Audie Murphy's Medal of Honor
Military Service Number 01 692 509

Medal of Honor
U.S. Army
1904 Gillespie Medal Of Honor
Chest Medal
1904 "Gillespie"
Medal of Honor
Medal Of Honor Lapel Pin
Lapel Pin
All Services
Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor Ribbon
Chest Ribbon
All Services
Audie Murphy was the recipient of America's highest decoration known as the Medal of Honor. Originally authorized by congress during the Civil War this medal has had several versions since 1862. This particular version was authorized for the Army in 1904 and is known as the "Gillespie" version. It was issued to Medal of Honor recipients in the Army through the end of World War II but was later replaced with another, more recent version.

Medal of Honor Orders

General Orders No. 65 WAR DEPARTMENT
Washington 25, D.C., 9 August 1945

Section
MEDAL OF HONOR - Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
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I.  MEDAL OF HONOR. - By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved 9 July 1918 (WD Bul. 43, 1918), a Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty was awarded by the War Department in the name of Congress to the following-named officer:

Second Lieutenant Audie L. Murphy, 01692509, 15th Infantry, Army of the United States, on 26 January 1945, near Holtzwihr, France, commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. Lieutenant Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to a prepared position in a woods while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him to his right one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. Lieutenant Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, Lieutenant Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer which was in danger of blowing up any instant and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to the German fire from three sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate Lieutenant Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he personally killed or wounded about 50. Lieutenant Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.
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BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:



OFFICIAL:G.C. MARSHALL
        EDWARD F. WITSELLChief of Staff
        Major General 
        Acting The Adjutant General 

Medal of Honor Certificate

Medal of Honor
U.S. Army
Medal of Honor Certificate, Audie Murphy, Smithsonian Institute
Audie Murphy's Medal of Honor Certificate
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institute
Washington, D.C.

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Last updated 20 August 2006