By BRAD KELLAR
Herald-Banner Staff
GREENVILLE
June 26, 2009 01:30 am
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The annual Audie Murphy Days celebration begins this morning, a two day patriotic event designed to pay tribute not only to Murphy, the Hunt County native and most decorated soldier of World War II, but to veterans everywhere.
This year’s commemoration is scheduled to feature stories, sons and dramatic reenactments which might be really loud.
Everything gets underway at 9 a.m. today in the Fletcher Warren Civic Center, 5501 Highway 69 South, as the exhibition hall opens and Audi’s fans gather to catch up.
Other items on today’s agenda include a recognition of veterans by the Hunt County Honor Guard, an appearance by cowboy singer/star Johnny Western, the keynote speech by Master Sgt. Edwin Taylor, the recognition of Murphy’s family members, the unveiling of the 2009 Audie Murphy stamp cancellation and a presentation by Jimmy James.
All that is just during the morning session.
Following a lunch break, Dr. Arch McDonnell will speak on “Boyhood Memories of WWII”, there will a special presentation titled “I Am A Sergeant” presentation by members of the Sgt. Audie Murphy Club from Fort Sam Houston, another address from Jimmy James and a video from David Williams.
And that still isn’t all.
Audie Bingo is scheduled from 5 until 6 p.m., followed at 7 p.m. by a concert featuring Western. Tickets for the performance, which include a chili dinner, are $10 for adults and $3 for children 5-12. Donations go to benefit Audie Murphy Days 2010.
A full slate of events are scheduled Saturday at both at the Civic Center and the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum. One of the activities Saturday afternoon at the museum will be living history demonstrations from the Civil War period. Men in period dress will set up a Confederate camp complete with muskets and an artillery cannon which will be fired periodically. The cannon will not fire any projectile, and the result should only be a loud explosion and smoke. Museum personnel have distributed notices to all the nearby residences informing them of the event.
Murphy died in a plane crash in Virginia during the Memorial Day weekend in 1971. Each year, one weekend is set aside in Greenville for an event dedicated not only to Murphy’s memory, but to all veterans.
Murphy was born near Kingston in 1924 and enlisted in the Army in Greenville on his 18th birthday. During his three years of active service, Murphy received every decoration of valor that the United States had to offer, some of them more than once, including five decorations by France and Belgium. Among his 33 awards and decorations is the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for bravery that can be given to any individual in the United States of America.
On Jan. 26, 1945, near the village of Holtzwihr in eastern France, Murphy's forward positions came under German attack. Facing six Panzer tanks, Murphy ordered his men to fall back to better their defenses as he mounted an abandoned, burning tank destroyer. With a single machine gun, Murphy fought against the advance for almost an hour, despite being wounded in the leg. Murphy later led his troops on a counterattack which succeeded in driving the Germans from Holtzwihr.
Following the war, actor James Cagney saw Murphy’s photo on the cover of Life Magazine and invited him to Hollywood. Over the next 25 years, Audie made 44 feature films, including his autobiography, “To Hell And Back”.
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