Audie Murphy Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

Audie Murphy (1924-1971) was born to a poor Irish sharecropper in Kingston, Texas. He would become the most decorated United States soldier in World War II and a successful movie star. Having always dreamed of joining the military he changed his birthdate to join The United States Army when he was only seventeen. During the war Murphy was promoted several times and eventually took command of his own company. On January 26, 1945, his unit was part of the battle at Holtzwihr, France. After his unit was reduced to the strength of nineteen men he sent all of his men to the rear while he covered. After running out of ammunition Murphy climbed into a burning tank destroyer and began cutting down German infantry with its .50 caliber machine gun. He fought back the Germans for over an hour. For his valor on the day he was awarded the Medal of Honor. His service during the war gained him thirty three U.S. medals, every medal available at the time. After the war he suffered from various mental illnesses and became very outspoken about his own problems with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. In 1945, actor James Cagney invited Murphy to come work in Hollywood. The same year he released his bestselling ghostwritten autobiography To Hell and Back, he starred in Bad Boy (1949). To Hell and Back was turned into a 1955 film that featured the actor as himself. He spent twenty one years in Hollywood, making 44 feature films. He also appeared on television and became a successful country music songwriter. On May 28, 1971, Murphy died when his private plane crashed in Virginia. He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.