Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website Message Boards

As this Memorial Day approaches, I'd just like to say THANK YOU to all our military for their service now and in the years past. I appreciate them so much. God Bless and I pray for their safety in their service to our country.

I miss Audie more everyday. Especially as another anniversay of his death comes around. God Rest His Soul!

God Bless our Nation! We need to pray for our military personnel and our nation!

I would also like to thank all of the veterans that have served our country. My love for Audie has given me an even deeper appreciation for my beloved country and those who served to defend it. May God bless America and all of you.

Georgana

I ALSO WANT TO THANK ALL THE VETS PAST AND PRESENT WHO HAVE FOUGHT AND DIED TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY FREE. I JUST GOT THROUGH RE-READING TO HELL AND BACK AND IT ALWAYS AMAZES ME WHAT AUDIE AND ALL THE GUYS IN WWII WENT THROUGH TO MAKE SURE THEIR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS LIVE IN A FREE COUNTRY. ALSO WHAT OUR MEN AND WOMEN ARE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY FREE. IF ANY ONE WANTS TO KNOW WHAT WAR IS REALLY LIKE THEY NEED TO READ AUDIE MURPHY'S BOOK TO HELL AND BACK IT TELLS IT LIKE IT IS. HE WAS TRULY ONE OF A KIND BUT HE ALWAYS SAID THE TRUE HEROS ARE THE ONES WHO DIDN'T COME BACK. IN A LOT OF COUNTRIES TODAY THIS WEBSITE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED I'M SO GLAD THAT IS NOT TRUE IN THE USA. THANKS TO AUDIE AND ALL THE VETS WE CAN ENJOY THIS SITE AND SO MUCH MORE. GOD BLESS THE USA. PRAY FOR OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN THE MILITARY AND FOR THIS GREAT COUNTRY. TAKE CARE. BETTY LOU

Betty Lou: I couldn't have said it better myself. One of the things that angers me is for decades people think Memorial Day is a time to head out of town to the lake or the beach, partying, etc. A few years ago, I saw an editorial cartoon in the Dallas Morning News that saddened me because it is so true. It was a cartoon showing a family in their car headed out of town for Memorial Day weekend. In the quotation balloons, the conversation was something like this: "Picnic basket? check. cooler? check. Are we forgetting anything?" In the background, they had just passed a cemetary where soldiers were buried. Audie was always afraid people wou.ld forget the sacrifices made during wars to keep us free. He could tell by the time Korea rolled around that people had already forgotten WWII and were complacent about Korea. It troubled him. I am thankful there are people that still remember and still know what Memorial Day is really about.

GEORGANA, I ALSO AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID. IN THE BOOK THAB IT TELLS OF SOME GUYS GOING BACK TO THE STATES AND THEN GOING BACK OVERSEAS TO FIGHT AGAIN AND THEY WOULD TELL OTHERS HOW PEOPLE IN THE STATES WERE ACTING AND COMPLAINING BECAUSE BUTTER WAS RATIONED AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT. YOU CAN SEE THE WRITING ON THE WALL HOW PEOPLE WOULD SOON FORGET WHAT THE MEN WERE FIGHTING AND DYING FOR. BUT WHAT IS SO GREAT AND WONDERFUL THE MEN DID NOT LET STUFF LIKE THAT STOP THEM FROM FIGHTING. THIS IS JUST MY OPINION BUT FROM WHAT I READ IN THE BOOK I THINK AUDIE KNEW HOW IT WOULD BE WHEN HE WENT HOME AND HOW PEOPLE WOULD TREAT HIM AND TRY TO USE HIM BECAUSE HE HAD HEARD IT FROM OTHER GUYS THAT HAD BEEN THROUGH IT. I'VE READ THE BOOK 5 TIMES NOW. I TRY TO READ IT EVERY YEAR ABOUT THIS TIME BECAUSE OF HIS DEATH AND MEMORIAL DAY. I USUALLY DON'T LIKE TO READ A BOOK MORE THAN ONCE BUT THAB IS AN EXCEPTION TO THE RULE. I ONLY WISHED SOMEONE WHO REALLY KNEW HIM WOULD WRITE A BOOK ON HIS WHOLE LIFE. TAKE CARE. BETTY LOU

Betty Lou: I have wished the same thing. Last year, a friend of mine that is an actor (retired) published the book about his life. I like the way it was written because it tells the story of his iife chronologically. I have often wished someone would have done that for Audie. I understand that telling his own life story was so painful. I read somewhere that David McClure had a difficult time coaxing information out of Audie and had to be patient with him because some days Audie didn't feel like discussing it. That is also the case of Charles Dickens. Like me, Chares Dickens had Addison's disease (Adrenal Insufficiency). He said he would never write his own autobiography because his life was so painful to remember he believed it would kill him (and it almost did) because he
became very ill from writing David Copperfield.. He incorporated his own life story in David Copperfield. I apologize for digressing from the topic. Anyway, I wish someone would tell Audie's life story from birth, childhood, adulthood, skip over the war, then about his adult life (especially with Pam). One of the things I really liked about my friend's autobiography is he skipped over the years that he spent as a character on a popular television show. My husband and I liked that because anyone that knew him, already knew about his work in television. He concentrated on his personal life instead. That is what is missing in Audie's biography.

Betty Lou: I forgot to mention: I think reading To Hell and Back is a great way to remember those who fought and died for our country and to remember Audie at the time of Memorial Day.

Take care,

Georgana

I would like to add my thanks to our military wherever they are in the world today. I stand in awe of what these young people sacrifice to protect us and to keep us free. The world is very scary today, what with Korea and Iran acting up like they are. May God bless and protect all who serve, and their families at home as well.

Audie, rest in peace.

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Betty

GEORGANA, IN THAB THERE IS A LITTLE INFO ON AUDIE'S CHILDHOOD AND HIS FEELINGS ABOUT HIS MOTHER AND HOW SHE ALWAYS SEEM TO BE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING AND AFTER SHE DIED HE SAID HE WAS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING. ALSO HE TALKS ABOUT HIS TEMPER AND HIS PRIDE. HE HAD TO FIGHT EVERY DAY IN SCHOOL BECAUSE KIDS MADE FUN OF HIM. HE SAID AT ONE TIME HORSES WERE HIS ONLY FRIENDS. HE ALSO TALKS ABOUT BEING REALLY HUNGRY A LOT OF TIMES AND WHEN I READ ALL OF THAT IT JUST MAKES ME WANT TO READ MORE ABOUT HIM. I REALLY ADMIRE HIM BECAUSE IN THE BOOK HE DOES NOT MENTION HIS MEDALS AND HE ALSO TALKS ABOUT THE BRAVE ACTS OF OTHER MEN. WHEN KERRIGAN IN THE BOOK GOT WOUNDED, AUDIE DIDN'T GET CLOSE TO ANY ONE. ALSO HE DIDN'T REALLY WRITE VERY MUCH ON ANY ONE. THE LAST FEW CHAPTERS I NOTICED ARE ABOUT DIFFERENT BATTLES AND PLACES. HE SAID HE JUST LOOKED AT THE MEN AS A UNIT TO FIGHT AND TO BE MOVED FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER. HE DIDN'T WANT TO GET CLOSE TO ANY ONE AGAIN HE SAID. DO YOU KNOW IF THERE IS ANY WAY TO FIND OUT THE REAL NAMES OF THE MEN IN THE BOOK? I KNOW HE DIDN'T USE THEIR REAL NAMES IN THE BOOK OR MOVIE. TOMORROW I WILL BE WATCHING THE MOVIE THAB I HAVE IT ON DVD AND VHS. STARS AND STRIPES DID AN INTERVIEW WITH HIM I THINK IN 1961 AND THEY ASK HIM IF HE EVER GOT TOGETHER WITH HIS OLD OUTFIT AND HE SAID NO BECAUSE THERE WERE ONLY A COUPLE OF GUYS LEFT OF HIS ORIGINAL OUTFIT OUT OF 250 MEN. I THINK SOMEONE SHOULD WRITE A BOOK ABOUT HIM. I JUST HOPE IF SOMEONE DOES THEY WON'T TRASH HIM JUST TELL THE TRUTH. IT IS JUST AMAZING TO ME THAT HE WAS TRYING HIS BEST TO COPE AND GET ON WITH HIS LIFE. TAKE CARE. BETTY LOU

DAVE, CLINT EASTWOOD WAS BORN MAY 31,1930. THIS IS MEMORIAL DAY AND IT'S FOR THE VETS. I THINK THEY COULD HAVE SHOWN HIS MOVIES YESTERDAY AND HONOR THE VETS. TODAY. MEMORIAL DAY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY MOVIE STAR'S BIRTHDAY. I DON'T THINK ANY OF THE MOVIE CHANNELS HAVE EVER HONORED AUDIE BY SHOWING HIS MOVIES ON HIS BIRTHDAY OR ANY OTHER DAY. TAKE CARE. BETTY LOU

It's still Memorial Day where I am so I am not too late with my thoughts. I want to thank Audie as well as all the veterans living and dead for their service and sacrifices for our great country.
The heroes from the revolutionary war to today's war. I just watched a very moving show on GAC with Graig Morgan and Chris Taylor who went to Iraq w/two wounded vets. One lost a leg the other had a brain injury. They wanted to go back and have some closure and say thanks to the med staff and boost the other soldiers morale. It was called Stars for Stripes. Catch it if you can. It truly makes you feel blessed to live in this wonderful country with such people who are willing to give all for their country. Bless all Veterans,their families and Audie fans everywhere.

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Ruxy

Shirleyjean, to answer your question "Do you know the real names of the men in Audie's outfit?" There are two of the real names of the soldiers he fought with that were his close friends. You are right when you say after he lost the original men in his outfit, he never let anyone get close to him again. If you will look in the front of your copy of "To Hell and Back", he dedicated the book to two of them. I can't remember the name of the other one but one of the men is Lattie Tipton, called "Brandon" in his book. After the war, Audie described him as a "tall, homely Tennessee man." If I come across the names of the others, I will let you know. Also, I believe when Lattie was killed, Audie stopped becoming close to anyone else in the war. I believe subconsciously he continued to have an outer wall that no one could penetrate - not even Pam or Wanda.

Take care,

Georgana

Dave, you asked if anyone knows what day Audie passed away. Personally, I believe May 28, 1971 is the day because he was scheduled to meet a man to look at prefabricated buildings in which he would earn a finder's fee. After the plane was hours overdue, I believe the group of businessmen he was supposed to meet became concerned and started to try to find out where the plane was. The plane carrying Audie and five other men crashed into Brush Mountain in Virginia. There had been reports of an explosion but Audie's body was found until Memorial Day, 1971. I hope this helps.

Georgana

Hi Folks,
If you read the autopsy report from the plane crash, the medical examiner determined because of
blunt force trauma at the point of impact, he felt no one survived the crash, including Audie, whose
body was thrown clear from the wreckage. The last known visual contact of the plane was May 28th,
also instruments on the plane indicated 12.02pm, 5/28/71 as time and date of impact. Therefore,
Audie's time and date of death is generally accepted as 12:02PM,5/28/71.

I too want to give thanks to ALL our Military Personnel living or died who put their life on hold to ensure that our country is safe from harm and that we have the ability to live in freedom, and pursue our own life experiences. May God Bless them all, and wish them a safe return.
Sincerely,
Shirley Jean.

I don't get into this much. It seems like a private thing. I have seen the autopsy report, and I can tell you, without going into detail, that he did not survive the impact.

Ann

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"He endured the shame of being sent home a living trophy to the blood and death of too many friends"
A Myth in Action: The Heroic Life of Audie Murphy
http://www.annjoiner.com