy and the Marine Corps, he eventually was able to enlist in the Army. He first saw action in the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily; then in 1944 he participated in the Battle of Anzio, the liberation of Rome, and the invasion of southern France. Murphy fought at Montélimar and led his men on a successful assault at L'Omet quarry near Cleurie in north-eastern France in October.</p>
<p>After the war, Murphy embarked on a 21-year acting career. He played himself in the 1955 autobiographical film To Hell and Back, based on his 1949 memoirs of the same name, but most of his roles were in westerns. He made guest appearances on celebrity television shows and starred in the series Whispering Smith. Murphy was a fairly accomplished songwriter. He bred quarter horses in California and Arizona, and became a regular participant in horse racing.</p>
<p>Suffering from what would today be described as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Murphy slept with a loaded handgun under his pillow. He looked for solace in addictive sleeping pills. In his last few years, he was plagued by money problems but refused offers to appear in alcohol and cigarette commercials because he did not want to set a bad example. Murphy died in a plane crash in Virginia in 1971, which was shortly before his 46th birthday. He was interred with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, where his grave is one of the most visited.</p>
Death date is correct, but birthday date is incorrect in this source
Source Citation
<p>Born: JUNE 20, 1924, NEAR KINGSTON, HUNT COUNTY, TX, UNITED </p>
<p>Died: MAY 28, 1971, NEAR ROANOKE, VA, UNITED STATES</p>
<p>Citation: Second Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. Second 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, one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. Second 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 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 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. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. Second 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.</p>
3
Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1924 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor, songwriter, and rancher. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. Murphy received the Medal of Honor for valor that he demonstrated at the age of 19 for single-handedly holding off a company of German soldiers for an hour at the Colmar Pocket in France in January 1945, then leading a successful counterattack while wounded and out of ammunition.
Murphy was born into a large family of sharecroppers in Hunt County, Texas. His father abandoned them, and his mother died when he was a teenager. Murphy left school in fifth grade to pick cotton and find other work to help support his family; his skill with a hunting rifle helped feed his family.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Murphy's older sister helped him to falsify documentation about his birthdate in order to meet the minimum-age requirement for enlisting in the military. Turned down initially for being underweight by the Army, Navy and the Marine Corps, he eventually was able to enlist in the Army. He first saw action in the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily; then in 1944 he participated in the Battle of Anzio, the liberation of Rome, and the invasion of southern France. Murphy fought at Montélimar and led his men on a successful assault at L'Omet quarry near Cleurie in north-eastern France in October.
After the war, Murphy embarked on a 21-year acting career. He played himself in the 1955 autobiographical film To Hell and Back, based on his 1949 memoirs of the same name, but most of his roles were in westerns. He made guest appearances on celebrity television shows and starred in the series Whispering Smith. Murphy was a fairly accomplished songwriter. He bred quarter horses in California and Arizona, and became a regular participant in horse racing.
Suffering from what would today be described as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Murphy slept with a loaded handgun under his pillow. He looked for solace in addictive sleeping pills. In his last few years, he was plagued by money problems but refused offers to appear in alcohol and cigarette commercials because he did not want to set a bad example. Murphy died in a plane crash in Virginia in 1971, which was shortly before his 46th birthday. He was interred with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, where his grave is one of the most visited.
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Citation
BiogHist
BiogHist
Source Citation
Date of birth is June 20, 1924
Source Citation
<p>Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor, songwriter, and rancher. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. Murphy received the Medal of Honor for valor that he demonstrated at the age of 19 for single-handedly holding off a company of German soldiers for an hour at the Colmar Pocket in France in January 1945, then leading a successful counterattack while wounded and out of ammunition.</p>
<p>Murphy was born into a large family of sharecroppers in Hunt County, Texas. His father abandoned them, and his mother died when he was a teenager. Murphy left school in fifth grade to pick cotton and find other work to help support his family; his skill with a hunting rifle helped feed his family.</p>
<p>After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Murphy's older sister helped him to falsify documentation about his birthdate in order to meet the minimum-age requirement for enlisting in the military. Turned down initially for being underweight by the Army, Navy and the Marine Corps, he eventually was able to enlist in the Army. He first saw action in the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily; then in 1944 he participated in the Battle of Anzio, the liberation of Rome, and the invasion of southern France. Murphy fought at Montélimar and led his men on a successful assault at L'Omet quarry near Cleurie in north-eastern France in October.</p>
<p>After the war, Murphy embarked on a 21-year acting career. He played himself in the 1955 autobiographical film To Hell and Back, based on his 1949 memoirs of the same name, but most of his roles were in westerns. He made guest appearances on celebrity television shows and starred in the series Whispering Smith. Murphy was a fairly accomplished songwriter. He bred quarter horses in California and Arizona, and became a regular participant in horse racing.</p>
<p>Suffering from what would today be described as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Murphy slept with a loaded handgun under his pillow. He looked for solace in addictive sleeping pills. In his last few years, he was plagued by money problems but refused offers to appear in alcohol and cigarette commercials because he did not want to set a bad example. Murphy died in a plane crash in Virginia in 1971, which was shortly before his 46th birthday. He was interred with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, where his grave is one of the most visited.</p>
Source Citation
<p>Born: JUNE 20, 1924, NEAR KINGSTON, HUNT COUNTY, TX, UNITED </p>
<p>Died: MAY 28, 1971, NEAR ROANOKE, VA, UNITED STATES</p>
<p>Citation: Second Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. Second 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, one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. Second 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 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 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. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. Second 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.</p>
Congressional Medal of Honor Society biography entry for Audie Leon Murphy, viewed July 1, 2021
<p>Born: JUNE 20, 1924, NEAR KINGSTON, HUNT COUNTY, TX, UNITED </p>
<p>Died: MAY 28, 1971, NEAR ROANOKE, VA, UNITED STATES</p>
<p>Citation: Second Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. Second 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, one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. Second 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 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 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. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. Second 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.</p>
https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/audie-l-murphy
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https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/audie-l-murphy
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Wikipedia, February 9, 2021
<p>Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor, songwriter, and rancher. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. Murphy received the Medal of Honor for valor that he demonstrated at the age of 19 for single-handedly holding off a company of German soldiers for an hour at the Colmar Pocket in France in January 1945, then leading a successful counterattack while wounded and out of ammunition.</p>
<p>Murphy was born into a large family of sharecroppers in Hunt County, Texas. His father abandoned them, and his mother died when he was a teenager. Murphy left school in fifth grade to pick cotton and find other work to help support his family; his skill with a hunting rifle helped feed his family.</p>
<p>After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Murphy's older sister helped him to falsify documentation about his birthdate in order to meet the minimum-age requirement for enlisting in the military. Turned down initially for being underweight by the Army, Navy and the Marine Corps, he eventually was able to enlist in the Army. He first saw action in the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily; then in 1944 he participated in the Battle of Anzio, the liberation of Rome, and the invasion of southern France. Murphy fought at Montélimar and led his men on a successful assault at L'Omet quarry near Cleurie in north-eastern France in October.</p>
<p>After the war, Murphy embarked on a 21-year acting career. He played himself in the 1955 autobiographical film To Hell and Back, based on his 1949 memoirs of the same name, but most of his roles were in westerns. He made guest appearances on celebrity television shows and starred in the series Whispering Smith. Murphy was a fairly accomplished songwriter. He bred quarter horses in California and Arizona, and became a regular participant in horse racing.</p>
<p>Suffering from what would today be described as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Murphy slept with a loaded handgun under his pillow. He looked for solace in addictive sleeping pills. In his last few years, he was plagued by money problems but refused offers to appear in alcohol and cigarette commercials because he did not want to set a bad example. Murphy died in a plane crash in Virginia in 1971, which was shortly before his 46th birthday. He was interred with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, where his grave is one of the most visited.</p>
Records of the Army Staff, 1903 - 2009. Official Military Personnel Files, 1912 - 1998. Official Military Personnel File for Audie Murphy.
Records of the Army Staff, 1903 - 2009. Official Military Personnel Files, 1912 - 1998. Official Military Personnel File for Audie Murphy.
Title:
Records of the Army Staff, 1903 - 2009. Official Military Personnel Files, 1912 - 1998. Official Military Personnel File for Audie Murphy.
This Official Military Personnel File includes records from the following folders: Service Documents (June 1942-June 1971); Field File/Jacket or Record Book (June 1942-October 1944); Correspondence (August 1946-June 1971); Awards, Decorations, & Commendations (May 1944-March 1968); Efficiency/Fitness Reports (January 1945-December 1956); Medical Records (June 1942-November 1955); Auxiliary Material (January-October 1944); Original Containers (n.d.).
David Goldin Collection, 1932 - ca. 1952. Audio Recordings of Radio Broadcasts of Speeches, Interviews, Combat Reports, Special Events, Public Affairs, and Entertainment for U.S. Troops, 1932 - ca. 1952. AUDIE MURPHY INSERTS.
David Goldin Collection, 1932 - ca. 1952. Audio Recordings of Radio Broadcasts of Speeches, Interviews, Combat Reports, Special Events, Public Affairs, and Entertainment for U.S. Troops, 1932 - ca. 1952. AUDIE MURPHY INSERTS.
Title:
David Goldin Collection, 1932 - ca. 1952. Audio Recordings of Radio Broadcasts of Speeches, Interviews, Combat Reports, Special Events, Public Affairs, and Entertainment for U.S. Troops, 1932 - ca. 1952. AUDIE MURPHY INSERTS.
INTERVIEW: John Wingate talks with war hero, who has just returned from France.
Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789 - ca. 2007. Program Subject Files, 10/1/1985 - 1996. Audie Murphy manuscript and watch.
Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789 - ca. 2007. Program Subject Files, 10/1/1985 - 1996. Audie Murphy manuscript and watch.
Title:
Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789 - ca. 2007. Program Subject Files, 10/1/1985 - 1996. Audie Murphy manuscript and watch.
Lloyd B. Ramsey oral history transcript, 16-17 Apr 2004.
Ramsey, Lloyd B. (Lloyd Brinkley), 1918-. Lloyd B. Ramsey oral history transcript, 16-17 Apr 2004.
Title:
Lloyd B. Ramsey oral history transcript, 16-17 Apr 2004.
The Lloyd B. Ramsey oral history transcript consists of a 99 page transcribed oral history interview. In it, he decribes his experiences during World War II, including spending time with General Dwight Eisenhower, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, other generals, Bob Hope, and Audie Murphy. He also mentions working with five people who eventually became Presidents of the United States (U.S.). Ramsey discusses his time at the U.S. Army War College, at Fort Benning, and in Korea as advisor to the National Defense College. He also describes his time as a Congressional legislative liaison. He detail a helicopter crash he was in while in Vietnam. Ramsey says the My Lai Incident investigation took place under him. Ramsey describes how he helped raise morale when he was provost marshal general. He shares letters he received from various officers throughout his career, and describes his work after retirement for McLean Savings and Loan.
Ramsey, Lloyd B. (Lloyd Brinkley), 1918-. Lloyd B. Ramsey oral history transcript, 16-17 Apr 2004.
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Murphy, Audie, 1924-1971
referencedIn
General Records of the Department of the Treasury, 1775 - 2005. Historical Files of the Office of the National Director, 1941 - 1969. Universal Six Strip - AUDIE MURPHY (In connection with "Medal of Honor").
General Records of the Department of the Treasury, 1775 - 2005. Historical Files of the Office of the National Director, 1941 - 1969. Universal Six Strip - AUDIE MURPHY (In connection with "Medal of Honor").
Title:
General Records of the Department of the Treasury, 1775 - 2005. Historical Files of the Office of the National Director, 1941 - 1969. Universal Six Strip - AUDIE MURPHY (In connection with "Medal of Honor").
General Records of the Department of the Treasury, 1775 - 2005. Historical and Promotional Records, 1941 - 1960. WAR FINANCE COMMITTEE AND LISTS: AUDIE MURPHY SHORT (To Hell & Back).
General Records of the Department of the Treasury, 1775 - 2005. Historical and Promotional Records, 1941 - 1960. WAR FINANCE COMMITTEE AND LISTS: AUDIE MURPHY SHORT (To Hell & Back).
Title:
General Records of the Department of the Treasury, 1775 - 2005. Historical and Promotional Records, 1941 - 1960. WAR FINANCE COMMITTEE AND LISTS: AUDIE MURPHY SHORT (To Hell & Back).
Spiller, Roger J. Man against fire : Audie Murphy and his war / Roger J. Spiller.
0
Murphy, Audie, 1924-1971
referencedIn
Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789 - ca. 2007. Program Subject Files, 10/1/1985 - 1996. Audie Murphy manuscript and watch.
Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789 - ca. 2007. Program Subject Files, 10/1/1985 - 1996. Audie Murphy manuscript and watch.
Title:
Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789 - ca. 2007. Program Subject Files, 10/1/1985 - 1996. Audie Murphy manuscript and watch.
Scripts for plays in which Michael Redgrave appeared, as well as a number of typescripts for the various readings and recordings which he made throughout his career.
Guide to the Daily Worker and Daily World Photographs Collection, 1920-2001
Guide to the Daily Worker and Daily World Photographs Collection, 1920-2001
Title:
Guide to the Daily Worker and Daily World Photographs Collection, 1920-2001
The official organ of the Communist Party, USA, the Daily Worker's editorial positions reflected the policies of the Communist Party. At the same time the paper also attempted to speak to the broad left-wing community in the United States that included labor, civil rights, and peace activists, with stories covering a wide range of events, organizations and individuals in the United States and around the world. As a daily newspaper, it covered the major stories of the twentieth century. However, the paper always placed an emphasis on radical social movements, social and economic conditions particularly in working class and minority communities, poverty, labor struggles, racial discrimination, right wing extremism with an emphasis on fascist and Nazi movements, and of course the Soviet Union and the world-wide Communist movement. The paper has had a succession of names and has been published in varying frequences between daily to weekly over the course of its existence. In 2010 it ceased print publication and became an electronic, online-only, weekly publication titled the People's World. The bulk of the collection consists of printed photographic images produced through a variety of processes, collected by the photography editors of the Daily Worker and its successor newspapers as a means of maintaining an organized collection of images for use in publication. Images of many important people, groups and events associated with the CPUSA and the American Left are present in the collection, as well as images of a wide variety of people, subjects and events not explicitly linked with the CPUSA or Left politics.
ArchivalResource:
227 Linear Feet in 226 record cartons and 2 oversized boxes
Ralph Edwards Productions Radio and Television Scripts 1940-1975
Ralph Edwards Productions Radio and Television Scripts, 1940-1975
Title:
Ralph Edwards Productions Radio and Television Scripts 1940-1975
Radio and television production company. Scripts from Ralph Edwards Productions' radio and television shows, primarily and . This Is Your Life Truth or Consequences
ArchivalResource:
7,900 items; 251 containers; 100.4 linear feet
Ralph Edwards Productions Radio and Television Scripts, 1940-1975
0
Murphy, Audie, 1924-1971
referencedIn
Records of the U.S. Information Agency, 1900 - 2003. Photographic File of the Paris Bureau of the New York Times, ca. 1900 - ca. 1950. Prominent Personalities: Murphy, Audie.
Records of the U.S. Information Agency, 1900 - 2003. Photographic File of the Paris Bureau of the New York Times, ca. 1900 - ca. 1950. Prominent Personalities: Murphy, Audie.
Title:
Records of the U.S. Information Agency, 1900 - 2003. Photographic File of the Paris Bureau of the New York Times, ca. 1900 - ca. 1950. Prominent Personalities: Murphy, Audie.
John Eldon Thayer collection of motion picture memorabilia, 1916-1979.
0
Murphy, Audie, 1924-1971
referencedIn
General Records of the Department of the Treasury, 1775 - 2005. Savings Bonds and Stamps Promotional Moving Images, ca. 1950 - ca. 1977. Medal of Honor with Audie Murphy, 1955
General Records of the Department of the Treasury, 1775 - 2005. Savings Bonds and Stamps Promotional Moving Images, ca. 1950 - ca. 1977. Medal of Honor with Audie Murphy, 1955
Title:
General Records of the Department of the Treasury, 1775 - 2005. Savings Bonds and Stamps Promotional Moving Images, ca. 1950 - ca. 1977. Medal of Honor with Audie Murphy, 1955
Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 1773 - 2007. Events Files, 1954 - 1976
Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 1773 - 2007. Events Files, 1954 - 1976
Title:
Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 1773 - 2007. Events Files, 1954 - 1976
This series consists of records specifically identified by the agency as events materials which document the public relations and publicity activities of the Veterans Administration's (VA) Information Service with regards to these special events. The files concern events that either happened on a consistent basis (i.e., holidays), like Veterans Day, or were one-time occurrences, like dedication ceremonies for a new VA Hospital or awards presentations.
The records include press-related materials like newspaper clippings, magazine articles, press kits, radio and television scripts, speeches, some photographs, and press releases. Also included in this series are correspondence, memorandums, and schedules of events. There is also one file pertaining to the dedication of a statue honoring World War II hero, Audie Murphy, at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. Only one file in the series covers 1958.
Title:
Sam Rayburn papers, 1822, 1831, 1845, 1903-2007
Rayburn served as a Texas legislator from 1906 to 1912, when he was elected to the United States Congress. He was elected House majority leader, Democratic Party, in 1937, holding that position until 1940 when he was named Speaker of the House. He continued in that office until his death in 1961, except for two periods of Republican control when he served as minority leader. Correspondence, speeches, interviews, newspaper clippings, printed materials, financial records, maps, charts, and reports document the political career of Sam Rayburn.
<p>Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor, songwriter, and rancher. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. Murphy received the Medal of Honor for valor that he demonstrated at the age of 19 for single-handedly holding off a company of German soldiers for an hour at the Colmar Pocket in France in January 1945, then leading a successful counterattack while wounded and out of ammunition.</p>
<p>Murphy was born into a large family of sharecroppers in Hunt County, Texas. His father abandoned them, and his mother died when he was a teenager. Murphy left school in fifth grade to pick cotton and find other work to help support his family; his skill with a hunting rifle helped feed his family.</p>
<p>After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Murphy's older sister helped him to falsify documentation about his birthdate in order to meet the minimum-age requirement for enlisting in the military. Turned down initially for being underweight by the Army, Navy and the Marine Corps, he eventually was able to enlist in the Army. He first saw action in the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily; then in 1944 he participated in the Battle of Anzio, the liberation of Rome, and the invasion of southern France. Murphy fought at Montélimar and led his men on a successful assault at L'Omet quarry near Cleurie in north-eastern France in October.</p>
<p>After the war, Murphy embarked on a 21-year acting career. He played himself in the 1955 autobiographical film To Hell and Back, based on his 1949 memoirs of the same name, but most of his roles were in westerns. He made guest appearances on celebrity television shows and starred in the series Whispering Smith. Murphy was a fairly accomplished songwriter. He bred quarter horses in California and Arizona, and became a regular participant in horse racing.</p>
<p>Suffering from what would today be described as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Murphy slept with a loaded handgun under his pillow. He looked for solace in addictive sleeping pills. In his last few years, he was plagued by money problems but refused offers to appear in alcohol and cigarette commercials because he did not want to set a bad example. Murphy died in a plane crash in Virginia in 1971, which was shortly before his 46th birthday. He was interred with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, where his grave is one of the most visited.</p>
<p>Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor, songwriter, and rancher. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. Murphy received the Medal of Honor for valor that he demonstrated at the age of 19 for single-handedly holding off a company of German soldiers for an hour at the Colmar Pocket in France in January 1945, then leading a successful counterattack while wounded and out of ammunition.</p>
<p>Murphy was born into a large family of sharecroppers in Hunt County, Texas. His father abandoned them, and his mother died when he was a teenager. Murphy left school in fifth grade to pick cotton and find other work to help support his family; his skill with a hunting rifle helped feed his family.</p>
<p>After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Murphy's older sister helped him to falsify documentation about his birthdate in order to meet the minimum-age requirement for enlisting in the military. Turned down initially for being underweight by the Army, Navy and the Marine Corps, he eventually was able to enlist in the Army. He first saw action in the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily; then in 1944 he participated in the Battle of Anzio, the liberation of Rome, and the invasion of southern France. Murphy fought at Montélimar and led his men on a successful assault at L'Omet quarry near Cleurie in north-eastern France in October.</p>
<p>After the war, Murphy embarked on a 21-year acting career. He played himself in the 1955 autobiographical film To Hell and Back, based on his 1949 memoirs of the same name, but most of his roles were in westerns. He made guest appearances on celebrity television shows and starred in the series Whispering Smith. Murphy was a fairly accomplished songwriter. He bred quarter horses in California and Arizona, and became a regular participant in horse racing.</p>
<p>Suffering from what would today be described as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Murphy slept with a loaded handgun under his pillow. He looked for solace in addictive sleeping pills. In his last few years, he was plagued by money problems but refused offers to appear in alcohol and cigarette commercials because he did not want to set a bad example. Murphy died in a plane crash in Virginia in 1971, which was shortly before his 46th birthday. He was interred with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, where his grave is one of the most visited.</p>
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