Happy 87th birthday to Mr. Audie Murphy---a man worthy of honor, respect, and thanks. (June 20, 1925*-May 28, 1971)
While Mr. Murphy is not one of my absolute favorite actors, as a man and as an American, Audie IS one of my favorites; therefore, it is important to me to remember and honor him on his birthday.
A few years ago, when my son was in high school and doing an in-depth study of World War II, he discovered Audie Murphy...the man who received over two dozen military medals, including the Congressional Medal of Honor, making him the most decorated soldier of the second world war. Intrigued and wanting to learn more about the young man, my son read Murphy's war memoirs, To Hell and Back. Not long afterwards, we discovered the 1955 movie of the same name, starring none other than Audie himself.
Even those who are not fans of Murphy's Westerns ought to see To Hell and Back. Whether you think he was a good actor or not, there's no denying the fact that he was one very courageous young man, who willingly and wholeheartedly served his country. To my shame, I must admit that I never heard the name Audie Murphy until well into adulthood. When I was going to school, they didn't talk much about these kinds of heroic men...so I never heard of this very brave, highly decorated soldier until my son brought him to my attention a few years ago. That is sad and shameful...and it definitely ought not to be. In a day and age when we need men of courage and honor as role models, Audie Murphy ought to be a name mentioned in every American history classroom!
Despite the fact that Westerns are not among my favorite genre, I do like Murphy as an actor. No, he's not an absolute fave, but he definitely makes my top-20 list. I've watched several of Audie's films, and I really like him in every single one. There is a kind of softspokenness and gentlemanliness about him, even when he's playing a scoundrel.
It was a plane crash which took Mr. Murphy's life. While on a business trip, on May 28, 1971, the private plane in which Murphy was traveling crashed into a mountain in Virginia. Interestingly, that happened to be Memorial Day Weekend. His final resting place, quite fittingly, is in Arlington National Cemetery. See his gravestone HERE.
So, Mr. Audie Murphy, I am remembering you on your 87th birthday. (HERE is my longer, more in-depth 88th birthday tribute) Thank you for all the entertaining films you made, but more importantly, thank you for your courageous service to our country and to the cause of freedom! We are forever in debt to men like you! (Though Mr. Murphy's bravery on the battlefield earned him numerous medals and brought him home as a hero and the most highly-decorated soldier of the war, the horrors he had witnessed in combat had scarred him for life; he would battle the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for the remainder of his too-short life. You can read my post about his battle with PTSD HERE.)
* Both IMDB and the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website (HERE), list 1925 as Audie's year of birth; other sites (and even his gravestone) list it as 1924. The discrepancy is due to the fact that Mr. Murphy filed a falsified birth certificate at the Hunt County, Texas Courthouse, in order to join the military before he was of legal age.