American soldier Audie Leon Murphy, the most decorated combat veteran of World War II, in later years acted in popular movies and westerns.

Audie Murphy lived in a large sharecropper family as the seventh of twelve children. His father abandoned the family, and as a teenager, his mother died. Murphy dropped out school in fifth grade to pick cotton and to find other work to help to support his family, and his necessary skill with a hunting rifle fed them. His older sister helped him to falsify documentation about his birth date to meet the minimum-age requirement for enlisting in the military.

Murphy attempted to join the Marines and Navy first, but his small size duly caused them to turn him away. Audie Murphy lied about his age to enlist in the Army of the United States at 16 years of age on 30 June 1942. He stood 5'5" tall and weighted 110 pounds.

The 3rd infantry division fought nine campaigns that the military career of Audie Murphy covered: Tunisia, Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, southern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland and central Europe. He earned every available award, including the Medal of Honor at the Colmar pocket on 26 January 1945, of Army of United States for valor during his period of service before his 20th birthday.
France and Belgium well recognized him for his service.

After the war, Murphy went to a successful career as writer of country songs. He played in version of his autobiography "To Hell and Back," a bestseller.
Murphy also wrote poetry.

People bestowed civilian honors, including a star on the walk of fame of Hollywood, during his lifetime and posthumously.

A plane crash in 1971 killed Audie Murphy in Virginia. People interred his body with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. People most visit his grave of the sites in the cemetery.

In 2013, his home state supplied him with the Texas legislative Medal of Honor.

Audie Murphy's Awards:

Medal of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross
Silver Star with First Oak Leaf Cluster
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star with "V" Device and First Oak Leaf Cluster
Purple Heart with Second Oak Leaf Cluster
U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal
Good Conduct Medal
Distinguished Unit Emblem with First Oak Leaf Cluster
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star, Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and southern France)
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation with German Clasp
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
Good Conduct Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge
Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar
Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar
French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre
French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier
French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star
French Croix de Guerre with Palm
Medal of Liberated France
Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm