Presidential Medal of Freedom for Audie Leon Murphy
- by: David A. Phillips
- recipient: The Honorable President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama
Mr. President:
Audie Leon Murphy is an American Legend, an iconic figure in American history, and a hero for all times. Audie Murphy came from humble roots and with little formal education to become our Nation's Most Decorated Soldier during World War Two, amassing 33 awards, decorations, and citations, many of which were awarded multiple times. He was further honored by the Governments of France and Belgium as well.
Audie Murphy enlisted in the Army at the age of 17 after having been turned down by the Navy, Marines, and Army Air Corps. He spent 30 months in combat in World War Two and earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for his single-handed defeat of over 250 enemy soldiers and six King Tiger tanks. For over one hour he remained alone atop a burning tank destroyer calling artillery adjustments and manning a .50 caliber machine gun. He was personally responsible for protecting his sector and certainly saving his unit from destruction.
During the course of the war Audie Murphy rose from the enlisted rank of Private to the rank of First Lieutenant. He continued his military career postwar as a member of the Texas National Guard and Army Reserve and retired with the rank of Major.
After the war, Audie Murphy became a best-selling author with his memoirs, "To Hell and Back," and became a motion picture actor.
He starred in or produced 44 feature films and was also a poet and a successful songwriter. He assisted the U.S. Army in the production of a documentary in the early 1960's titled "Broken Bridge" that highlighted the dangers of the nuclear age and the Soviet missile threat.
Above all Audie Murphy was the perfect example of an American patriot. He narrated several Public Service Announcements for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, as well as having been one the first to speak openly about the effects of post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD) with which he suffered his entire adult life.
Audie Murphy has previously been awarded many honors. He has been cited in the "Congressional Record" on numerous occasions. He has had schools named after him, monuments, roads, a VA Hospital, numerous buildings on military bases, and the Army today has the "Sergeant Audie Murphy Club" to honor its distinguished soldiers. Audie Murphy has further received a "Star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was awarded the U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal. In addition he has been honored by Postage Stamps by the Governments of Guyana, Nevis, and Sierra Leone. Finally in 2000 he was honored with a commemorative .33 postage stamp as part of the Distinguished Soldiers Series. Perhaps his greatest honor is having been laid to rest after his untimely death in a plane crash at age 46 at Arlington National Cemetary. His wife Pamela and sons Terry and James Shannon survive him, as does his sister Nadine.
His amazing achievements in life, his patriotism and his dedication to the protection of America and America's freedom exemplify the finest qualities and virtues of American citizenship and are worthy of the award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
We, the undersigned, respectfully request that the Presidential Medal of Freedom be posthumously bestowed upon Audie Leon Murphy.
Audie Leon Murphy is an American Legend, an iconic figure in American history, and a hero for all times. Audie Murphy came from humble roots and with little formal education to become our Nation's Most Decorated Soldier during World War Two, amassing 33 awards, decorations, and citations, many of which were awarded multiple times. He was further honored by the Governments of France and Belgium as well.
Audie Murphy enlisted in the Army at the age of 17 after having been turned down by the Navy, Marines, and Army Air Corps. He spent 30 months in combat in World War Two and earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for his single-handed defeat of over 250 enemy soldiers and six King Tiger tanks. For over one hour he remained alone atop a burning tank destroyer calling artillery adjustments and manning a .50 caliber machine gun. He was personally responsible for protecting his sector and certainly saving his unit from destruction.
During the course of the war Audie Murphy rose from the enlisted rank of Private to the rank of First Lieutenant. He continued his military career postwar as a member of the Texas National Guard and Army Reserve and retired with the rank of Major.
After the war, Audie Murphy became a best-selling author with his memoirs, "To Hell and Back," and became a motion picture actor.
He starred in or produced 44 feature films and was also a poet and a successful songwriter. He assisted the U.S. Army in the production of a documentary in the early 1960's titled "Broken Bridge" that highlighted the dangers of the nuclear age and the Soviet missile threat.
Above all Audie Murphy was the perfect example of an American patriot. He narrated several Public Service Announcements for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, as well as having been one the first to speak openly about the effects of post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD) with which he suffered his entire adult life.
Audie Murphy has previously been awarded many honors. He has been cited in the "Congressional Record" on numerous occasions. He has had schools named after him, monuments, roads, a VA Hospital, numerous buildings on military bases, and the Army today has the "Sergeant Audie Murphy Club" to honor its distinguished soldiers. Audie Murphy has further received a "Star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was awarded the U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal. In addition he has been honored by Postage Stamps by the Governments of Guyana, Nevis, and Sierra Leone. Finally in 2000 he was honored with a commemorative .33 postage stamp as part of the Distinguished Soldiers Series. Perhaps his greatest honor is having been laid to rest after his untimely death in a plane crash at age 46 at Arlington National Cemetary. His wife Pamela and sons Terry and James Shannon survive him, as does his sister Nadine.
His amazing achievements in life, his patriotism and his dedication to the protection of America and America's freedom exemplify the finest qualities and virtues of American citizenship and are worthy of the award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
We, the undersigned, respectfully request that the Presidential Medal of Freedom be posthumously bestowed upon Audie Leon Murphy.
Mr. President:
We the undersigned, respectfully request that Audie Leon Murphy be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his relentless patriotism and dedication to the principals which have safeguarded our Nations freedom and our way of life.
Audie Murphy is a name synonymous with freedom. He gained his reputation on the battlefields of Europe during World War Two and throughout his life exemplified those qualities that have made America the greatest country in the world.
It is therefore requested that Audie Leon Murphy be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Thank-you for your time, patience, understanding, and consideration with respect to this request.
Respectfully,
The Petition Signers
Sign PetitionSign PetitionWe the undersigned, respectfully request that Audie Leon Murphy be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his relentless patriotism and dedication to the principals which have safeguarded our Nations freedom and our way of life.
Audie Murphy is a name synonymous with freedom. He gained his reputation on the battlefields of Europe during World War Two and throughout his life exemplified those qualities that have made America the greatest country in the world.
It is therefore requested that Audie Leon Murphy be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Thank-you for your time, patience, understanding, and consideration with respect to this request.
Respectfully,
The Petition Signers
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