Audie Murphy's Medal of Honor Citation
date: label: date awarded
content: 1945-04-23
label: date referenced
content: 1945-01-26
name: label: recipient
content: Murphy, Audie
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description
label: Description
content: Printed paper.
label: Description
content: Specific History
label: Description
content: This citation was awarded to Audie Murphy for “Conspicuous Gallantry and Intrepidity Involving Risk of Life Above and Beyond the Call of Duty In Action With the Enemy,” January 26, 1945. The citation reads:
label: Description
content: 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, 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 killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. 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.
label: Description
content: General History
label: Description
content: Audie Murphy enlisted in the United States Army at age seventeen to make something of himself. By the end of World War II, Audie Murphy's exploits had earned him every medal his country could give. He was the war's most decorated soldier and a national hero. Four years later, as a struggling actor in Hollywood, he turned his wartime experiences into a best selling book, <i>To Hell and Back.</i> He later starred in the film version of his book. He died in an airplane crash in 1971 in Virginia while on a business trip.
label: Description
content: His list of medals includes:
label: Description
content: Medal of Honor
label: Description
content: Distinguished Service Cross
label: Description
content: Silver Star with First Oak Leaf Cluster
label: Description
content: Legion of Merit
label: Description
content: Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device and First Oak Leaf Cluster
label: Description
content: Purple Heart with Second Oak Leaf Cluster
label: Description
content: U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal
label: Description
content: Good Conduct Medal
label: Description
content: Distinguished Unit Emblem with First Oak Leaf Cluster
label: Description
content: American Campaign Medal
label: Description
content: 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)
label: Description
content: World War II Victory Medal
label: Description
content: Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp
label: Description
content: Armed Forces Reserve Medal
label: Description
content: Combat Infantry Badge
label: Description
content: Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar
label: Description
content: Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar
label: Description
content: French Fourragère in Colors of the Croix de Guerre
label: Description
content: French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier
label: Description
content: French Croix de Guerre With Silver Star
label: Description
content: French Croix de Guerre with Palm
label: Description
content: Medal of Liberated France
label: Description
content: Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: associated place
content: United States
topic: label: Subject
content: Medal of Honor
label: related event
content: World War II
label: related event
content: The Great Depression and World War II
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
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content: Military
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content: ThinkFinity
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Charlene Barnes
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1985.0428.04
label: catalog number
content: 1985.0428.04
label: accession number
content: 1985.0428
objectType: label: Object Name
content: citation, Medal of Honor
label: Object Name
content: certificate, medal of honor
label: Other Terms
content: Certificate; citation, Medal of Honor; Army
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ink (part material)
label: Measurements
content: average spatial: 27 cm x 42 cm; x 10 5/8 in x 16 9/16 in