Audie Murphy

Audie Murphy

Audie Leon Murphy was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army. After the war, Murphy embarked on a 21-year acting career. He died in a plane crash in Virginia in 1971, which was shortly before his 46th birthday.

About Audie Murphy in brief

Summary Audie MurphyAudie Leon Murphy was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. Murphy was born into a large family of sharecroppers in Hunt County, Texas. His father abandoned them, and his mother died when he was a teenager. Murphy left school in fifth grade to pick cotton and find other work to help support his family; his skill with a hunting rifle helped feed his family. After the war, Murphy embarked on a 21-year acting career. He played himself in the 1955 autobiographical film To Hell and Back, based on his 1949 memoirs of the same name. He also made guest appearances on celebrity television shows and starred in the series Whispering Smith. He bred quarter horses in California and Arizona, and became a regular participant in horse racing. Murphy died in a plane crash in Virginia in 1971, which was shortly before his 46th birthday. He was interred with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, where his grave is one-of the most visited. The loss of his mother stayed with Murphy throughout his life. He later stated: She died when I was sixteen. She had the most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen. It reached almost to the floor. She rarely talked; and always seemed to be searching for something of me, I don’t know what it was. It seems I’ve been searching for it ever since.

But when she passed away, she took something of her away with her, and I was I was left with nothing. I’ve always wanted to be a soldier, but the Army, Navy and Marine Corps all turned him down for being underweight and underage. In his last few years, he was plagued by money problems but refused offers to appear in alcohol and cigarette commercials because he did not want to set a bad example. He slept with a loaded handgun under his pillow. He looked for solace in addictive sleeping pills. Murphy had always been a loner with mood swings and an explosive temper. He dropped out of school infifth grade and got a job picking cotton for a dollar a day. He became skilled with a rifle, hunting small game to helpSupport CNN.com by clicking here for the latest from CNN iReport. The latest issue of CNN’s iReport magazine is on sale now for the first time in more than a year. Click here for more information about CNN’s new iReport initiative. The next week, CNN will feature a look at some of the stories you may have missed during the course of this year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and the Winter Paralympics in Helsinki, Finland. The Winter Olympics are scheduled to begin on February 14 and 15, 2014. The first event will be the opening ceremony in Sochi. The second is the closing ceremony on February 16, 2014, at the Olympic Games in Helsinki. The third is the Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada.