Murphy, Audie << AW dee >> (1925-1971), was the most decorated United States soldier of World War II (1939-1945). He received 24 medals from the U.S. government, 3 from France, and 1 from Belgium. He later became a motion-picture actor.
Audie Leon Murphy was born on June 20, 1925, in Kingston, Texas, near Greenville. In June 1942, with the help of an older sister, the 17-year-old Murphy filed a falsified birth certificate, saying he was born in 1924, so that he could enlist in the Army. He became a second lieutenant in October 1944. Murphy served in North Africa and Europe. On Jan. 26, 1945, German forces attacked his unit near Colmar, France. Murphy jumped on a burning tank destroyer and used its machine gun to kill about 50 enemy troops. He received the Medal of Honor, the highest U.S. military award.
Murphy began his motion-picture career in 1948. His films included Bad Boy (1949) and The Red Badge of Courage (1951). In 1955, Murphy starred in the film To Hell and Back, based on his 1949 autobiography of the same name. Murphy died May 28, 1971.
