Audie Leon Murphy

Era | WWII |
---|---|
Branch | U.S. Army |
Rank | Major |
Military Decorations | Awards for Valor or Meritorious Service Bronze Star Distinguished Service Cross Medal of Honor Purple Heart Silver Star |
Wall | F |
Wall Side | 3 |
Row | 1 |
Plaque Number | 18 |
Medal of Honor - 26 Jan 1945
Other MEDALS-RIBBONS: Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star w/1 Cluster, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star w/"v" Valor and 1 Cluster, Purple Heart w/2 Clusters, Good Conduct, American Campaign, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign w/Arrowhead and 9 Clusters, World War II Victory, Occupation (Germany), French Legion of Honor with Grade of Chevalier, French Croix de Guerre w/Palm, French Croix de Guerre w/Silver Star, French Order of Liberation, Belgian Croix de Guerre, Presidential Unit Citation w/1 Cluster
The most decorated combat soldier of World War II. Audie has been credited with killing over 240 of the enemy while wounding and capturing many others. Scores of American lives were saved.
15th Infantry Regiment
Combat Infantryman
3rd Infantry Division
"Rock of the Marne"
Audie Murphy was the most decorated soldier in WWII with 28 medals, all before he was 21 years old. His MOH citation describes a desperate tank battle where then 2nd Lieutenant Murphy, commanding Company B, 15th Infantry Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, remained forward giving fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, a tank destroyer received a direct hit and began to burn. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, he climbed on the burning tank destroyer to use its .50 caliber machine gun. Alone and exposed to German fire from three sides, he killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 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. Wounded, he continued the single-handed 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, and he personally killed or wounded about 50 enemy soldiers. His refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction and hold of its position, which had been the enemy's objective. After his military career, he starred in 40 movies, including the Civil War classic “THE Red Badge of Courage”. He struggled with PTSD for much of his later life, and he died in an airplane crash in 1971.
Plaque Wall Map
