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AUDIE L. MURPHY...THE SOLDIER, THE MAN.
AUDIE LEON MURPHY WAS A LEGEND IN HIS OWN TIME; WAR HERO, MOVIE ACTOR, SONGWRITER, POET, FAMILY MAN. HIS BIOGRAPHY READS MORE LIKE FICTION THAN FACT. HE LIVED ONLY FORTY-SIX YEARS, BUT HE MADE A LASTING IMPRINT UPON AMERICAN HISTORY.
THE SIXTH OF TWELVE CHILDREN TO EMMETT AND JOSIE MURPHY, AUDIE WAS BORN ON A SHARECROPPER FARM NEAR KINGSTON, TEXAS ON JUNE 20, 1924. AS A BOY HE CHOPPED COTTON FOR $1 A DAY AND WAS NOTED FOR HIS FEATS OF DERRING-DO AND FOR HIS ACCURACY WITH A GUN. HE HAD ONLY FIVE YEARS OF SCHOOLING AND WAS ORPHANED AT SIXTEEN.
AFTER BEING REFUSED ENLISTMENT IN THE NAVY, THE MARINES, AND THE PARATROOPERS FOR BEING TOO SMALL (5 FOOT 5 INCHES) AND UNDERWEIGHT (110 POUNDS), HE ENLISTED IN THE ARMY A FEW DAYS AFTER HIS EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY. AFTER BASIC TRAINING AT CAMP WOLTERS, TEXAS, AND ADVANCE TRAINING AT FORT MEADE, MARYLAND, AUDIE WAS SENT OVERSEAS. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE FAMOUS 15TH INFANTRY REGIMENT OF THE 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION. HE FOUGHT IN NORTH AFRICA, SICILY, ITALY, FRANCE AND GERMANY. HE EARNED ALL OF HIS PROMOTIONS AND A BATTLEFIELD COMMISSION FOR HIS COURAGE AND LEADERSHIP ABILITY. AUDIE SPENT SOME 400 DAYS ON THE FRONT LINES AND EARNED THIRTY-THREE MILITARY AWARDS, CITATIONS AND DECORATIONS, INCLUDING EVERY MEDAL FOR VALOR THAT AMERICA GIVES AS WELL AS THREE FRENCH AND ONE BELGIAN MEDAL. LIEUTENANT AUDIE MURPHY WAS THE HIGHEST DECORATED SOLDIER IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY ON SEPTEMBER 21, 1945, AUDIE WENT TO HOLLYWOOD AT THE INVITATION OF MOVIE STAR JAMES CAGNEY. GAGNEY NOT ONLY TAUGHT AUDIE HOW TO ACT, BUT HE LET HIM LIVE AT HIS HOME FOR A WHILE. AUDIE REMAINED IN CALIFORNIA THE REST OF HIS LIFE AND WAS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOVIE INDUSTRY, BOTH AS AN ACTOR AND AS A PRODUCER. HE ACTED IN FORTY-FOUR FILMS, STARRING IN THIRTY-NINE OF THEM. HIS BEST KNOWN FILM WAS "TO HELL AND BACK", ADAPTED FROM THE 1949 BEST SELLING BOOK OF HIS WAR EXPERIENCES BY THE SAME NAME. THIS MOVIE WAS THE BIGGEST BOX OFFICE MONEYMAKER FOR UNIVERSAL PICTURES FROM 1955 UNTIL 1975 WHEN IT WAS FINALLY ECLIPSED BY THE MOVIE "JAWS". MOST OF HIS MOVIES, HOWEVER WERE WESTERNS. AUDIE MURPHY WAS VOTED THE MOST POPULAR WESTERN ACTOR IN AMERICA IN 1955 BY THE MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITORS.
AUDIE WROTE THE LYRICS TO SIXTEEN COUNTRY-WESTERN SONGS, THE MOST POPULAR OF WHICH WAS "SHUTTERS AND BOARDS", WRITTEN WITH SCOTT TURNER IN 1962. THIS SONG WAS RECORDED BY OVER THIRTY POPULAR SINGERS, INCLUDING JERRY WALLACE, EDDY ARNOLD, CHARLEY PRIDE, ROY CLARK, DEAN MARTIN AND PORTER WAGGONER. HE WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED POET, UNFORTUNATELY, ONLY A FEW OF HIS POEMS HAVE SURVIVED.
IN 1950, AUDIE JOINED THE 36TH INFANTRY DIVISION ("T-PATCHERS") OF THE TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD, SERVING WITH IT UNTIL 1966. HE SERVED IN THE ARMY RESERVES UNTIL HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED FROM MILITARY SERVICE AT THE RANK OF MAJOR. A MASON AND A SHRINER, HE BELONGED TO SEVERAL VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS.
HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST HIGH PROFILE VETERAN/ACTORS TO SPEAK BEFORE CONGRESS REGULARLY ON BEHALF OF VETERANS' RIGHTS AND THEIR HEALTH ISSUES. FOR YEARS AFTER WORLD WAR II, MURPHY HIMSELF SUFFERED FROM INSOMNIA, DEPRESSION AND "BATTLE FATIGUE", WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME. HE APPEALED TO THE GOVERNMENT TO GIVE MORE CONSIDERATION AND STUDY TO THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT WAR HAS HAD ON VETERANS.
AUDIE MURPHY WAS KILLED IN A PLANE CRASH, ON A MOUNTAINTOP NEAR ROANAKE, VIRGINIA, ON MAY 28, 1971. FITTINGLY, HIS BODY WAS RECOVERED TWO DAYS LATER, ON MEMORIAL DAY. HE WAS LAID TO REST IN ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, WASHINGTON. D.C., JUNE 7, 1971, WITH FULL MILITARY HONORS. HIS RESTING SITE IS UNDER A LARGE BLACK OAK TREE JUST WEST OF THE AMPHITHEATER OF THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER, NEAR MEMORIAL DRIVE. AFTER PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY, THE GRAVESITE OF AUDIE L. MURPHY IS THE MOST VISITED YEAR ROUND. HIS HEADSTONE IS PLAIN AND UNADORNED. NOT EVEN THE GOLD WREATH THAT DENOTES MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS IS PRESENT. HE ALWAYS BELIEVED HE WAS NOTHING SPECIAL. HIS WISH WAS TO BE BURIED WITH EVERYONE ELSE AND LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
MURPHY IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE SINCE 1951, PAMELA AND TWO SONS, TERRY MICHAEL (B - 1952) AND JAMES SHANNON (B - 1954) "SKIPPER". SKIPPER IS NOW A MASTER CARPENTER. TERRY IS PRESIDENT OF THE AUDIE MURPHY RESEARCH FOUNDATION. PAMELA AND THE BOYS STILL LIVE IN CALIFORNIA.
SINCE 1990, AUDIE'S TWO YOUNGER SISTERS, NADENE AND BILLIE HAVE GRACIOUSLY SERVED AS MURPHY FAMILY SPOKESPERSONS. WHEN THEY ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND, AUDIE'S LONG-TIME FRIEND FELLER GOFF AND AUTHOR SUE GOSSETT OFTEN TRAVEL YEAR-ROUND TO MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AS GUEST SPEAKERS FOR SGT AUDIE MURPHY CLUB INDUCTION CEREMONIES AND AUDIE MURPHY RELATED EVENTS.
AFTER A CONCENTRATED PETITION SIGNING CAMPAIGN, LED BY LONG-TIME FANS DIANE AND JAMES THOMASON, AUDIE LEON MURPHY WAS FINALLY HONORED BY THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE BY APPEARING ON A POSTAGE STAMP. RELEASED IN MAY OF 2000, MURPHY IS FEATURED IN "THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEMBERS SERIES". THIS BLOCK OF FOUR FEATURES AUDIE, GENERAL JOHN L. HINES (FORMER ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF), GENERAL OMAR N. BRADLEY (FIRST CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF), AND SERGEANT ALVIN C. YORK (WORLD WAR I MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT). NOT BAD COMPANY FOR A POOR COTTON PICKER'S SON FROM EAST TEXAS!
MOST RECENTLY AN 11 FOOT TALL BRONZE STATUE ON A 5 FOOT TALL GRANITE BASE WAS UNVEILED IN FRONT OF THE AUDIE MURPHY - AMERICAN COTTON MUSEUM IN GREENVILLE, TEXAS. DURING THE DEDICATION CEREMONY, SCULPTOR GORDON THOMAS REMARKED, "...THE STATUE NOT ONLY PAID HONOR TO AUDIE, BUT TO ALL VETERANS FROM ALL BRANCHES OF SERVICE."
THE SIXTH OF TWELVE CHILDREN TO EMMETT AND JOSIE MURPHY, AUDIE WAS BORN ON A SHARECROPPER FARM NEAR KINGSTON, TEXAS ON JUNE 20, 1924. AS A BOY HE CHOPPED COTTON FOR $1 A DAY AND WAS NOTED FOR HIS FEATS OF DERRING-DO AND FOR HIS ACCURACY WITH A GUN. HE HAD ONLY FIVE YEARS OF SCHOOLING AND WAS ORPHANED AT SIXTEEN.
AFTER BEING REFUSED ENLISTMENT IN THE NAVY, THE MARINES, AND THE PARATROOPERS FOR BEING TOO SMALL (5 FOOT 5 INCHES) AND UNDERWEIGHT (110 POUNDS), HE ENLISTED IN THE ARMY A FEW DAYS AFTER HIS EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY. AFTER BASIC TRAINING AT CAMP WOLTERS, TEXAS, AND ADVANCE TRAINING AT FORT MEADE, MARYLAND, AUDIE WAS SENT OVERSEAS. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE FAMOUS 15TH INFANTRY REGIMENT OF THE 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION. HE FOUGHT IN NORTH AFRICA, SICILY, ITALY, FRANCE AND GERMANY. HE EARNED ALL OF HIS PROMOTIONS AND A BATTLEFIELD COMMISSION FOR HIS COURAGE AND LEADERSHIP ABILITY. AUDIE SPENT SOME 400 DAYS ON THE FRONT LINES AND EARNED THIRTY-THREE MILITARY AWARDS, CITATIONS AND DECORATIONS, INCLUDING EVERY MEDAL FOR VALOR THAT AMERICA GIVES AS WELL AS THREE FRENCH AND ONE BELGIAN MEDAL. LIEUTENANT AUDIE MURPHY WAS THE HIGHEST DECORATED SOLDIER IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY ON SEPTEMBER 21, 1945, AUDIE WENT TO HOLLYWOOD AT THE INVITATION OF MOVIE STAR JAMES CAGNEY. GAGNEY NOT ONLY TAUGHT AUDIE HOW TO ACT, BUT HE LET HIM LIVE AT HIS HOME FOR A WHILE. AUDIE REMAINED IN CALIFORNIA THE REST OF HIS LIFE AND WAS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOVIE INDUSTRY, BOTH AS AN ACTOR AND AS A PRODUCER. HE ACTED IN FORTY-FOUR FILMS, STARRING IN THIRTY-NINE OF THEM. HIS BEST KNOWN FILM WAS "TO HELL AND BACK", ADAPTED FROM THE 1949 BEST SELLING BOOK OF HIS WAR EXPERIENCES BY THE SAME NAME. THIS MOVIE WAS THE BIGGEST BOX OFFICE MONEYMAKER FOR UNIVERSAL PICTURES FROM 1955 UNTIL 1975 WHEN IT WAS FINALLY ECLIPSED BY THE MOVIE "JAWS". MOST OF HIS MOVIES, HOWEVER WERE WESTERNS. AUDIE MURPHY WAS VOTED THE MOST POPULAR WESTERN ACTOR IN AMERICA IN 1955 BY THE MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITORS.
AUDIE WROTE THE LYRICS TO SIXTEEN COUNTRY-WESTERN SONGS, THE MOST POPULAR OF WHICH WAS "SHUTTERS AND BOARDS", WRITTEN WITH SCOTT TURNER IN 1962. THIS SONG WAS RECORDED BY OVER THIRTY POPULAR SINGERS, INCLUDING JERRY WALLACE, EDDY ARNOLD, CHARLEY PRIDE, ROY CLARK, DEAN MARTIN AND PORTER WAGGONER. HE WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED POET, UNFORTUNATELY, ONLY A FEW OF HIS POEMS HAVE SURVIVED.
IN 1950, AUDIE JOINED THE 36TH INFANTRY DIVISION ("T-PATCHERS") OF THE TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD, SERVING WITH IT UNTIL 1966. HE SERVED IN THE ARMY RESERVES UNTIL HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED FROM MILITARY SERVICE AT THE RANK OF MAJOR. A MASON AND A SHRINER, HE BELONGED TO SEVERAL VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS.
HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST HIGH PROFILE VETERAN/ACTORS TO SPEAK BEFORE CONGRESS REGULARLY ON BEHALF OF VETERANS' RIGHTS AND THEIR HEALTH ISSUES. FOR YEARS AFTER WORLD WAR II, MURPHY HIMSELF SUFFERED FROM INSOMNIA, DEPRESSION AND "BATTLE FATIGUE", WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME. HE APPEALED TO THE GOVERNMENT TO GIVE MORE CONSIDERATION AND STUDY TO THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT WAR HAS HAD ON VETERANS.
AUDIE MURPHY WAS KILLED IN A PLANE CRASH, ON A MOUNTAINTOP NEAR ROANAKE, VIRGINIA, ON MAY 28, 1971. FITTINGLY, HIS BODY WAS RECOVERED TWO DAYS LATER, ON MEMORIAL DAY. HE WAS LAID TO REST IN ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, WASHINGTON. D.C., JUNE 7, 1971, WITH FULL MILITARY HONORS. HIS RESTING SITE IS UNDER A LARGE BLACK OAK TREE JUST WEST OF THE AMPHITHEATER OF THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER, NEAR MEMORIAL DRIVE. AFTER PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY, THE GRAVESITE OF AUDIE L. MURPHY IS THE MOST VISITED YEAR ROUND. HIS HEADSTONE IS PLAIN AND UNADORNED. NOT EVEN THE GOLD WREATH THAT DENOTES MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS IS PRESENT. HE ALWAYS BELIEVED HE WAS NOTHING SPECIAL. HIS WISH WAS TO BE BURIED WITH EVERYONE ELSE AND LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
MURPHY IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE SINCE 1951, PAMELA AND TWO SONS, TERRY MICHAEL (B - 1952) AND JAMES SHANNON (B - 1954) "SKIPPER". SKIPPER IS NOW A MASTER CARPENTER. TERRY IS PRESIDENT OF THE AUDIE MURPHY RESEARCH FOUNDATION. PAMELA AND THE BOYS STILL LIVE IN CALIFORNIA.
SINCE 1990, AUDIE'S TWO YOUNGER SISTERS, NADENE AND BILLIE HAVE GRACIOUSLY SERVED AS MURPHY FAMILY SPOKESPERSONS. WHEN THEY ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND, AUDIE'S LONG-TIME FRIEND FELLER GOFF AND AUTHOR SUE GOSSETT OFTEN TRAVEL YEAR-ROUND TO MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AS GUEST SPEAKERS FOR SGT AUDIE MURPHY CLUB INDUCTION CEREMONIES AND AUDIE MURPHY RELATED EVENTS.
AFTER A CONCENTRATED PETITION SIGNING CAMPAIGN, LED BY LONG-TIME FANS DIANE AND JAMES THOMASON, AUDIE LEON MURPHY WAS FINALLY HONORED BY THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE BY APPEARING ON A POSTAGE STAMP. RELEASED IN MAY OF 2000, MURPHY IS FEATURED IN "THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEMBERS SERIES". THIS BLOCK OF FOUR FEATURES AUDIE, GENERAL JOHN L. HINES (FORMER ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF), GENERAL OMAR N. BRADLEY (FIRST CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF), AND SERGEANT ALVIN C. YORK (WORLD WAR I MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT). NOT BAD COMPANY FOR A POOR COTTON PICKER'S SON FROM EAST TEXAS!
MOST RECENTLY AN 11 FOOT TALL BRONZE STATUE ON A 5 FOOT TALL GRANITE BASE WAS UNVEILED IN FRONT OF THE AUDIE MURPHY - AMERICAN COTTON MUSEUM IN GREENVILLE, TEXAS. DURING THE DEDICATION CEREMONY, SCULPTOR GORDON THOMAS REMARKED, "...THE STATUE NOT ONLY PAID HONOR TO AUDIE, BUT TO ALL VETERANS FROM ALL BRANCHES OF SERVICE."