Audie Leon Murphy was the most decorated American soldier of WWII. He was awarded the:
Medal of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross
Silver Star with First Oak Leaf Cluster
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device and First Oak Leaf Cluster
Purple Heart with Second Oak Leaf Cluster
U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal
Good Conduct Medal
Presidential Unit Citation with First Oak Leaf Cluster
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle
Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star, Four Bronze Service Stars
(representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing
assault landing at Sicily and Southern France)
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
Combat Infantry Badge
Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar
Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar
French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre
French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier
French Croix de Guerre With Silver Star
French Croix de Guerre with Palm
Medal of Liberated France
Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm
The video displays first the action for which he was awarded the DSC, then is hero moment that led him to the Medal of Honor:
Second
Lieutenant Audie L. Murphy, 01692509, 15th Infantry, Army of the United
States, on 26 January 1945, near Holtzwihr, France, commanded Company
B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. Lieutenant
Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to a prepared position in a woods
while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give
fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him to his right
one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its
crew withdrew to the woods. Lieutenant Murphy continued to direct
artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy
infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, Lieutenant
Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer which was in danger of
blowing up any instant and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against
the enemy. He was alone and exposed to the German fire from three
sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their
infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support,
began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available
weapon to eliminate Lieutenant Murphy, but he continued to hold his
position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed
on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards only to be
mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound but ignored it and
continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted.
He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and
organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to
withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy;
he personally killed or wounded about 50. Lieutenant Murphy's
indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his
company from possible encirclement and destruction and enabled it to
hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.
Music:
The Ballad of Audie Murphy, by Wiley J. Smith. Pics: To Hell and Back,
starring the same Murphy as himself, Universal, 1955, last pic from
Google