One of the reasons Audie was such an icon to the rest of America, is because at the end of the day he was just an ordinary boy. Even before the war, at the age fifteen in 1939 …show more content…
The first instance happened when his company made their way north the eastern border of France during “operation dragoon” (Biography). There was a hilltop dotted with German machine gun and sniper nest; he single handedly worked his way up the hill taking them out (Gale). In the midst of this his friend, Lattie Tipton joined him in the assault. The Germans at this point acted like they surrendered, with this Lattie stood up then was shot from the lying Germans (Biography). Seeing his friend getting shot, after being lied too, Audie went on a rampage taking out the remaining nest using the German guns and grenades (Gale). For this Audie was given the second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross, and for his next act of valor he is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Audie received the highest of all medals in woods in France. It all began when his B Company was ambushed by six German tanks and infantry. He then held position to call in artillery while his troops retreated to the wood lines safety. He then headed to a tank destroyer that was already hit and mounted to 50 Caliber gun, proceeding to mow down the Germans infantry. He was exposed on three sides but with deadly accurate shots he kept off all the advancing troops. Artillery then came in with deadly effectiveness, a squad of Germans tried to sneak up on Murphy but when they were within ten yards they were taken out. He was hit in the leg but fired till the ammunition was gone, peeling back to the wood line, he devised a counter-attack with his eighteen remaining men. This attack was effective and drove the remaining Germans out. Audie at the end of it all saved his men and took fifty German soldiers in the conflict