Most Decorated serviceman of WWII
Audie Murphy and Sgt York WWI photo

 

Audie Murphy, little 5'5" tall 110 pound guy from Texas who
played cowboy parts?  
   
    Most  Decorated serviceman of WWII and earned: Medal of Honor,
Distinguished  Service Cross, 2 Silver Star Medals, Legion of Merit, 2
Bronze Star Medals  with "V", 2 Purple Hearts, US Army Outstanding
Civilian Service Medal,  Good Conduct Medal, 2 Distinguished Unit
Emblems, American Campaign Medal,  European-African-Middle Eastern
Campaign Medal with One Silver Star, Four  Bronze Service Stars
(representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead  (representing
assault landing at Sicily and Southern France) World War II  Victory
Medal Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, Armed Forces  Reserve
Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar, Expert
Badge with Bayonet Bar, French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de
Guerre,  French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier, French Croix de
Guerre With  Silver Star, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Medal of
     Liberated France, Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm.  
 

 

 



Medal of Honor

 Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star Legion of Merit Bronze Star Purple Heart Outstanding Citizan Good Conduct
Distinguished unit emblem Ameerican Campaign European-African-Middle Esst WW2 Victory Army Occupation Armed Forces Reserve Combat Infantry badge Marksman badge with Rifle Bar
 
Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre  French legion of honor Grade of Chevalier French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star French Croix de Guerre with Palm Medal of Liberated France Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm  
Medal of Honor Orders
General Orders No. 65 WAR DEPARTMENT
Washington 25, D.C., 9 August 1945

 
Section
MEDAL OF HONOR - Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
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I.  MEDAL OF HONOR. - By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved 9 July 1918 (WD Bul. 43, 1918), a Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty was awarded by the War Department in the name of Congress to the following-named officer:

Second Lieutenant Audie L. Murphy, 01692509, 15th Infantry, Army of the United States, on 26 January 1945, near Holtzwihr, France, commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. Lieutenant Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to a prepared position 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 one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. Lieutenant Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, Lieutenant Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer which was in danger of blowing up any instant and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to the German fire from three 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 Lieutenant 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, and organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he personally killed or wounded about 50. Lieutenant Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.
Distinguished Service Cross Orders
HEADQUARTERS SEVENTH ARMY
APO 758 US Army
GENERAL ORDERS  ) 28 January 1945
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II  -  AWARD OF THE DISTINGUISHED-SERVICE CROSS.
By direction of the President, under the provisions of Army Regulation 600-45, 22 September 1943, as amended, the Distinguished-Service Cross is awarded by the Army Commander to the following named individuals:

         AUDIE L. MURPHY, 01 692 509, Second Lieutenant, (then Staff Sergeant), Infantry, Company "B", 15th Infantry Regiment, for extraordinary heroism in action. Landing near Ramatuelle, France, with the first wave of the assault infantry, at 0800 hours, 15 August until halted by intense machine gun and small arms fire from a boulder-covered hill to his front. Leaving his men in a covered position, he dashed forty yards through withering fire to a draw. Using this defiladed route, he went back toward the beaches, found a light machine gun squad and, returning up the rocky hill, placed the machine gun in position seventy-five yards in advance of his platoon. In the duel which ensued, Lieutenant Murphy silenced the enemy weapon, killed two of the crew and wounded a third. As he proceeded further up the draw, two Germans advanced toward him. Quickly destroying both of them, he dashed up the draw alone toward the enemy strongpoint, disregarding bullets which glanced off the rocks around him and hand grenades which exploded fifteen yards away. Closing in, he wounded two Germans with carbine fire, killed two more in a fierce, brief fire-fight, and forced the remaining five to surrender. His extraordinary heroism resulted in the capture of a fiercely contested enemy-held hill and the annihilation or capture of the entire enemy garrison. Entered military service from Farmersville, Texas.
Silver Star Orders
GENERAL ORDERS  )
:
Number                 66  )
HEADQUARTERS THIRD INFANTRY DIVISION
  
A.P.O. #3 25 February 1945
I - AWARD THE SILVER STAR. Under the provisions of Army Regulations 600-45, as amended, a Silver Star is awarded each of the following named individuals:
 
     AUDIE L. MURPHY, 01 692 509, First Lieutenant (then Staff Sergeant), Infantry, Company "B", 15th Infantry Regiment. For gallantry in action. On the morning of 2 October 1944, near CLEURIE QUARRY, France, First Lieutenant MURPHY inched his way over rugged, uneven terrain, toward an enemy machine gun which had surprised a group of officers on reconnaissance. Getting to within fifteen yards of the German gun, First Lieutenant MURPHY stood up and, disregarding a burst of enemy fire delivered at such close range and which miraculously missed him, flung two hand grenandes into the machine gun position, killing four Germans, wounding three more and destroying the position. Residence: Farmersville, Texas.
 
Silver Star, First Oak Leaf Cluster Orders
HEADQUARTERS THIRD INFANTRY DIVISION
  
A.P.O. #3 3 March 1945
 
II - AWARD OF 1ST OAK LEAF CLUSTER TO THE SILVER STAR. Under the provisions of Army Regulations 600-45, as amended, a 1st Oak Leaf Cluster to the Silver Star previously awarded, is awarded each of the following named individuals:
 
     AUDIE L. MURPHY, 01 692 509, First Lieutenant (then Staff Sergeant), Infantry, Company "B", 15th Infantry Regiment. For gallantry in action. On the afternoon of 5 October 1944 near LE THOLY, France, First Lieutenant MURPHY, carrying an SCR 536 radio, crawled fifty yards under severe enemy machine gun and rifle fire, to a point 200 yards from strongly entrenched enemy who had prevented further advance. Despite machine gun and rifle bullets that hit as close as a foot to him, First Lieutenant MURPHY directed artillery fire upon enemy positions for an hour, killing fifteen Germans and inflicting approximately thirty-five additional casualties. His courage, audacity and accuracy enabled his company to advance and attain its objective. Residence: Greenville, Texas.
Legion of Merit Orders
GO 100 UNITED STATES ARMY 25 MAY 1945
III - LEGION OF MERIT. By direction of the President, under the provisions of AR 600-45, 22 September 1943, as amended, the Legion of Merit is awarded, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services during the respective periods indicated, to:
 
First Lieutenant Audie L. Murphy (then Staff Sergeant and Second Lieutenant) (Army Serial No 01692509), Infantry, United States Army -- 22 January 1944 to 18 February 1945.
 
Bronze Star Orders
Initial Award

 
I - AWARD OF BRONZE STAR MEDAL. Under the provisions of Army Regulations 600-45, as amended, a Bronze Star Medal is awarded each of the following named individuals:
 
     AUDIE L. MURPHY, 01 692 509, First Lieutenant (then Staff Sergeant), Infantry, Company "B", 15th Infantry Regiment. For valorous conduct in action against the enemy on 2 March 1944 on the Anzio Beachhead, in Italy. Residence: Greenville, Texas.

 
 
Citation For Bronze Star
Initial Award

Audie L. Murphy, 01 692 509, First Lieutenant (then Staff Sergeant), Infantry, Company "B", 15th Infantry Regiment. For valorous conduct in action against the enemy. On the night of 2 March 1944, on the ANZIO BEACHHEAD in Italy, First Lieutenant MURPHY crept 100 yards over flat, open terrain during a fire fight between his small patrol and a group of Germans, to a point 50 yards from a partly disabled enemy tank. Taking careful aim, he fired several rifle grenades at the tank, hitting and completely destroying it. Then, when a great many enemy machine guns in the sector opened up, he led his men through bullet swept area to safety. Residence: Greenville, Texas.
 
 
Bronze Star Orders
First Oak Leaf Cluster
Second Award

 
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL
WASHINGTON 25, D.C.

AGAPO-AD-S Murphy, Audie L.
01 692 509 (11 Dec 54)

SUBJECT:    Letter Orders - Bronze Star Medal (First Oak Leaf Cluster)

TO:   Captain Audie L. Murphy, NGUS

         1. By direction of the President, under the provisions of Executive Order 9419, 4 February 1944, (Sec. II, WD Bul. 3, 1944), you have been awarded the Bronze Star Medal (First Oak Leaf Cluster) for exemplary conduct in ground combat against the armed enemy while assigned to the 15th Infantry Regiment, on or about 8 May 1944, as Staff Sergeant, European Theater of Operations.

         2. Authority for this award is contained in paragraph 18, AR 600-45, and Special Orders Number 39, Headquarters, 15th Infantry Regiment, dated 8 May 1944, which awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge.