Steve_McGarrett
Gold Member
- Jul 11, 2013
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I have been struck but the similarities between childhoods of Lt. Audie Murphy and Sgt. Alvin York. Both backbreaking poor. Both had to learn to shoot to feed their families. And the huge differences. One tried to avoid military service and the other was not wanted by the military.
List of the medals and awards won by Audie Murphy:
Congressional Medal of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross
Two Silver Stars
Legion of Merit
Two Bronze Stars
Three Purple Hearts
U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal
Good Conduct Medal
Two Presidential Unit Citations
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star,
Four Bronze Service Stars and one Bronze Arrowhead
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
Combat Infantry Badge
Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar
Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar
French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre
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 1940 Palm
Texas finally honors World War II hero Audie Murphy « Coach is Right
Texas finally honors World War II hero Audie Murphy « Coach is Right
Fully sixteen years after the State of Texas began honoring its military heroes with the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor, the most decorated combat soldier of World War II was finally recognized by Governor Rick Perry and the Texas legislature.
Born in the Lone Star State in 1924, the 56″, 130lb Audie Leon Murphy was told he was too small to make it in the Navy or as a United States Marine. So the baby-faced, underage Texan enlisted in the Army and in early 1942 was shipped to North Africa as part of the Third Infantry Division.
And in 3 years of war, Audie Murphy performed feats of bravery unequaled by any American soldier.
On January 26th, 1945, then Lieutenant Murphy was one of just 19 soldiers remaining from a company of 128 men. He had been ordered to hold the important Colmar Pocket area near the village of Holtzwihr in France.
Faced by an approaching enemy force of 3 infantry support companies and 6 heavy Tiger tanks, Murphy ordered his men well back into a defensive position while he climbed behind the 50 cal machine gun mounted on a burning M-10 Tank Destroyer.
Though the M-10 threatened to explode at any moment, for a full hour Murphy called down a withering artillery barrage on the German position using his OWN map coordinates to provide firing instructions. When one of the artillery crew asked how close the enemy were to his position, Murphy is said to have responded, Hang on the line and Ill let you talk to one of the bastards.
After 60 minutes, so many German soldiers had been killed by American artillery and Murphys 50 caliber gun that the Tigers were forced to withdraw due to the critical loss of ground support.
List of the medals and awards won by Audie Murphy:
Congressional Medal of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross
Two Silver Stars
Legion of Merit
Two Bronze Stars
Three Purple Hearts
U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal
Good Conduct Medal
Two Presidential Unit Citations
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star,
Four Bronze Service Stars and one Bronze Arrowhead
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
Combat Infantry Badge
Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar
Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar
French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre
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 1940 Palm
Texas finally honors World War II hero Audie Murphy « Coach is Right
Texas finally honors World War II hero Audie Murphy « Coach is Right
Fully sixteen years after the State of Texas began honoring its military heroes with the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor, the most decorated combat soldier of World War II was finally recognized by Governor Rick Perry and the Texas legislature.
Born in the Lone Star State in 1924, the 56″, 130lb Audie Leon Murphy was told he was too small to make it in the Navy or as a United States Marine. So the baby-faced, underage Texan enlisted in the Army and in early 1942 was shipped to North Africa as part of the Third Infantry Division.
And in 3 years of war, Audie Murphy performed feats of bravery unequaled by any American soldier.
On January 26th, 1945, then Lieutenant Murphy was one of just 19 soldiers remaining from a company of 128 men. He had been ordered to hold the important Colmar Pocket area near the village of Holtzwihr in France.
Faced by an approaching enemy force of 3 infantry support companies and 6 heavy Tiger tanks, Murphy ordered his men well back into a defensive position while he climbed behind the 50 cal machine gun mounted on a burning M-10 Tank Destroyer.
Though the M-10 threatened to explode at any moment, for a full hour Murphy called down a withering artillery barrage on the German position using his OWN map coordinates to provide firing instructions. When one of the artillery crew asked how close the enemy were to his position, Murphy is said to have responded, Hang on the line and Ill let you talk to one of the bastards.
After 60 minutes, so many German soldiers had been killed by American artillery and Murphys 50 caliber gun that the Tigers were forced to withdraw due to the critical loss of ground support.
