On January 26, 1945, near the village of Holtzwihr in eastern France, Lt. Murphy's forward positions came under fierce attack by the Germans.

On January 26, 1945, near the village of Holtzwihr in eastern France, Lt. Murphy's forward positions came under fierce attack by the Germans.



Against the onslaught of six Panzer tanks and 250 infantrymen, Murphy ordered his men to fall back to better their defenses.

Alone, he mounted an abandoned, burning tank destroyer and, with a single machine gun, contested the enemy's advance.

Wounded in the leg during the heavy fire, Murphy remained there for nearly an hour, repelling the attack of German soldiers on three sides and single-handedly killing 50 of them.

His courageous performance stalled the German advance and allowed him to lead his men in the counterattack which ultimately drove the enemy from Holtzwihr. For this, Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest award for gallantry in action.

Born the son of Texas sharecroppers on June 20, 1925, Murphy served three years of active duty, beginning as a private, rising to the rank of staff sergeant, and finally winning a battlefield commission to 2nd lieutenant.

He was wounded three times, fought in nine major campaigns across Europe, and was credited with killing 241 Germans.

He was awarded 37 medals and decorations, including the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star (with oak leaf cluster), the Legion of Merit, and the Croix de Guerre (with palm).

Upon returning to the States, Murphy was invited to Hollywood by Jimmy Cagney, who saw the war hero’s picture on the cover of Life magazine.

By 1950, Murphy was awarded an acting contract with Universal Pictures. In his most famous role, he played himself in the monumentally successful To Hell and Back.

Murphy suffered severe depression from post traumatic stress syndrome, also called battle fatigue, and became addicted to sleeping pills as a result.

This had long been a taboo subject for veterans. Murphy died in a plane crash while on a business trip in 1971. He was 46.


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