It has been a bit since I have done a spotlight on one of history’s great heroes. As I was pondering who would be the next person I would do it on, I realized that today marks the 79th anniversary of Audie Murphy’s heroic actions during the Second World War.

Born into a large family, Audie Murphy was one of twelve children. His father left when Audie was in his early teens, and he was left with the burden of providing for his mom and siblings. While hunting squirrels and rabbits to feed the family he acquired the marksmanship skills that would be put to use later.

When he was sixteen, his mother caught pneumonia and died. Her death devastated him, and he decided to join the military in her honor.

His sister altered his birth certificate so that he could join when he was only seventeen instead of eighteen. There was only one problem — the Marine Corps wouldn’t take him because he was too small.

He stood at only 5′ 5″ tall and weighed 110 pounds. But being rejected by the Marines didn’t deter him any. He would try to join every branch until someone accepted him.

Finally the Army Infantry accepted him.

Much of his military career is marked with heroic actions that would win him the title of the most decorated soldier of World War Two.

He became a warrior, a hero, a legend. Here are a few things you may not know about him.

1. Most Decorated Combat Soldier of World War Two

At the young age of nineteen, Audie Murphy became the most decorated soldier in American history. He was awarded every medal for valor that the United States has to offer, as well as multiple decorations from France and Belgium.

Among the decorations he received were the Medal of Honor and three Purple Hearts. When the war ended, he was just shy of his 21st birthday and had seen some 400 days on the front lines.

2. Rose Quickly In The Ranks

In the course of one year’s time, Murphy rose from the rank of Private to Staff Sergeant. This was due to his tenacity and leadership skills. Over and over again he would prove that he had what it took to successfully lead men into battle.

The following year, he received a battlefield commission of 2nd Lieutenant. As you continue reading, you’ll know why.

3. Single Handedly Held Off An Entire Company Of German Soldiers

Yes, you read that correctly. Audie Murphy is credited with having single handedly held off an entire company of enemy soldiers — all while being wounded.

On January 26, 1945, Murphy’s company was ordered to hold a vital roadway, while waiting for reinforcements to arrive. The problem was, reinforcements didn’t arrive before the Germans launched an attack.

The Americans found themselves outnumbered and falling under heavy artillery fire. Murphy ordered his men to fall back behind the cover of a tree line a ways back. While they retreated, he stayed behind to call in an artillery strike on the advancing German troops.

With the battle erupting around them, Murphy emptied the remainder of rounds from his Carbine and jumped onto a burning tank destroyer to make use of its .50 caliber machine gun. He was almost thrown from the destroyer when an artillery shell burst in front of him, sending shards of shrapnel into his leg.

From the tree line where they were watching the events unfold, his men waited with bated breath to see if he would survive the attack. They were expecting the tank destroyer to explode at any minute. One of his men, Anthony Abramski, called it the “greatest display of guts and courage I have ever seen.”

For almost an hour, Murphy held off the German forces by himself. He only fell back to where his men were when he ran out of ammunition.

For his actions that day, Murphy was awarded our nation’s highest decoration for valor — The Medal of Honor.

4. Toned Down His Account Of What Happened

After the war ended and Murphy wrote his autobiography of his experiences during the war, he actually left out some details of what happened because he was worried people would think he was exaggerating.

One of his friends, who had served with him and had witnessed many of the accounts in Murphy’s book, attested to the fact that a lot of it had been toned down and he hadn’t given himself enough credit.

When his book was turned into a film, the producers left out even more details because they thought the public wouldn’t find it believable.

5. Raised Awareness For Soldiers Suffering From PTSD

Audie Murphy was one of the first people to lead the charge in fighting to raise awareness of PTSD and talk about it openly.

As one who suffered from it himself, he knew the need for awareness was great. When the war ended and he came home, he was different than when he had left.

He said, when Germany finally surrendered, “There is VE-day without, but no peace within”. 

Flashbacks and nightmares would haunt him the rest of his life, and he always slept with a loaded handgun under his pillow.

During filming of To Hell And Back, in which he played himself, the sets were so realistic that there were times he broke down in the middle of a scene, remembering the actual horrific events he had lived through.

As many soldiers experienced when they returned from the war, doctors dismissed his PTSD as insomnia and depression. Back then, there wasn’t enough research or information on what we now know as PTSD.

Realizing that so many of his fellow veterans were dealing with the same things he was, he began to speak publicly on the subject —something that wasn’t done often at the time. The rest of his life, he was an advocate for the thousands of American soldiers who came home with the unseen wounds of PTSD.

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That’s the story of how a 110 pound, baby-faced soldier from Texas became a lasting American legend in his own lifetime.

Let me know down in the comments what you found the most fascinating about Audie Murphy’s life!

A. M. Watson

Hebrews 13:8