This episode of The Big Picture, a documentary television series produced by the United States Army’s Signal Corps Pictorial Center, is titled “The Third Division in Korea” and features World War II hero and native Texan, Audie Murphy. Murphy, born in Kingston, Texas, was the most decorated U.S. soldier in World War II and had a 21-year acting career after the war. In this short documentary, members of the 3rd Infantry Division describe the unit’s involvement during the Korean War. The account chronicles several military operations, such as Operation Piledriver, which sought to neutralize the area known as the Iron Triangle. It also introduces many commanders, including General Douglas MacArthur and General Matthew Ridgway.
Audie Murphy is considered to be the most decorated U.S. soldier in World War II. Born in Kingston, Texas in 1925, Audie was the son of a sharecropper who eventually deserted the family, leaving Audie to hunt small animals to feed his 11 siblings. He enlisted in the military at age 18 and quickly became recognized as an outstanding soldier. By the end of World War II, Audie had killed 240 German combatants and received 33 awards and medals for his valiant efforts, including the Medal of Honor. The United States welcomed their war hero home with parades and jubilation, even putting Murphy’s face on the July 16, 1945 cover of LIFE magazine. The cover caught the attention of actor James Cagney, and Audie was soon brought out to Hollywood to take lessons in acting, singing, and dance.
Audie went on to enjoy a 21-year acting career, appearing in over 40 feature films. Roles included playing himself in the autobiographical To Hell and Back and the lead in The Red Badge of Courage. In addition to acting, Murphy also became a successful country songwriter and worked with singers such as Dean Martin and Jerry Wallace. He was married to actress Wanda Hendrix from 1949 to 1951. Four days after his divorce from Hendrix, Murphy remarried to airline stewardess Pamela Archer. They had two sons: Terry Michael, born in 1952, and James Shannon, born in 1954.
Murphy suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from his time in combat. He quickly became addicted to sleeping pills and began to squander his fortune through gambling at the racetrack. Audie died in a plane crash in 1971, just outside of Roanoke, Virginia. He was buried with full military honors at Arlington Cemetery with George H.W. Bush and William Westmoreland in attendance. His grave is the second most visited at Arlington, after that of President John F. Kennedy.
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