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National Infantry Museum |
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Standing outside the main building: To the left and right of this building are large armored vehicles and other static displays which are not viewed in this photo.
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Fort Benning, Georgia is location of the U.S. Army Infantry Center. Here you can find young infantry recruits, or "trainees", who have recently enlisted and are going through basic and advanced individual training. This installation is also the home of the U.S. Army Airborne school where soldiers and service members from all military services are instructed in combat parachuting skills. In fact, this particular installation is the home of the Infantry. For this reason, Ft. Benning is also the home of the National Infantry Museum which hosts some interesting Audie Murphy artifacts.
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Third Infantry Division Memorial |
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Memorial To 3rd Infantry Division Soldiers: This memorial is engraved with the number of medals of valor earned by 3rd Infantry Division Soldiers during World War I, II, and the Korean War. It also gives the number of casualties.
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The picture above is a memorial which stands to the left of the main building as you face it. It is dedicated to the 3rd Infantry Division which Audie belonged to during World War II. It is inscribed with the number of medals of valor earned by its soldiers over the course of three different wars and the number of casualties the division suffered. Below is a summary of the text on each of the memorial's marble tablets...
| FIELD OF HONOR |
| WWI |
WWII |
KOREA |
| MEDAL OF HONOR |
| 2 | 36 | 11 |
| DSC |
| 266 | 133 | 79 |
| SILVER STAR |
| | 2,769 | 1,309 |
| US UNIT CITATIONS |
| | 2 | 6 |
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"NOUS RESTERONS LA"
WORLD WAR I
WORLD WAR II
KOREA |
THIRD INFANTRY DIVISION
Rock of the Marne
In memory of all who served, fought, were killed, wounded, captured, missing, while serving their country in its time of need.
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| Dedicated By Outpost 60 1994
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| CAMPAIGNS |
| WWI |
WWII |
Korea |
| 6 | 10 | 8 |
| Days of Combat |
| 73 |
531 |
766 |
| Casualties |
| 16,856 |
24,878 |
10,391 |
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Second Floor Display Case |
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Medal of Honor Exhibit: This display case contains artifacts presented to the museum by Audie Murphy's family.
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Inside the main building are a number of displays which chronicle the history of the U.S. Infantry from its inception at the beginning of the Revolutionary War through today. On the second floor, there is an exhibit which is dedicated to the Medal of Honor and some of the U.S. Infantry's most decorated soldiers. One of the Medal of Honor exhibits is dedicated to Audie Murphy. To the right is a picture of Audie's display case. Inside the case is a Medal of Honor Certificate, his Medal of Honor Citation, a pistol presented to Audie Murphy by James Cagney, a framed summary of his career, a scale model used to cast the huge bronze statue located now in front of the Audie Murphy Memorial Veteran's Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, a dress cap worn by Audie Murphy, and some of his actual dress uniform ribbons.
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Army Colt Revolver |
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Gift from James Cagney: Presented to Audie Murphy by James Cagney after Audie's arrival to Hollywood.
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The Army colt revolver above was given to Audie Murphy by the famous actor James Cagney. Shortly after the end of the war, James Cagney invited Audie Murphy to Hollywood and helped Audie begin his career in acting. The inscription on the wooden base which the revolver is mounted on says "To Frank - Happy Birthday - Audie". Apparently, Audie had the revolver mounted and later gave the revolver as a gift to someone named Frank. Audie Murphy's initials are also carved diagonally near the bottom of the pistol butt.
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Dress Uniform Cap |
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Saucer Cap: Normally worn with the dress uniform, this cap was actually worn by Audie Murphy. The cap is drab olive-green in color. The red tint on the left side of the glass is a reflection.
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Dress Uniform Ribbons |
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Ribbons: These are just a few of the of the many ribbons Audie Murphy wore on his dress uniform. Oak leaf clusters on some of the ribbons denote multiple awards. The two ribbons on the left were awarded by foreign countries.
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There is a second exhibit in the museum which also displays artifacts of Audie Murphy. While the second floor exhibit (see pictures above) honors Medal of Honor recipients, the third floor and its different displays describe the Third Infantry Division's history in several different wars including World War II. The photos below come from the third floor and show a beautiful portrait of Audie Murphy in uniform and an actual uniform mounted on a mannequin with all of the ribbons and service stripes Audie Murphy earned.
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Portrait of Audie Murphy |
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Portrait: This portrait appears to be done in either oil or acrylic paint. My guess is that the painting is about 2 feet wide by 3 feet tall. It shows Audie Murphy in full dress uniform with his medals. In the background is a depiction of the event in which he earned the Medal of Honor. The painting is signed by "A. Reid" or possibly "H. Reid".
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Audie's Field Uniform |
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Is It Real? The display doesn't state whether the uniform on the mannequin was actually worn by Audie Murphy but it accurately shows all of Audie's awards and service stripes.
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The uniform on the mannequin is an accurate representation of what Audie's uniform would have looked like at the end of the war. The display did not indicate that Audie actually wore this particular uniform. My guess is that he did not. The museum's purpose seems to simply have been to give everyone an idea of just how decorated Audie was. Note the five gold service stripes on the left sleeve of the uniform. The photo below is shot from the same mannequin but provides better detail of the ribbons on the mannequin's chest.
If you are in the neighborhood of Ft. Benning, you should try to visit this museum. The exhibits are very interesting and give an excellent history of the U.S. Infantry's heritage. It also provides excellent details to many aspects of the 3rd Infantry Division's fight in World War II. And you may be interested to know that new modern facilities are being built for the museum and within a period of several years, the museum will be better than ever. Feel free to visit their website to find out more. Contact information is provided below the photos at the bottom of this page.
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Closeup of Audie's Medals and Ribbons |
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Closeup Photo: This photo is a closeup of the accoutrements displayed on the mannequin. It gives better detail than the photo above.
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Download a free educational newsletter on Audie Murphy.
Click on Audie Murphy Research Foundation.
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Last updated 20 August 2006
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