Tales of Texas Heroes – Part 2 – “Audie Murphy” By Charles Murray

This article is the second in a series about Texas Heroes.  The articles are inspired by stories highlighted in the Texas Heroes Museum, located in the Fayette County Old Jail. 

When you ask a senior person to name a Texas hero, he is likely to name Audie Murphy.  If you ask a younger person, he might say Chris Kyle.  If you ask a teen, they might not be able to name anyone.  This is sad.  A nation needs heroes for role models.  To quote Cicero, “Poor is the nation that has no heroes, but poorer still is the nation that having heroes, fails to remember and honor them.”

Let’s start with Audie Murphy.  He grew up near Greenville, Texas.  His family was dirt poor.  Murphy was 16 years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed.  He was rejected by the Marines, the Army, and the Navy because of his small stature and being underweight.  He was finally accepted by the Army infantry.

Now let’s get to the headline: Audie Murphy was the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II.

 Murphy received 33 awards, citations, and decorations.  He was given every U.S. military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army for his World War II service, two of them twice.  He received a battlefield promotion to Second Lieutenant.  He was awarded several French and Belgian decorations for valor.  Murphy fought in eight campaigns in Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany.  He participated in two amphibious assaults, Sicily and Southern France.  Murphy was wounded three times, and he had reoccurring bouts of malaria.  

In 1950, Murphy joined the Thirty-sixth Division of the Texas National Guard, hoping to fight in the Korean War.  This division was not called to active duty, but Murphy stayed with the “T-patchers” for several years.  (As a sidenote, the Thirty-sixth Division is still active at Camp Mabry in Austin.  They have an outstanding museum.  Visit our Texas Heroes Museum to learn about the origin of the Thirty-sixth Division, its shoulder patch, and how the “Texas Division” developed a secret that helped win battles in both World War I and II.)

The things that Audie Murphy did to win his honors are truly amazing.  As you can guess, his exploits could fill a book.  In fact, they do fill a book, written by Murphy, titled To Hell and Back.  This book, published in 1949, then became the basis for a movie by the same title in 1955, staring Audie Murphy as himself.  That launched his movie career that included almost 50 films, mostly westerns.

There is an old song with a chorus that starts “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.”  I am asking all parents and grandparents, please, don’t let your children grow up without knowing about Audie Murphy, a true Texas hero. 

Our museum’s DBA name is Texas Heroes Museum.  Our non-profit, tax-exempt corporation name is Texans in War Museum Association, TIN 46-4084521.  Your contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.  Our Officers and Board of Directors are all volunteers.  We have no paid staff.