Shedding light on the extraordinary trajectories of peculiar or unknown characters is one of the fundamental functions of History, right? Today, we wanted to tell you about one Audie Murphy – not to be confused with his almost namesake, the successful actor – an American soldier unlike any other. We almost fall short on words regarding Mr. Murphy’s military skills. You have to realize: he is one of the most decorated soldiers of the Second World War. He has consistently distinguished himself on the battlefield, because of his incredible feats, that were sometimes on the verge of madness, or at least proof of tremendous recklessness. What earned him the Medal of Honor, for example, could literally be taken from the scenario of a sensational but unplausible war movie, yet here is how things went: In January 1945, Murphy, who had just received a oak leaf cluster for his Purple Heart – nothing major – was sent with his 3rd Infantry Division in the city of Holtzwihr, during the battle of Colmar. The german counterattack against the city was very violent, and Murphy was wounded on both legs by mortar. Because his company had been almost decimated, Murphy was appointed commander. While they were waiting for reinforcements, the M10 tank destroyer that was with them was destroyed by the german forces, prompting Murphy to order his men to retreat. He remained alone at his post, with nothing but his M1 carbine and his field radio to direct the artillery fire, to try to hold the enemy. He then got to the wrecked, still burning M10, and got hold of its M2 .50 caliber machinegun. For more than an hour, he fired at the enemy soldiers and tanks, holding them off, decimating many of them, and sustained a minor leg injury in the process. He only stopped when he ran out of ammunition, to rejoin his men, and organize a counter-attack which allowed them to definitely push them back. He was only 19 years old.
