military career military career june encompassed separate careers service covered world war campaigns fought tunisia sicily naples rome lied age enlist united_states_army 20th birthday earned army combat award available period service risen rank lieutenant day awarded medal honor january actions pocket france considered america decorated world war soldier received national recognition life magazine cover story superior officers speaker encouraged apply enrollment west_point offered provide assistance influence needed help accepted cadet murphy eventually passed opportunity enrollment west_point limitations resulting war injuries end active army service given percent disability classification transferred psychological effects war remained rest life form combat stress military little murphy post war stress publicly forthcoming hopes government providing better treatment medical benefits veterans suffering issues onset korean war murphy commissioned rank captain charged training new recruits fully believed 36th sent korean combat duty film career began limiting murphy guard involvement ended hostilities 36th sent korea murphy remained guard actively participating recruitment drives allowing image purpose retired rank major transferred army transferred combined service army guard home state posthumously awarded murphy texas legislative medal honor united_states_army initial training murphy wanted soldier youth dreamed combat death mother added impetus desire achieve goal heard news japan december attack pearl harbor tried enlist marines navy army turned added weight change diet gave army sister birth date year murphy enlisted june dallas physical examination height recorded feet inches weight pounds assigned infantry basic training camp texas murphy earned expert badge participating close order drill hot texas summer passed company commander thought build slight service infantry tried transferred cook school murphy insisted combat soldier completed week basic training course october given leave visit family sent fort george maryland advanced infantry training january north_africa january murphy processed camp new_jersey arrived french morocco february assigned company 15th united_states seized port french morocco november sent march division placed command took rigorous training algeria amphibious landing sicily participated division mile hour marches known hour men marched pace mph slowed mph second hour taking final miles pace mph performed bayonet land drills obstacle course training exercises murphy promoted private class surrender axis forces french tunisia division charge prisoners returned algeria operation training exercises preparation assault landing sicily italy sicily command lieutenant general sailed tunisia july allied invasion sicily landing july murphy promoted rank corporal july company later took fighting murphy killed fleeing italian officers arrived july murphy sidelined illness week allied capture transit port crucial taking sicily axis route company assigned location protecting machine gun rest fought axis began evacuation july secured port august axis completed evacuation hours fighting sicily murphy realistic military duty seen war actually like fighting mainland invasion sicily secured axis forces supreme commander general decision invade italy early september landings came ashore early skirmishes recounted author involved murphy best friend referred murphy book hell unnamed soldier unit traveled trio near bridge soldier killed german machine gun fire tossed hand grenades direction fire murphy responded thompson gun killing german soldiers allied forces entered naples october took allied assault near hill company repelled reconnaissance seven german soldiers killing taking prisoners murphy promoted sergeant december time suffered heavy casualties dead missing wounded notified december planned january beginning liberation rome division began training near naples practiced amphibious landing murphy section leader january promoted staff sergeant january hospitalized naples malaria january unable participate initial landing commanded murphy returned unit time unsuccessful battle fought january february fierce sustained fighting murphy experienced date lieutenant colonel commander temporarily took charge company company commander wounds left unable lead later stated ensuing day battle company leaving fewer soldiers alive suffering men job german lines split wide open replacements begin pace slaughter companies reduced men yard ground gained days assault quality hangs lucas replaced february men forced remained months taking shelter abandoned farmhouse march artillery fire disabled german tank tank crew killed tried escape murphy knew tank repaired germans use leaving men farmhouse murphy advanced tank crawling stomach rifle grenades permanently tank commission action received device murphy continued scouting patrols german prisoners hospitalized week march second bout malaria taken line late march placed reserve status april division additional combat training training intense murphy felt men needed relief refused required close order drill recommended promotion technical sergeant refusal behalf men cost promotion completion training murphy men occupied area sent remained infantry officers enlisted men company 15th infantry including murphy awarded combat badge murphy awarded oak leaf cluster began assault german troops second battle allied hands platoon moved combat action june allied control rome liberated division assigned patrol city june division moved southwest rome june remained end july murphy platoon sergeant august moved italy division august southern southeastern france command lieutenant general initial amphibious landing force august allied invasion southern france known operation command major general daniel military time came ashore near wave assault began inland 3rd platoon progressed light machine gun squads got detached german soldiers began firing initially killing wounding murphy ran locate lost squad led unit retrieved machine gun return fire german soldiers killing wounding relinquished machine gun men took new position joined best friend moment germans exited house yards away surrender waving white flag believed real surrender gesture visible german soldiers come immediately killed machine gun fire coming house remember experience nightmare demon entered body brain alert logical think danger concentrated killing murphy advanced house german fire directed wounded killed took prisoners actions day took approximately hour killed german soldiers wounded taken prisoners murphy received august murphy 15th engaged offensive battle secure area germans 3rd 36th divisions took prisoners city august actions 1st battalion 15th received offensive plan break german resistance northeastern france far area september murphy narrowly escaped death mortar shell hit killed wounded resulting heel wound received purple heart point murphy original group killed taken lines wounds general daniel moved 15th infantry river valley late september stone hills provided good defensive positions germans 15th met fierce resistance north heavily fortified multi quarry october murphy advanced location machine gun manned unit german soldiers yards machine gun nest rose feet germans spot instantly recalled gunner spins tip weapon barrel catches limb burst right murphy hand grenades men killing wounding awarded action 15th achieved success continued attack germans began evacuating quarry october date murphy advanced carrying radio yards germans continually fired directly yards german location relayed firing orders radio artillery remained position hour directing men murphy men finally took hill german combatants killed wounded murphy actions earned oak leaf cluster murphy awarded battlefield commission second lieutenant october elevated platoon leader support role securing goal getting gap november route october 3rd platoon company attacked german sniper group murphy captured shot hip sniper turn killed rain mud evacuated days lie tent fever spreads flesh men curse wounded waited aid station hours turn day delay caused weather transported met delays treatment developed murphy wound treated multiple remove dead tissue remained hospitalized december result injury murphy received oak leaf cluster purple heart square miles km2 held german troops november murphy hospitalized december general daniel moved area murphy described huge dangerous west rhine like iron fist fed men river constant threat right flank potentially perfect enemy start powerful counterattack rejoined platoon january date lieutenant general ordered reinforced engaged sixteen days battle secure west rhine canal crossing ill river woods january ordered town met strong german counterattack officers division killed mortar shells attack following day murphy wounded legs received second oak leaf cluster purple heart peak men disease injuries casualties reduced company fighting strength men murphy officer remaining january company commander company awaited reinforcements murphy watched approaching germans germans lining attack tanks rumble outskirts split groups fan clearing wave wave white dots barely background snow start field enemy germans scored direct hit tank destroyer setting fire causing crew abandon murphy ordered men retreat positions woods remaining post shooting orders telephone germans aimed fire directly position murphy mounted abandoned burning tank destroyer began firing caliber machine gun advancing germans killing squad crawling ditch like standing time bomb standing chassis exposed enemy fire head trees snow hour murphy stood tank destroyer returning german fire foot soldiers advancing tanks sustained leg wound stopped ran ammunition influence drug slide tank destroyer looking walk road forest germans want shoot let weak fear exhaustion care rejoined men complete disregard wound leading successfully repel germans allow treatment leg wound insisted remaining men man struggle broke entire attack germans held hard won ground disastrous lose standing burning tank destroyer murphy killed wounded germans actions day awarded medal honor february murphy led company battle successfully rid near german troops inside killing taking remainder prisoners days later company advanced february city surrendered combined allied forces ending battle charged guarding rhine west bank february murphy promoted lieutenant february awarded actions earned murphy oak leaf cluster awarded action division stationed nancy general daniel held ceremony march award murphy previously won murphy reassigned 15th infantry regiment liaison officer march assigned director non combat assignment moved regiment authorized step role message arrived company senior officers killed leaving unit charge inexperienced officer driver interpreter advanced line successfully rescue company medal honor decorations brigadier general lieutenant colonel recommended murphy medal honor actions awarding confirmed official press release near austria june general patch presented murphy medal honor presentation murphy considered decorated american soldier world war asked war seized machine gun taken entire company german infantry murphy replied simply killing friends war time service murphy earned army combat award available period service awarded american campaign medal european african middle eastern campaign medal combat campaign stars silver representing bronze device amphibious landings sicily world war victory medal april france awarded murphy french presented dallas september general public ceremony paris july french general presented murphy french palm recipient french liberation medal belgium awarded murphy belgian palm december received palm unit award individual members awarded homecoming discharge murphy received orders june report fort sam houston san_antonio texas june san_antonio homecoming parade held returning texas veterans quarter million people murphy assigned base given days leave murphy home grown hero visit dallas media followed interviewing pulled stops giving escort thousand local citizens showed hear band concert speeches honor star attraction july opened event night july issue life magazine brought murphy national attention cover story proclaimed decorated smiling image dress uniform photographers magazine followed birthday party honor civilian visit friends relatives leave discussed family friends possibility west_point making army lifetime career inquiries behalf sent military channels left europe patch encouraged murphy attending military academy offering tutor entrance examinations speaker supported idea offered use influence help murphy west_point murphy expressed concerns war injuries prevent passing physical examination required military school murphy considered possibility end enrolled school good conduct medal presented murphy august discharged rank lieutenant percent disability classification september transferred post war trauma murphy returned world war symptoms combat stress immediately evident family friends medication stomach problems tightly wound unexpected sound triggering defensive reaction imagined attack slept loaded pistol recurring war repeatedly calling individual soldiers turning lights brought relief falling asleep waking graphic flashbacks caused freeze life threatening moment battlefield wife stated held gunpoint witnessed husband moved tears footage german war guilt ridden war actions cause having parents noticed return europe said dreams punctuated battles fought tried seeking psychiatric help publicity tour dreams caused beat wall room service medical records reveal army aware symptoms provided sleeping pills indication military provided counseling treatment post combat stress murphy briefly found creative stress outlet writing poetry army discharge poem crosses grow appeared book hell attributed named mid-1960s recognized dependence locked hotel room week successfully break addiction friend david helped write book said recovered war effort draw attention combat related problems returning korean war vietnam war veterans murphy spoke problems called government increased consideration study emotional impact combat experiences extend benefits cover combat stress treatment war took army dogs civilian life turned soldiers civilians immediately let sink swim united_states_army world war world war called members world war operation participated battles liberate rome murphy end war 36th reverted state control korean war commenced june 36th looked recruit experienced veterans help gain federal recognition major general brigadier general 36th commander deputy commander respectively men acquaintances murphy time considered lead red badge courage having doubts acting career considering enlisting army onset korean conflict deciding factor returning active military service believed 36th deployed korea july murphy accompanied physical examination camp swearing rank captain guard received federal recognition promotion rank lieutenant captain attending lunch murphy 36th chief staff colonel state director brigadier general press conference followed murphy expressed concerns world war iii murphy initially assigned headquarters attended guard week summer training fort hood range officer december murphy transferred division headquarters aide summer training camp fort louisiana murphy charge training approximately inexperienced new recruits bayonet close order drill fellow instructor captain remembered opinion set tone obvious high corps lasted association division eighteen years walked way talked requested transfer inactive status october film commitments january murphy relieved assignment aide fort hood location summer training camp murphy charge field application classroom training summer training fort hood murphy charge bayonet training signed july 36th having called missed summer training camp location shooting hell service granted guard permission use image recruiting materials activities aside instructor training camps included touring state unit visit local commanders june murphy requested temporary army disability pension active duty guard july request murphy status guard changed active hoped promoted rank major spite short requirement serving seven years captain recommended superior officers major general requested year requirement washington granted murphy promoted guard major february receiving federal recognition promotion rank captain major attaining new rank murphy general toured state texas help promote set february july murphy transferred inactive status remained inactive separation guard november november transferred remained transfer august texas governor signed bill authorized awarding murphy highest military decoration awarded member texas military awarded recognition murphy combined military service army guard medal presented murphy sister public ceremony texas october death civilian life murphy odds perceived innate film industry culture acting career prostitution uncomfortable iconic war hero felt image spoke military admit love damned army father mother brother years somebody gave self respect officially retired military died private plane crash near virginia ties military home state evident aftermath texas state legislature ordered flags state buildings flown half staff honor murphy memorial service held hometown texas sponsored thomas post businesses closed doors hour eulogy memorial service delivered army chaplain hollywood celebrities attended medal honor recipients general daniel veterans fought month later july sacramento california cancelled annual independence day parade murphy grand marshal place memorial service attended veterans buried arlington national cemetery military honors june marched black horses pulled flag fort chapel cemetery cemetery government dignitaries multiple veterans groups result legislation introduced congressman months murphy death memorial hospital san_antonio dedicated virginia worked years permission erect monument site murphy death donated granite slab carved stone cutter volunteered services expenses involved paid post members dug road cleared area monument dedicated november
Military career of Audie Murphy