Charles Drake became a good friend offstage with Audie Murphy and was cast as a top supporting player in many of his westerns and war pictures.
Although commonly referred to as Sgt. Audie Murphy, he was given a battlefield commission and was promoted to 2nd Lt. prior to receiving his Medal of Honor.
At Arlington Cemetery, the tombstones of Medal of Honor recipients are normally decorated in gold leaf, but Murphy requested that his tombstone remain plain and inconspicuous.
Audie Murphy Research Foundation established by Murphy family, for collection, preservation and distribution of historical information about AM. Location: 18008 Saratoga Way, Suite 516, Santa Clarita, CA 91351 Fax 805-251-8432.
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars (#55) in film history in 1995.
Fan club contact: The Audie Murphy National Fan Club, 8313 Snug Hill Lane, Potomac, Maryland 20854-4057. Annual fee $14.00.
First wife Wanda Hendrix claimed he had horrible nightmares and slept with a gun under his pillow.
He was a life member of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA).
He was born in Kingston, TX, and grew up in Celeste. He went to school in Celeste until 8th grade, when he dropped out to help support his family.
His ex-wife attended his memorial service.
June 20, 1996 was proclaimed Audie Murphy Day by the Greenville Area Postal Customer Advisory Council in Greenville, Texas. U.S. Highway 69 North, from North Greenville city limits to Fannin County line was renamed The Audie Murphy Memorial Highway. Audie Murphy was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame this year in Oklahoma.
Just before his death, Murphy was offered the part of the villain in the original Dirty Harry (1971).
Medal of Honor Citation: 2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention,
Most decorated US soldier of WWII. Among his 27 US decorations was the Medal of Honor, the US's highest award for military conduct "above and beyond the call of duty," plus 5 decorations awarded by France and Belgium.
Received most of his decorations before he had turned 20.
Son, Terry, born April 14, 1952. Son James ("Skipper") born March 24, 1954.
Supported the Democratic Party.