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WHEREAS, May 28, 1997, marks the 26th anniversary of the death of war hero and entertainer Audie Murphy, and it is indeed fitting on this occasion to honor the memory of this remarkable Texan; and

WHEREAS, Born June 20, 1924, near Kingston, Major Murphy's childhood was marked not only by the privations of the sharecropper's existence but also by the death of his parents; despite those difficult circumstances, he was determined to serve in the armed forces, and the slightly built young Texan was rejected by the United States Marines and the Paratroopers before joining the United States Army; and

WHEREAS, Assigned to the renowned Fifteenth Infantry Regiment of the Third Infantry Division, his courageous leadership in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany earned him a battlefield commission as a first lieutenant, and within his first 400 days on the front lines, he had earned 33 military awards, citations, and decorations, including every possible American award for valor and French and Belgian medals; and

WHEREAS, Major Murphy's military feats became legendary, as when the company under his command came under attack by German armor near Colmar, France; determined not to relinquish Allied control of the region, Major Murphy climbed aboard a burning German tank destroyer and turned its machine gun on the enemy, killing roughly 50 German soldiers and preserving his unit's position; and

WHEREAS, This remarkable act of cool-headed heroism earned Major Murphy the Congressional Medal of Honor, and by the time he was discharged from the service with the rank of major, he had also received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart, which he received when a bullet shattered his hip; after leaving the Army he was also awarded the Army's Outstanding Civilian Service Medal; and

WHEREAS, On completing his military duty, Major Murphy returned to Texas, where he bought a home near Greenville and retrieved his brother and sisters from the orphanages in which they had been placed; he also joined the Dallas Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1837, making his first dues payment of five dollars; and

WHEREAS, Although he had expressed interest in becoming a veterinarian, the silver screen beckoned, and, urged on by such luminaries as James Cagney, Major Murphy embarked on a second and equally successful career as an actor; appearing in more than 40 films, he starred in the film version of his own life story, To Hell and Back and became one of the nation's most popular western stars; and

WHEREAS, A talented poet and songwriter as well as an actor, Major Murphy wrote the lyrics to 16 country and western songs, including the standard "Shutters and Boards," and his songs were recorded by artists as diverse as Jerry Wallace, Porter Waggoner, and Dean Martin; and

WHEREAS, On May 28, 1971, Major Murphy was one of six people killed in an air crash near Roanoke, Virginia, and on June 3, he was interred at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors and

WHEREAS, Audie Leon Murphy distinguished himself as one of the most notable historical figures of the 20th century, and Texans from across the state join the members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1837, now known as the Audie L. Murphy Memorial VFW Post 1837, in saluting this great American's many contributions to his nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby pay tribute to the life of Major Audie Murphy.