Freedom flies in your heart like an eagle,
Let it soar with the winds high above
Among the spirits of soldiers now sleeping,
Guard it with care and with love.
I salute my old friends in the corner.
I agree with all they have said ---
And if the moment of truth comes tomorrow,
I'll be free, or by God, I'll be dead!
---Audie Murphy
On
January 26, 1945, near Holtzwihr, France, six German tanks and waves of infantry
attacked Company B of the Third Infantry Division under the command of Second
Lieutenant Audie L. Murphy. Ordering his men to withdraw, Murphy remained
forward at his command post, climbed up onto a burning tank destroyer, and
employed its machine gun against advancing enemy soldiers, alone and exposed
to their fire from three sides. For an hour, the enemy tried to eliminate
Murphy, but he continued to hold his position in the single-handed battle
until the enemy was forced to withdraw. He then made his way to his
company, refused medical attention for a leg wound, and organized a counterattack
to force the Germans to withdraw further. Lieutenant Murphy's indomitable
courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from
encirclement and destruction. and enabled it to hold its position until
reinforcements came. Lieutenant Murphy is credited with participating in
nine battle campaigns entitling him to nine Bronze Stars, the Distinguished
Service Cross, the Silver Star with Oak Leaf Clusters, many other impressive
awards, and, his country's highest honor, the Congressional Medal of
Honor.