Audie Murphy: Medal of Honor Recipient

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By: Callie OettingerDate:January26 , 2011

 

Command Posts Salutes

 

Medal of Honor Recipient

 

2nd Lieutenant Audie Murphy, U.S. Army

 

January 26, 1945, Audie Murphy engaged a German infantry company to save lives within his own company—actions for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

In his book WAR, Sebastian Junger wrote:

Most firefights go by so fast that acts of bravery or cowardice are more or less spontaneous. Soldiers might live the rest of their lives regretting a decision that they don’t even remember making; they might receive a medal for doing something that was over before they knew they were doing it. When Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Audie Murphy was asked why he took on an entire company of German infantry by himself, he replied famously, “They were killing my friends.” Wars are won or lost because of the aggregate effect of thousands of decisions like that during firefights that often last only minutes or seconds.

The decisions Murphy continued to make within those minutes and seconds are the reason he became the most-decorated soldier of WWII.

“He received every medal the Army awards,” recalled HON. Ralph M. Hall, when he addressed the House of Representatives and paid tribute to Murphy. “He earned the Silver Star twice in 3 days, three Purple Hearts, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the Medal of Honor.”

From Murphy’s Medal of Honor Citation:

2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry

http://www.commandposts.com/2011/01/to-hell-and-back/

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