The Original Captain America
The first appearance of the comic book hero, Captain America, hit newsstands in December of 1940. It featured the superhero punching Adolf Hitler in the jaw.
However, the real Captain America was born in Kingston Texas in 1925, and he did much more than punch Hitler.
If you are under the age of fifty, you may have never heard of Audie Murphy. He was the OG Captain America. Murphy was tougher, more effective, selfless and cooler under pressure than any comic book hero. He epitomized service over self.
Murphy was the son of sharecroppers. He and eleven siblings shared a drafty shack. His father abandoned the family and his mother passed away while Audie was a teenager. Necessity required Murphy to hone his skills as a marksman. Otherwise, a missed shot resulted in no dinner.
When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the sixteen-year-old Murphy attempted to enlist in the Army, Navy, and Marines. They all rejected him. At five foot five and 112 pounds, he looked like a little kid.
However, overcoming rejection and hardship was nothing new to Murphy. As the war intensified, Murphy’s sister forged documents stating he was eighteen years old. This was all the Army needed to give the lion-hearted Texan a shot.
Once in Europe, the pint-sized private became a legend, the way so many Texans have. Throughout 1944, Murphy showed tremendous valor and courage shielding others with his tenacity, intellect and grit. However, January 1945 took an already decorated Murphy and catapulted him to mythical status.
In the freezing forest near Holtzwihr, France, Second Lieutenant Murphy stood with the remnants of Company B. In front of them was a rapidly advancing wave of 250 German soldiers and six Tiger tanks.
Murphy quickly assessed the situation and ordered his men back into the safety of the woods. Murphy held his ground armed with his carbine and a field telephone. Despite his exposed position, Murphy directed artillery fire.
Nearby, an American tank destroyer suffered an immobilizing hit bursting into flames. After getting the men out, Murphy climbed on top to man the .50 caliber machine gun. With smoke and flames surrounding him, the tank destroyer sizzled. With the intense heat, an explosion was inevitable.
Despite being exposed on three sides, Murphy manned the .50 caliber gun with intensity while nursing his wounded leg. For the next hour, he held off the entire German force single-handedly.
By the end, the Germans retreated, only due to the selfless efforts of one man. Murphy had killed or wounded dozens of Germans and stopped the attack. Once his ammunition on the tank destroyer ran out, Murphy joined his men in the forest. There, they quickly regrouped and immediately led a successful counterattack.
When asked later why he did it, Murphy gave a characteristically blunt, Texan answer: “They were killing my friends.”
For this amazing act of bravery, Murphy earned the Medal of Honor.
By the end of Murphy’s three-year tenure in the military, he served 390 days on the front lines and was wounded three times. In May 1945, when victory was declared in Europe, Murphy wasn’t even twenty-one years old.
Audie Murphy is credited with at least 28 separate medals. He earned every U.S. military award for valor available during World War II. In addition to the Medal of Honor, Murphy earned the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars (one with valor) and three Purple Hearts. He was even awarded the French Legion of Honor.
Upon his return to Texas, Murphy was a national icon. Hollywood saw an opportunity and Murphy starred in more than 40 movies. One movie, To Hell and Back, is Murphy’s film adaptation of his autobiography.
More importantly, Murphy spoke publicly about his “battle fatigue” or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He used his fame as a platform to advocate for soldiers with psychological battles coming home from World War II and Korea. In doing so, he inevitably saved even more lives after the official war had ended.
As the USA celebrates its 250th anniversary, it’s worth reflecting upon the numerous heroes that sacrificed so the rest of us enjoy a life so great, it is hard to imagine. For every Audie Murphy, there are millions that served in the name of freedom, recognizing that freedom is not free. God bless America.
Dave Sather is a Certified Financial Planner and the CEO of the Sather Financial Group, a fee-only and fiduciary strategic planning and investment management firm.
