Audie Murphy

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Audie Leon Murphy was born June 20, 1924, as one of twelve children of Emmett Berry Murphy and Josie Bell (Killian) Murphy. He was the seventh child born and third son born to Emmett and Josie Murphy.(Graham, 5). His mother and father both came from large families. Emmett came from a family of twelve children and Josie came from a family of thirteen. (Graham, 2-5)
Audie was born in Hunt County, Texas to a tenant father's house in the middle of a cotton field (Graham, 2). The day he was born was a hot, June day. Dr. P.S. Pearson arrived around7:00 P.M. to deliver the baby (Graham, 5). Most people in country areas at that time were born at home and died at home. A few months before Audie was born his grandfather George Washington Murphy had died there. (Graham 2-5)
Audie was named after a neighbor. Leon came from the oldest daughter, Corrine, because she liked it. Most of his early life he went by Leon. Outside of the south Leon was too hillbilly. Once Audie joined the Army he never went by Leon again. (Graham, 5)
In May of 1941 Audie's mother had died and father had left before his mother's death. By the age of sixteen, Audie had lost his father gone and mother dead. Some of the other children had scattered and married while others were placed in an orphanage South of Greenville. (Graham, 19)
Audie joined the Army in June of 1942 around his eighteenth birthday, after turned down by the Marines and Paratroopers (Graham, 23). Audie joined in Farmersville, Texas as Army Private. After basic infantry training at Camp Walters, Texas he attended advanced training at Fort Meade, Maryland. He was then assigned to North Africa as Private in Company B, Fifteenth Infantry Regiment, Third Infantry Division (www.tsha.utexas.edu). He quickly rose to enlisted Staff Sergeant. (www.audiemurphy.com)
He was given a "battle field" commission as 2nd Lieutenant during World War II. He was wounded three times and fought nine majo...