During our overseas tour of duty, we group of men were members of the Third Infantry Division, known as the “Rock of the Marne,” as had been the man lying beneath the gravestone in Arlington National Cemetery.
As we stood in silence with moistened eyes, a feeling of great pride swept over us. We pondered the dead man’s heroism and that of countless others in this most honored of cemeteries. After a while, we came to attention, saluted, and walked away.
The marker’s inscription read, “Audie Murphy, Major, Infantry, World War II, June 20, 1924 — May 28, 1971.”
Murphy’s story is worth revisiting on this day when Americans honor the brave men and women in uniform who have served her and protected freedoms that no other country on earth enjoys.
Recently, after rereading Audie Murphy’s autobiography,
To Hell And Back, the same question came to mind that arose after reading it years ago. How did he survive all of those extremely dangerous battlefield incidents, when he flung himself in harm’s way, not only in service of his country, but also to protect the lives of his men? Surely, God was with him.
Perhaps the best known of those incidents occurred in 1945, when Murphy’s courage, tested to the limits, did not falter. As he led his men in an advance behind an M10 tank destroyer toward well-entrenched German soldiers, the enemy scored a devastating artillery blow, setting the destroyer afire.
After ordering his men to retreat, Murphy advanced slowly toward the crippled machine, as enemy soldiers concentrated fire directly at him. He reached the M10, climbed atop it, and used its machine gun to annihilate a German squad within yards of him.
For a full hour, the courageous young man, baby-faced and barely out of his teens, stayed on the burning tank destroyer, killing or wounding numerous soldiers and deterring the advance of enemy tanks.
Then, despite having sustained a serious wound, Murphy led his men in a deadly attack that put the terrified Germans to flight. For his actions that day, the kid from Texas, raised in abject poverty, won this country’s most prestigious military award: the Medal of Honor.
By the war’s end, Murphy had become the most decorated soldier in American history, winning every medal that his country offered — and rightly so: Single-handedly, he had killed at least 240 Germans, not to mention the enemy soldiers who fell to his expert marksmanship in the advance through Sicily, Anzio, and on to Rome.
Murphy once said, “Fear is always right there beside you.” He knew that it follows men into combat, but he also knew the courage that sustains them, and by demonstrating that courage through leadership, he spurred them to victory over and over again in the face of seemingly insurmountable battlefield odds.
Like Audie Murphy, the countless veterans who have served America deeply appreciate the respect and gratitude of their fellow citizens. For that reason, do this today: To a veteran, just simply say, “Thank you!”
Jimmy Reed——
Bio and Archives
Jimmy Reed is an Oxford, Mississippi resident, Ole Miss and Delta State University alumnus, Vietnam Era Army Veteran, former Mississippi Delta cotton farmer and ginner, author, and retired college teacher.
This story is a selection from Jimmy Reed’s latest book, entitled The Jaybird Tales.
Copies, including personalized autographs, can be reserved by notifying the author via email (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)).
