The military career of Audie Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) encompassed two separate careers. His U. S. Army service covered nine World War II campaigns fought by the 3rd Infantry Division: Tunisia, Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, Southern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland and Central Europe. He lied about his age to enlist in the United States Army in 1942. Before his 20th birthday he had earned every Army combat award for valor available during his period of service and had risen to the rank of first lieutenant. On the day he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his January 1945 actions at the Colmar Pocket in France, he was considered to be America's most decorated World War II soldier and received national recognition as such when Life magazine made him their cover story. He has been described as the most highly decorated soldier in U.S. history.
His superior officers, as well as the Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives, encouraged him to apply for enrollment at West Point and offered to provide any assistance and influence needed to help him be accepted as a cadet. Murphy eventually passed on the opportunity of enrollment at West Point, in part because of limitations resulting from his war injuries. At the end of his active Army service, he was given 50 percent disability classification and transferred to the Officers' Reserve Corps. The psychological effects of the war remained with him for the rest of his life in the form of combat stress. Although the military did little for Murphy's post-war stress, he was publicly forthcoming about it in hopes of prodding the government into providing better treatment and medical benefits for other veterans suffering the same issues.
At the 1950 onset of the Korean War, Murphy was commissionedcommissioning paperwork with the rank of captain in the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas National Guard. He was charged with training new recruits and fully believed that he and the 36th would be sent to the Korean front for combat duty. His film career began to take off in 1951, limiting Murphy's Guard involvement. The Korean Armistice Agreement of 1953 ended hostilities without the 36th ever being sent to Korea. Murphy, however, remained with the Guard actively participating in recruitment drives and allowing his name and image to be used for that purpose. He retired with the rank of major in 1966 and was transferred to the United States Army Reserve. In 1969 the Army transferred him to Retired Reserve. For his combined service in the Army and the Guard, his home state posthumously awarded Murphy the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor.
United States Army
Enlistment and initial training
Murphy had wanted to be a soldier all his youth and dreamt about combat. The death of his mother in May 1941 added even more impetus to his desire to achieve that goal. When he heard the news of Japan's 7 December attack on Pearl Harbor he tried to enlist in the Marines, the Navy and the Army, but was turned down for being underweight and underage. He added weight with a change in diet, and gave the Army an affidavit from his sister Corinne that falsified his birth date by a year. Murphy enlisted on 30 June 1942 in Dallas. During his physical examination his height was recorded as and his weight as . According to his biographer David A. Smith, Murphy acknowledged his birth date was falsified at his enlistment in a 1950 interview with the Austin Statesman: "'The doctor back home couldn't remember exactly when I was born,' he said with a smile, 'so I was 18.'"
Assigned to the infantry, during basic training at Camp Wolters, Texas, Murphy earned the Marksman Badge with Rifle Clasp and the Expert Badge with Bayonet Clasp. While participating in a close order drill during that hot Texas summer, he passed out. His company commander thought his build was too slight for service in the infantry, and tried to have him transferred to a cook and bakers' school, but Murphy insisted on becoming a combat soldier. He completed the 13-week basic training course and in October was given leave to visit his family, after which he was sent to Fort George G. Meade in Maryland for advanced infantry training with the 76th Infantry Division until January 1943.
Mediterranean Theater
North Africa In January 1943, Murphy was processed through Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. He arrived at Casablanca, in French Morocco on 20 February and was assigned to Company B of the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, part of the 3rd Infantry Division.
As part of Operation Torch the Americans had seized Port Lyautey in French Morocco on 8 November 1942, and the 3rd Infantry Division was sent there on 7 March 1943. The 3rd Division, under the command of Major General Lucian K. Truscott, Jr., who took them through rigorous training at Arzew in Algeria, for an amphibious landing at Sicily. Private Murphy participated with his division in 8-hour marches, known as the "Truscott Trot". For the first hour, the men marched at a pace of , and slowed to for the second hour, taking the final at a pace of . They also performed bayonet and land mine drills, obstacle course training and other exercises. Murphy was promoted to private first class on 7 May. After the 13 May surrender of the Axis forces in French Tunisia, the division was put in charge of the prisoners. They returned to Algeria on 15 May for "Operation Copycat", training exercises in preparation for the assault landing in Sicily.
Italy
Sicily
The 3rd Infantry Division, as part of the U. S. Seventh Army under the command of Lieutenant General George S. Patton, sailed from Tunisia on 7 July,1943, for the Allied invasion of Sicily, landing at Licata on 10 July. Murphy was promoted to the rank of corporal on 15 July. Company B later took part in fighting around Canicattì, during which Murphy killed two fleeing Italian officers.
They arrived in Palermo on 20 July, and Murphy was sidelined by illness for a week. Allied capture of the transit port of Messina was crucial to taking Sicily from the Axis. En route there, Company B was assigned to a hillside location protecting a machine-gun emplacement, while the rest of the 3rd Infantry Division fought at San Fratello. The Axis began their evacuation of Messina on 27 July. Although the 3rd Infantry Division's 7th Infantry Regiment secured the port on 17 August, the Axis had already completed their evacuation hours before. During the fighting in Sicily, Murphy became realistic about military duty: "I have seen war as it actually is, and I do not like it. But I will go on fighting."
Mainland invasion
With Sicily secured from Axis forces, Supreme Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower made the decision to invade Italy in early September 1943. As part of the Salerno landings, the 3rd Infantry Division came ashore at Battipaglia. One of the early skirmishes recounted by author Don Graham involved Murphy, his best friend Lattie Tipton (referred to as "Brandon" in Murphy's book To Hell and Back) and an unnamed soldier in their unit as they traveled along the Volturno River. The trio were near a bridge when the third soldier was killed by German machine-gun fire. Tipton tossed hand grenades in the direction of the fire and Murphy responded with a Thompson submachine gun, killing five German soldiers.
Allied forces entered Naples on 1 October. The 3rd Division took part in the Allied assault on the Volturno Line. Near Mignano Monte Lungo Hill 193, Company B repelled a reconnaissance by seven German soldiers, killing three and taking four prisoners.
Murphy was promoted to sergeant on 13 December. By this time, the 3rd Infantry Division had suffered heavy casualties: 683 dead, 170 missing, and 2,412 wounded.
Anzio The 3rd Infantry Division was notified in December 1943 of the planned January 1944 storming of Anzio beachhead, the beginning of the liberation of Rome. The division began training near Naples and practiced an amphibious landing at Salerno. Murphy was made section leader on 4 January and promoted to staff sergeant on 13 January. He was hospitalized in Naples with malaria on 21 January, and was unable to participate in the initial landing commanded by Major General John P. Lucas. Murphy returned to his unit in time to take part in the unsuccessful First Battle of Cisterna, which was fought between 30 January and 1 February. It was the most fierce and sustained fighting Murphy had experienced to date.
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Paulick, commander of the 1st Battalion of the 15th Infantry, temporarily took charge of Company B when the company commander's wounds left him unable to lead. Paulick later stated that the ensuing 3-day battle decimated the company, leaving fewer than 30 soldiers alive.
Lucas was replaced in February by Truscott. Command of the 3rd Division went to Major General John "Iron Mike" O'Daniel. The men were forced back to Anzio and remained there for months. Taking shelter in an abandoned farmhouse on 2 March, their artillery fire disabled a German tank. Although the tank crew were killed as they tried to escape, Murphy knew the tank could be repaired by the Germans and put back into use. Leaving his men in the farmhouse, Murphy advanced towards the tank by crawling on his stomach. He then used rifle grenades to permanently put the tank out of commission. For this action, he received the Bronze Star with "V" Device. Murphy continued to make scouting patrols to take German prisoners before being hospitalized for a week on 13 March with a second bout of malaria.
The 3rd Division was taken off the front line in late March and placed in reserve status. From 1 to 11 April, the Division was put through additional combat training at Torre Astura. The training was so intense that Murphy felt his men needed relief and refused to put them through the required close order drill. Although already recommended for a promotion to technical sergeant, his refusal on behalf of his men cost him the promotion. Upon completion of the training, Murphy and his men occupied the area of Campo Morto-Padigliano. On 1 May, the 3rd Division was sent back to Torre Astura, where they remained until 21 May. 61 infantry officers and enlisted men of Company B, 15th Infantry, including Murphy, were awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge on 8 May. Murphy was also awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster for his Bronze Star.
The 3rd Division began its assault of German troops in the Second Battle of Cisterna on 22 May, and by 25 May, Cisterna and Cori were in Allied hands. Audie's platoon moved towards Artena on 26 to 27 May, regrouping with the Division at Valmontone. Combat action 29 May to 1 June put Valmontone and Labico under Allied control. After Rome was liberated, the Division was assigned to patrol the city 6 to 15 June. The Division was moved to southwest of Rome 16 June where they remained bivouacked until the end of July. Murphy was made platoon sergeant on 4 August. He moved out of Italy with the Division on 8 August 1944.
European Theater
Southern and southeastern France