Audie Leon Murphy the Forgotten Hero Audie Leon Murphy is not exactly a household name. Unlike his heroic actions, the memory of second lieutenant Audie Murphy has faded with the passage of time. Small in stature, at only 5’5” Audie Leon Murphy was the most decorated American soldier of World War II. Murphy was awarded over 33 combat awards for his service, including thirteen Medals of Valor and three Purple Heart medals. He was born June 20, 1925, in Kingston Texas. During his lifespan, Audie Leon Murphy exemplified perseverance, courage, and patriotism through his actions of bravery (Ryan, Dennis). Perseverance, according to the Merrian-Webster dictionary, is “The quality that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though …show more content…
Murphy held off the attack from 240 German soldiers, for an entire hour, until U.S. reinforcements arrived for support. As a one-man army and second Lieutenant in the U. S. Army, he operated a machine gun on a burning tank destroyer. As reinforcements arrived Murphy, while wounded and out of ammunition, courageously led a counter attack against the opposing forces. This tremendous act of courage granted Murphy many of the awards that he earned during World War II (Audie Murphy …show more content…
Having been awarded over thirty combat awards Murphy is a great example of American patriotism. While his medals are too many to list individually, some of his more distinguished awards included three Purple Hearts, the Congressional Medal of Honor, and the Medal for Valor. The American patriot defended his country’s pride and honor killing over 50 Germans and ordering artillery attacks on many more. Murphy’s men in shock explained, “It was the greatest display of guts and courage I have ever seen” (Audie Murphy Biography). Murphy was asked to stop fighting while he encountered a leg injury, malaria, and gangrene; Audie refused to stop battling for his beloved country. In addition to these accomplishments, he was also awarded medals for heroism from France and Belgium (Audie Murphy