Audie Murphy honors and awards explained

Audie Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was one of the most decorated United States Army combat soldiers of World War II, serving from 1942 to 1945. He received every American combat award for valor available at the time of his service, including the Medal of Honor. He also received recognitions from France and Belgium. With his 1945 military discharge at the end of the war, Murphy became an advocate of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans. The Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital in San Antonio and the Sergeant Audie Murphy Clubs (SAMC) on military bases honor his contributions. He joined the Texas National Guard in 1950, transferring to reserve status in 1956 and remaining in the Guard until 1969. He also had a civilian career as a film actor and songwriter. Recognitions he received both during his lifetime and posthumously are listed below.

Murphy participated in campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany, as denoted by his European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one silver battle star (denoting five campaigns), four bronze battle stars, plus a bronze arrowhead representing his two amphibious assault landings at Sicily and southern France. On 25 February 1945 and 3 March 1945, he received two Silver Stars for further heroic actions. The French government awarded Murphy its Chevalier of the Legion of Honor and two Croix de guerre medals. He received the Croix de guerre 1940 Palm from Belgium. The military assisted him with replacement medals after he gave away the originals. Duplicates of his Medal of Honor and other medals can be viewed at Dallas Scottish Rite Temple museum.

U.S. medals, awards, decorations and badges

U.S. military personal decorations

U.S. military personal decorations
ImageDecorationNotesRefs.
Medal of HonorFor action on 26 January 1945, War Department, General Orders No. 65, 9 August 1945.
Distinguished Service CrossFor action on 15 August 1944, Headquarters, Seventh U.S. Army, General Orders No. 21 (1945).
Silver Star with bronze oak leaf cluster (two awards)First award for action on 2 October 1944, Headquarters, 3d Infantry Division, General Orders No. 66 (25 February 1945). Second award for action on 5 October 1944, Headquarters, 3d Infantry Division, General Orders No. 83 (3 March 1945).
Legion of MeritFor action on 22 January 1944 – 18 February 1945, Headquarters, European Theater of Operations, General Orders No. 100 (25 May 1945).
Bronze Star with "V" Device and bronze oak leaf cluster (two awards)First award with "V" Device for action on 2 March 1944, Headquarters, 3d Infantry Division, General Orders No. 84 (4 March 1945). Second award for action on 8 May 1944.
Purple Heart with two bronze oak leaf clusters (three awards)For wounds received 15 September 1944, 26 October 1944, and 25 January 1945.

U.S. military service and campaign medals

Service and campaign medals
ImageMedalNotesRefs.
Good Conduct MedalMurphy attested at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, on 21 August 1945 that he had never received the Good Conduct Medal. He was awarded the medal the same day by Lieutenant Colonel H. Miller Ainsworth.[1]
American Campaign MedalFor Murphy's service in the American Theater of World War II.
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one silver star (counts as 5 medals), four bronze stars, and one bronze arrowhead deviceFor Murphy's service in the European Theater of World War II in nine campaigns.
World War II Victory MedalAwarded for military service between 7 December 1941, and 31 December 1946, both dates inclusive, the medal was authorized by Public Law 135, 79th United States Congress.
Army of Occupation Medal with Germany ClaspFor service in the occupation of Germany after the war.
Armed Forces Reserve MedalFor his service in the U.S. Army Officers' Reserve Corps and in the Texas National Guard. The medal was created by, signed by President Harry Truman on 25 September 1950. It is awarded for ten years service in the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces.

Badges

U.S. Army badges
ImageBadgeNotesRefs.
Combat Infantryman BadgeSpecial Order No. 39, dated 8 May 1944, sixty-one officers and enlisted men of Company B, 15th Infantry were awarded the badge.
Marksman Badge with Rifle Component BarEarned during basic Army training.
Expert Badge with Bayonet Component BarEarned during basic Army training.

Non-U.S. military personal decorations, unit awards and service medals

Non-U.S. military service medals, awards and decorations
ImageMedal/award/decorationNotesRefs.
French Legion of HonorGrade of Chevalier (Knight)Decoration presented by General de Lattre de Tassigny in Paris on 19 July 1948.[2]
French Croix de Guerre with Silver StarDecoration approved by the French government on 16 April 1945. Presented 19 September 1945 in Dallas by Brigadier General W. E. Collier, Chief of Staff for the 8th Service Command.
French Croix de Guerre with PalmDecoration presented in France on 19 July 1948.
Medal of a liberated FranceAuthorized by France 1947.
Belgian Croix de Guerre with 1940 PalmDecoration conferred by Royal Order 4282 on 10 December 1955. The award and documentation were forwarded to the State Department to be held until the United States Congress authorized the acceptance and wearing of it. Murphy was notified by the Army on 14 March 1968, that he was allowed to accept the award.
French Fourragère in Colors of the Croix de GuerreAward authorized to be worn by all members of the 3rd Infantry Division who fought in France during World War II.

Service ranks

Audie Murphy promotions and commissions
ImageRankService BranchDate of promotionRefs.
PrivateU.S. Army30 June 1942
Private First ClassU.S. Army7 May 1943
CorporalU.S. Army15 July 1943
SergeantU.S. Army13 December 1943
Staff SergeantU.S. Army13 January 1944
Second LieutenantU.S. Army14 October 1944
First LieutenantU.S. Army16 February 1945
First LieutenantU.S. Army Reserve21 August 1945[3]
CaptainTexas National Guard14 July 1950
CaptainU.S. National Guard19 October 1950
MajorTexas National Guard14 February 1956
MajorU.S. National Guard14 February 1956
MajorU.S. Army Reserve8 November 1966
MajorU.S. Army Retired Reserve22 May 1969

Other honors

Sergeant Audie Murphy Club

In September 1986, the Command Sergeant Major George L. Horvath III, III Corps Commander Lieutenant General Crosbie E. Saint and several others established the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club at Fort Hood, Texas.[4] The official club crest was designed by club co-founder Don Moore.[5] Since 1994, other units of the U.S. Army have established chapters of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club (SAMC) as exclusive clubs to honor noncommissioned officers (Corporal E-4 through Sergeant First Class E-7) who have acted in a manner consistent with the actions of Audie Murphy. In 2012 a bronze bust created by Mark and Jenelle Byrd for display in the Sgt. Audie Murphy Club Room in Snow Hall was unveiled at Fort Sill, Oklahoma .[6]

U.S. government, military and veterans organizations

Texas (non-military)

Other U.S. states

Non-United States

Entertainment industry

Freemasonry

In November 2000, Murphy was posthumously awarded the Scottish Rite Masonry 33rd Degree in Long Beach, California, presented to his widow Pamela.[34] From 1955 until his death, Murphy was a member of numerous Scottish Rite lodges in California and Texas. The Murat Shriners of Indianapolis, Indiana, provided the below timeline of Murphy's degrees and lodge associations.

14 February – Entered Apprentice degree, North Hollywood Lodge No. 542

4 April – Fellowcraft degree

27 June – Master Mason degree

11–14 November – degree work and 32nd degree Scottish Rite Temple in Dallas

Thomas B. Hunter Memorial Class vice president

15 November – Hella Temple, Dallas shriner

14 November – Master of the Royal Secret, Valley of Dallas, Orient of Texas

11–1 December, 965 Knight Commander of the Court of Honor KCCH

19 March – Al Malaikah Temple in Los Angeles

2 April – Long Beach Scottish Rite Bodies

Books

Notes

Citations

References

External links

See main article: other.

Notes and References

  1. News: Tanber. George G.. Who Had More Medals? Depends on Who's Counting. Toledo Blade. 5 May 2005. 3. 12 October 2013. 2 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200702180141/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Mg0wAAAAIBAJ&pg=1938,4679328&dq=who-has-more-medals&hl=en. live.
  2. Book: Dept. of Defense. Award of the "Au Grade De Chevalier" for Murphy's exceptional services rendered during operations to liberate France., 07/19/1948. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration ARC Identifier 299781. 12 October 2013. 19 July 1948. File Unit: Official Military Personnel File of Audie Murphy, 1942–1945. 29 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131029191551/http://research.archives.gov/description/299781. dead.
  3. Web site: Scan of Service Documents July 1953 – June 1971 from National Archives. Audie Murphy Memorial Website. 1 December 2013. 3, 7, 27, 102, 105, 137, 167. 29 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131029194407/http://audiemurphy.com/documents/doc063/02_Service_Documents.pdf. live.
  4. Web site: United States Army Fort Hood. The History of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club. 12 October 2013. 6 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131006154211/http://www.hood.army.mil/SAMC/history.aspx. live.
  5. Web site: United States Army Fort Gordon . The History of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club . 12 October 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131004233001/http://www.gordon.army.mil/SAMC/history.html . 4 October 2013 . dmy .
  6. Web site: Myers . Corynn . Sgt. Audie Murphy bust dedicated at Fort Sill . United States Army . 12 October 2013 . 29 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029184021/http://www.army.mil/article/84362 . live .
  7. Web site: Audie Murphy Athletic Performance Center – Fort Benning DFMWR . Fort Benning Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation . 12 October 2013 . 28 July 2013 . https://archive.today/20130728060153/http://www.benningmwr.com/AudieMurphyfitness.php . live .
  8. News: . VA Hospital Dedicated. March 14, 2017. Port Isabel Press. November 22, 1973. Post Isabel, Texas. Newspaperarchives.com. subscription. 15 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170315174615/https://newspaperarchive.com/port-isabel-press-nov-22-1973-p-5/?tag=olin+teague+audie+l+murphy+memorial+va+hospital&rtserp=tags%2Folin-teague%3Fndt%3Dby&py=1973&pey=1973&pep=audie-l-murphy-memorial-va-hospital%2F. live.
    Web site: Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 11 June 2014. 4 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140704105054/http://www.southtexas.va.gov/locations/directions.asp. live.
  9. Web site: Hall. Honorable Ralph M.. In Memory of Major Audie L. Murphy, Thursday, May 30, 1996. Congressional Record 104th Congress (1995–1996). U.S.Government Printing Office. 1996. 12 October 2013.
  10. Web site: United States Postal Service. Publication 528, Veterans and the Military on Stamps. 12 October 2013. 5 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131005010954/http://about.usps.com/publications/pub528/welcome.htm. live.
  11. Web site: Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website. Photographs, user-generated reproduction of 2001 letter to Terry Murphy from U.S. Army Colonel Barry J. Fowler, 3rd Infantry Division in Bosnia, accompanying user-generated explanatory text. 12 October 2013. 29 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131029193910/http://www.audiemurphy.com/places004.htm. live.
  12. Web site: Audie Murphy plaque . Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Association Inc. . 12 October 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131004233130/http://www.soledadmemorial.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/4MOH.jpg . 4 October 2013 . dmy .
  13. Web site: Chandler . Natalie . American Legion Post 336 signs 500th and counting – San Antonio Express-News . Mysanantonio.com . 12 October 2013 . 10 July 2012 . 14 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131014095625/http://www.mysanantonio.com/community/northwest/news/article/American-Legion-Post-336-signs-500th-and-counting-3697265.php . live .
  14. Web site: American Veterans Center. Audie Murphy award. 12 October 2013. 13 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131013215118/http://www.americanveteranscenter.org/events/conference/awards/audie-murphy-award/. live.
  15. Web site: Celeste, Texas. Texas Historical Commission. 12 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304110139/http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/viewform.asp?atlas_num=5231007820&site_name=Murphy,%20Audie&class=5000. 4 March 2016. dead. dmy-all.
  16. Web site: Birthplace of Audie Murphy. Texas Historical Commission. 12 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304101023/http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/viewform.asp?atlas_num=5231007821&site_name=Murphy,%20Audie&class=5000. 4 March 2016. dead. dmy-all.
  17. Web site: Simpson. Harold B.. Audie Leon Murphy. Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. 12 October 2013. 2 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131002025957/http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fmu13. live.
  18. Web site: Texas State Cemetery Medal of Honor monument. State of Texas. 12 October 2013. 27 September 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130927085722/http://cemetery.state.tx.us/moh.asp. live.
  19. Web site: Audie Murphy's Homecoming, June 15, 1945. Texas Historical Commission. 12 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304201654/http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/viewform.asp?atlas_num=5507015321&site_name=Murphy%27s%2C%20Audie%2C%20Farmersville%20Homecoming&class=5000. 4 March 2016. dead. dmy-all.
  20. Web site: Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD . Audie Murphy Middle School, Alamo, Tx . 12 October 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131004222731/http://murphy.psjaisd.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=120680&type=d&pREC_ID=350940 . 4 October 2013 . dmy .
  21. Web site: Spirit of America Festival. Audie Murphy Patriotism Award. 12 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131015140657/http://www.spiritofamericafestival.com/awards/. 15 October 2013. dmy-all.
  22. Web site: Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website. Photograph of Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, Pamela Archer Murphy, and the plaque, user-generated reproduction of plaque text, user-generated reproduction of Los Angeles Times text. 12 October 2013. 29 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202635/http://www.audiemurphy.com/places017.htm. live.
    • Web site: Historical Marker Database. Audie Murphy Crash Site Marker 58308. 12 October 2013. 4 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131004232213/http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=58308. live.
  23. Web site: Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website. Scanned original of 2003 letter from the Ministere de la Defense in France, to Stan Smith of Project Audie Murphy. 12 October 2013. 29 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131029193225/http://www.audiemurphy.com/documents/doc044/159thRegimentalInsignia.pdf. live.
  24. Web site: Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website. Scans of Foreign Stamps of Audie Murphy with user-generated explanatory text. 12 October 2013. 29 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131029200024/http://www.audiemurphy.com/curios4.htm. live.
  25. Web site: Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website. Holtzwihr Memorial to Audie Murphy, photographs, user-generated explanatory text.. 12 October 2013. 11 February 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010211021803/http://www.audiemurphy.com/holtzwihr4.htm. live.
  26. Web site: Furderer. Robert. En mémoire d'Audie Murphy, libérateur et acteur. 12 October 2013. L'Alsace.fr. 5 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131005003319/http://www.lalsace.fr/haut-rhin/2013/06/07/en-memoire-d-audie-murphy-liberateur-et-acteur. live.
  27. Web site: Historical Marker Database. Audie Murphy Marker, Kanab Utah Walk of Fame Marker 41209. 12 October 2013. 4 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131004222103/http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=41209. live.
  28. Web site: Laurel Awards. Nominee for Ride a Crooked Trail. 12 October 2013. 12 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131012203816/http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000394/1959. live.
  29. Web site: Hollywood Walk of Fame. Inducted to the Walk of Fame on February 8, 1960 with 1 star. 12 October 2013. 5 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131005034606/http://www.walkoffame.com/audie-murphy. live.
  30. Web site: Golden Boot. 3rd annual awards. 1985. 12 October 2013. 4 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131004234947/http://www.goldenbootawards.com/gba1985.html. live.
  31. Web site: PRNewswire. Join In and Win! Tune Into the American Veteran Awards on The History Channel. 12 October 2013. 5 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131005065639/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/join-in-and-win-tune-into-the-american-veteran-awards-on-the-history-channel-75901317.html. live.
  32. Web site: City of Santa Clarita . Santa Clarita Walk of Fame Guide . 12 October 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131005000308/http://www.visitsantaclarita.com/files/2012/11/Wows-Tour-Spread-2012.pdf . 5 October 2013 . dmy .
  33. Web site: 33 Degree Current Interest. Widow Of Audie Murphy Attends Ladies Night Dinner. 12 October 2013. dead. https://archive.today/20130823074433/http://204.3.136.66/council/journal/feb01/cifeb.html. 23 August 2013. dmy-all.