[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 17759-17760]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING AUDIE MURPHY, TEXAS LEGISLATIVE MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RALPH M. HALL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 20, 2013

  Mr. HALL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of our 
nation's greatest war heroes, Audie Murphy. Major Murphy, who hailed 
from the Fourth District of Texas, was an extraordinary man in many 
ways. Initially turned away by several branches of the United States 
Armed Services due to his young age and slight build, Audie Murphy's 
patriotism led him to lie about his age in order to serve and defend 
his country. This patriotism and his unusual valor in combat led him to 
distinction as the most decorated hero of World War II, earning every 
U.S. military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, 
including the Medal of Honor, two Silver Stars, three Purple Hearts, 
and the Distinguished Service Cross. It is therefore fitting, though 
belated, that Major Murphy was posthumously awarded Texas' highest 
military honor--the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor--on October 29, 
2013.
  Major Murphy earned his first Medal of Honor for his valor on January 
26, 1945 near Holtzwihr, France. Six tanks and waves of Nazi infantry 
attacked his Company B, but Second Lieutenant Murphy remained at his 
command post throughout the fierce fighting. Although he suffered a leg 
wound, he continued to fight for more than an hour until his ammunition 
was exhausted and the enemy was in retreat.
  Audie Murphy did not stop where most men would on the battlefield or 
in life. In fact, he lived out the remainder of his years after the war 
as an accredited writer, actor, and songwriter. His book, To Hell and 
Back, became a national best seller, and the movie made from his book 
was Universal Studio's biggest hit in its 43-year history, where it 
stood as their highest-grossing movie for twenty years. He was, by all 
accounts, an outstanding American and legend in his own time.
  That being said, it should be noted that he was also a man of deep 
modesty who considered himself ``just another man.'' He fought not 
because he loved war--in fact, he wrote of ``a war where hell is six 
feet deep''--but because he loved the values and freedoms we enjoy in 
America, and he felt compelled to do his duty for his country. He 
represents some of the greatest qualities of a hero including: an 
unfailing sense of duty, a strong sense of patriotism, and a degree of 
modesty that recognizes the humble roots of this great country.
  We remember Audie Murphy because of his outstanding feats, but also 
because he remains perhaps one of the truest examples of what it means 
to be American. He rose to greatness not only because he was 
remarkable, himself--though he wouldn't admit it--

[[Page 17760]]

but because of the remarkable respect and love he held for his fellow 
Americans at home.
  I was proud to ride in many veterans parades with Audie and was 
pleased to know him as a personal friend. I also met his sisters--he 
was always loyal to his family and found time for them.
  As the representative for the Fourth District of Texas, I know we are 
proud to call Audie Murphy's home our home as well, and we are pleased 
the Great State of Texas has given Major Murphy due recognition for his 
outstanding service to our country by awarding him the Texas 
Legislative Medal of Honor. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me 
in remembering this great American hero and thanking his family for his 
service.

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