Audie Murphy honors and awards

Audie Murphy was one of the most famous and decorated United States Army combat soldiers of World War II, serving from 1942 to 1945. He received every American combat award for valor available at the time of his service, including the Medal of Honor. He also received recognitions from France and Belgium. After his war service ended, Murphy became an advocate of treatment for Post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans. The Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio and the Sergeant Audie Murphy Clubs (SAMC) on military bases honor his contributions. He joined the Texas National Guard in 1950, transferring to reserve status in 1956 and remaining in the Guard until 1969. He also had a civilian career as a film actor and songwriter. Recognitions he received both during his lifetime and posthumously are listed below.

Murphy participated in campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany, as denoted by his European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one silver battle star (denoting five campaigns), four bronze battle stars, plus a bronze arrowhead representing his two amphibious assault landings at Sicily and southern France. On February 25, 1945 and March 3, 1945, he received two Silver Stars for further heroic actions. The French government awarded Murphy its Chevalier of the Legion of Honor and two Croix de guerre medals. He received the Croix de guerre 1940 Palm from Belgium. The National Guard assisted him in 1954 with replacements for his original medals which were no longer in his possession. Duplicates of his Medal of Honor and other medals can be viewed at Dallas Scottish Rite Temple museum. On November 10, 1964, Murphy requested his name be added to the United States Army's "Medal of Honor Roll", and that he receive $100 per month pension money.

Sergeant Audie Murphy Club
In September, 1986, the CSM George L. Horvath III, III Corps Commander LTG Crosbie E. Saint and several others established the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club at Fort Hood, Texas. The official club crest was designed by club co-founder Don Moore. Since 1994, other units of the U.S. Army have established chapters of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club (SAMC) as exclusive clubs to honor noncommissioned officers (Corporal E-4 through Sergeant First Class E-7) who have acted in a manner consistent with the actions of Audie Murphy. In 2012 a bronze bust created by Mark and Jenelle Byrd for display in the Sgt. Audie Murphy Club Room in Snow Hall was unveiled at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

United States government, military and veterans organizations

 * 1972 – 23142 sqft Audie Murphy Gym dedicated at Fort Benning, Georgia. Its 2009 renovation included a name change to the Audie Murphy Athletic Performance Center.
 * 1973 – Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital, San Antonio, Texas dedicated, featuring an outdoor 8 ft bronze statue created by Jimilu Mason, funded by the Audie L. Murphy Foundation.
 * 1985 – 6 ft bronze statue at Camp Mabry, sculpted by West Texas artist Bill Leftwich, sponsored by the Texas National Guard.
 * May 30, 1996 – Texas Congressman Ralph Hall commemorated the 25th anniversary of Murphy's death by reading "In Memory of Major Audie L. Murphy" and Murphy's poems, "Alone and Far Removed" and "Freedom Flies in Your Heart Like an Eagle" into the Congressional Record.
 * May 3, 2000 – Murphy was honored with his portrait on a thirty-three cent United States postage stamp.
 * March 9, 2001 – Camp Eagle military visitor lodging Audie Murphy Inn dedicated near Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by the 3rd Infantry Division. In October 2001, the 3rd Infantry Division departed Camp Eagle.
 * May 28, 2006 – a 16 in &times; 8 in commemorative plaque unveiled at Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial in La Jolla, California.
 * September, 2008 – American Legion Audie Murphy Post 336 chartered, San Antonio, Texas.
 * Date unknown – Audie Murphy Award sponsored by the American Veterans Center, honoring veterans of World War II.

Texas (non-military)

 * 1948 – Audie Murphy Arena, near Euless, Texas was dedicated as a venue for the yearly Audie Murphy Rodeo. In 1952 the Rodeo moved to Stephenville, Texas where it closed during the mid 1950s.
 * 1949
 * February 12 – Murphy made an honorary Texas A&M University cadet colonel.
 * July 2 – Murphy made an honorary Texas Ranger and chosen to lead the Texas Ranger Day parade in Brooks County.


 * 1951 – Artist Kipp Soldwedel commissioned to paint Murphy's portrait, now owned by the State of Texas and hung in various locations in the Texas State Capitol.
 * 1962 – Dallas artist Dmitri Vail commissioned to paint Murphy's portrait, believed to be owned by Murphy's family.
 * 1973
 * Texas State Historical Marker 7820, Celeste, denoting Murphy's one-time residency.
 * Texas State Historical Marker 7821, Kingston, denoting Murphy's birthplace.


 * 1975 – Post Office, Greenville, Texas State Historical Marker 7799, denoted it as the site of Murphy's miliary enlistment; the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Hunt County, Texas in 1974.
 * 1996
 * March 16 – Inducted into the Country Music Association of Texas Hall of Fame.
 * June 20 – Texas Legislature officially declared his birthdate as "Audie Murphy Day".


 * 1999, Memorial Day – Pink granite obelisk at Texas State Cemetery dedicated listing the names of all Texas-born Medal of Honor recipients, including Murphy.
 * June 22, 2002 – Audie Murphy American Cotton Museum, Greenville, 10 ft 2,200 lb hollow bronze statue of Murphy sculpted by Gordon Thomas.
 * 1998 – Seven portraits created by St. Louis, Missouri artist Richard Krause and later donated to the Audie Murphy Research Foundation. The portraits are now on display at the museum.
 * 2011 – The museum became the repository of memorabilia which had been on display at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio.


 * 2008 – Texas State Historical Marker 15321, Farmersville, denotes Murphy's post-war homecoming.
 * 2010 – Audie Murphy Middle School established in Alamo.
 * Date unknown – Audie Murphy Middle School, in Killeen.

U.S. states other than Texas

 * 1971 – Audie Murphy Patriotism Award. When Murphy's death on May 28, 1971, aborted his scheduled appearance at that year's July 4 Spirit of America Festival in Decatur, Alabama, the festival created the annual award in his memory.
 * November 11, 1972 – Patriotic Hall. Los Angeles, California, 21.75 in by 31.75 in commemorative plaque listing medals won by Murphy during World War II.
 * November 10, 1974 – Mounted plaque erected at Brush Mountain, Virginia by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5311 of Christiansburg, Virginia, to commemorate the site of Murphy's death.

Non-United States

 * July 17, 1948 – In Paris, Murphy made an honorary member in the 159th French Alpine Regiment.
 * October 14, 1991 – Sierra Leone issued a postage stamp, Le 2 value, honors Murphy in To Hell and Back (Scott No. 1409).
 * October 18, 1993 – Guyana issued a postage stamp of Murphy in uniform as part of a 9-stamp sheet in tribute to }World War II on the Silver Screen".
 * July 20, 1995 – Nevis Island issued an 8-stamp souvenir sheet with Murphy in the top row.
 * January 29, 2000 – Holtzwihr artist Patrick Baumann designed a commemorative plaque depicting Murphy on a tank destroyer, affixed to a wall at the site of the Medal of Honor action.
 * 2001 – Republic of Palau Murphy commemorative stamp part of a 4-stamp sheet "Remembering VJ Day".
 * June 9, 2013 – Second free-standing commemorative plaque depicting Murphy firing the .50 caliber machine gun atop the tank unveiled at Holtzwihr by local authorities, the U.S. Consul General in Strasbourg, and representatives from American social organizations based in the Alsace region.

Entertainment industry

 * Date unknown – Historical marker at Kanab, Utah's Walk of Fame denoting movies Murphy made in the state.
 * 1959 – Laurel Award nominee for Top Action Performance in Ride a Crooked Trail.
 * February 9, 1960 – Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
 * August 23, 1985 – Golden Boot Award.
 * March 16, 1996 – Induction into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
 * 2001 – Audie Murphy Theatrical Award.
 * November 11, 2010 – Commemorative sidewalk plaque on the Santa Clarita Western Walk of Fame, Newhall, California.

Freemasonry
In November, 2000, Murphy was posthumously awarded the Scottish Rite Masonry 33rd Degree in Long Beach, California, presented to his widow Pamela. From 1955 until his death, Murphy was a member of numerous Scottish Rite lodges in California and Texas. The Murat Shriners of Indianapolis, Indiana provided the below timeline of Murphy's degrees and lodge associations.


 * 1955
 * February 14 – First degree masonry, North Hollywood Lodge No. 542
 * April 4 – Fellowcraft degree
 * June 27 – Master Mason degree


 * 1956 – Second North Hollywood membership, Magnolia Park No. 618
 * 1957
 * November 11–14 – degree work and 32nd degree Scottish Rite Temple in Dallas
 * Thomas B. Hunter Memorial Class vice president
 * November 15 – Hella Temple, Dallas shriner


 * 1965
 * November 14 – Master of the Royal Secret, Valley of Dallas, Orient of Texas
 * December 11 – 1965 Knight Commander of the Court of Honor KCCH


 * 1971
 * March 19 – Al Malaikah Temple in Los Angeles
 * April 2 – Long Beach Scottish Rite Bodies