The most decorated soldier in US history, Audie Murphy (19241971), received 24 medals, starting with the Congressional Medal of Honor. To Hell and Back (USA, 1956), in which he starred as himself, was based on his exploits.
Prior to the release of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, the cinematic adaptation of his autobiography To Hell and Back held the record for Universal’s highest-grossing picture for 20 years. He appeared in 27 movies overall, the majority of them were Westerns.
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How passed away Audie Murphy?
Over 20 German soldiers were killed by Murphy as he was in an exposed position atop the blazing tank destroyer, repelling the attack.
Six German tanks and several hundred infantrymen attacked 2nd Lieutenant Audie L. Murphy’s company of the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, on January 26, 1945, as it was stationed close to the French village of Holtzwihr. In attempt to stall the German approach, Murphy ordered his men to retreat to defensive positions in the neighboring woods while he covered their retreat and sent artillery to the area. An American tank destroyer nearby caught fire after being struck by German fire. Later on, witnesses remembered how he “climbed atop the blazing tank destroyer, which was about to blow up at any second, and employed its.50 caliber machine gun against the enemy.” Over 20 German soldiers were killed by Murphy as he was in an exposed position atop the blazing tank destroyer, repelling the attack. Murphy was shot in the leg but kept firing the machine gun for more than an hour. Later, he led his squad in a counterattack that resulted in the deaths or injuries of 50 additional German soldiers.
Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor on April 23, 1945, when he was just 19 years old for his deeds. Despite the amazing gallantry Murphy displayed on January 26, it was not the first time he had stood out. The Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Star medals, and two Bronze Star medals for bravery in Italy and France were among the more than 20 previous accolades for bravery he had received. As the most decorated American soldier in World War II following his award of the Medal of Honor, Murphy was warmly hailed and appeared on the cover of Life magazine.
Following the war, Hollywood took notice of Murphy due of his national notoriety. He then had a successful career as an actor and songwriter for country music, appearing in 44 full-length movies, including the To Hell and Back movie adaptation of his autobiography. Despite Murphy’s fame and success, the reserved veteran never felt at ease in the spotlight.
At the age of 45, Murphy perished in a plane crash in Roanoke, Virginia, on May 28, 1971. In Arlington National Cemetery, he was laid to rest with all due military respects.
Who received the most awards for combat in World War One?
Who in the United States received the most coveted medals during World War One? Most people would probably respond with Sgt. Alvin York. Due to the legendary nature of the action that won him the Medal of Honor (MOH), his name came to be associated with World War I. It also helped a little since Gary Cooper played his life in the 1941 film Sergeant York.
But was he really the one? There were 124 MOHs given out for World War I, therefore some other contenders seem more likely. VFW magazine set out to provide an answer. You might be surprised by what we discovered, which will also dispel certain myths.
Criteria: The Medals
Instead of looking solely at overall awards, we base our decision on the service member who has received the most prestigious medals. Only American medals are counted for an accurate evaluation. Many veterans won international honors, but as they were brave acts by Americans, only U.S. decorations will be taken into consideration in this case. It is noteworthy that Pfc. Charles D. Barger, one of the contenders, was awarded up to 18 foreign medals.
To start, one must first comprehend the awards’ order of precedence. The medal’s significance and the number awarded to each man are listed in the chart below. As the greatest honor bestowed by the American military, the Medal of Honor automatically tops the list. Its roots can be found in the American Civil War. Congress gave the president permission to present the Army’s version on February 17, 1862.
The next in line, the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), was established by Congress on July 9, 1918. The Navy Cross is then used just for World War One. It was once the third-highest Navy medal when it was established on February 4, 1919. It became a combat honor only on August 7, 1942, according to a congressional act. It is now the second-highest honor given by the Navy.
The Silver Star is the following honor, albeit it wasn’t created until August 8, 1932. The “citation star,” which was established by Congress on July 9, 1918, served as its forerunner. It was a little insignia that was placed on a campaign medal and given for “gallantry in action,” which can be interpreted in many different ways.
Actions for citation stars were examined after the creation of the Silver Star medal, which had stricter requirements. Some received the new Silver Star upgrade.
Overall, the introduction of these additional medals made it possible to honor veterans more than once. A military may only bestow one Medal of Honor award during a time of conflict.
The new medals also addressed the perception among World War I combatants that the Medal of Honor (MOH) had lost some of its significance as a result of its excessive distribution previous to WWI, particularly during the Civil War and the Indian Campaigns.
In his book The Boys of 1917, Warren Hastings Miller claims that MOHs given during the war between the states were frequently given for “valor in battle” or for stealing an enemy flag.
Miller continues by stating that servicemen believed a more distinctive award that would stand out on its own should be presented, therefore the DSC. He added that many people chose to obtain the DSC rather than the MOH following its inception.
In addition to these heroism awards, the Purple Heart should also be considered. The medal should have a lot of weight for those who placed themselves in harm’s way and were hurt. With an incredible 10 “Hearts,” Barger, a machine gunner and stretcher bearer, tops that ranking.
Top Men of Valor
Unusually, four Marines have received MOHs from both the Army and the Navy. The medals, however, were given out for the exact same thing. The 2nd Infantry Division of the Army commanded Marine units. During World War I, Navy soldiers got Silver Stars, which were afterwards awarded to Army personnel. Marine Pvt. John Joseph Kelly, who received the most MOH awards of all, received four Silver Stars.
The MOH and DSC were distributed to the following eight honorees. Pfc. Daniel R. Edwards, a soldier, had two nominations for the MOH. But because there was only room for one MOH, he was given a DSC for one of the deeds.
The Army could only award the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for bravery in the air because the Distinguished Flying Cross was not established until July 2, 1926. With seven DSCs, Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker of the 94th Aero Squadron leads this category. He actually got eight, but one of them got a MOH.
Rickenbacker was a brave pilot who would occasionally fly against instructions and take down hostile aircraft whenever he could. His 26 flying wins during the fight remained unbroken until WWII.
Lt. Frank Luke Jr. of the 27th Aero Squadron was another pilot who was awarded the MOH and two DSCs. The Phoenix native, age 21, gained notoriety as the “balloon buster in Arizona. Luke flew for eight days, scoring 18 air victories. Before his death on September 29, 1918, he had destroyed a total of 14 German observation balloons.
Navy Lt. Joel Thompson Boone and Pharmacist’s Mate 1st Class John Henry Balch were two of the most distinguished individuals, and their discoveries may have been the most remarkable.
Boone served in the Marine Corps as a Navy surgeon. The 28-year-old sprinted onto the battlefield on July 19, 1918, during the Battle at Soissons in northern France, to treat the injured Marines. He made two trips back to the trenches for additional bandages, riding a motorcycle through a burned-out battlefield.
On July 19, 1918, near Vierzy, France, Balch, a member of the 3rd Bn. 6th Marines, similarly put himself in danger by setting up a forward dressing station. Three months later, on October 5, 1918, in Somme Py, France, he repeated the action. The resident of Edgerton, Kansas, provided assistance at Vierzy for a continuous 16 hours.
Second Lieutenant Samuel Iredell Parker of K Company, 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division is another relative unknown. Over the course of two days, Parker twice led his unit to close a gap in Allied lines.
His troops seized 40 inmates and six machine guns on the first day. A German shell on the second day destroyed the bottom of his foot. He resisted being evacuated and continued to lead his company while crawling.
Daniel Edwards, a Pfc, was a member of C Co., Machine Fun Bn, 1st Div. At the age of 20, Edwards, a man of sheer strength, could lift a fun machine.
When Edwards discovered his regiment was reentering combat, he was still recovering from wounds sustained during the Battle of Cantigny. On July 18, 1918, he left the hospital without authorization and later returned, this time in a trench at Soissons.
His right arm was broken during the assault, leaving him hanging from the trench wall. He cut off his arm when he heard Germans coming so that he could fight them. Before the remaining four enemies gave up, he killed four of them. A shell detonated nearby as he was making his way back to his lines, severely injuring one leg and killing one of his detainees.
The surgeon for the Naval Reserve was Lt. Orlando Henderson Petty. The same deed earned him the MOH, DSC, and Silver Star.
Petty was attending to the wounded on June 11, 1918, when a gas shell explosion caused his mask torn, causing him to fall to the ground. He took off his mask and carried on tending to the injured. He assisted an injured captain across the shellfire to safety after the dressing stations were destroyed.
Future Lt. Col. William Joseph Donovan “Father of American intelligence, who oversaw the 42nd Division’s 1st Battalion, 165th Infantry Regiment. As known “On October 1415, 1918, close to Landres-et-St. George, France, Donovan performed his MOH act under the stage name Wild Bill, which he acquired while playing football for Columbia University.
He was the commander of the battalion, initially known as New York’s “Fighting 69th) during the opening salvo of an attack against a well-prepared adversarial position. He constantly encouraged his troops throughout the advance, regrouped depleted platoons, and joined them in assaults. He had a leg injury but refused to be taken to the hospital.
Setting the Record Straight
Not every claim made by MOH was verified. Sgt. George Lawson Keene had the unfortunate circumstance in this case. Research reveals he is missing from the rolls despite being highly regarded after his death for getting a MOH.
Keene, a native of Crockett, Texas, finished high school at the age of 16 and intended to enroll in Texas A&M College, but he joined the military instead. His 26-month foreign assignment with K Co., 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Div., included occupation duty. He was gassed and received numerous wounds throughout the conflict.
Keene earned a DSC for leading his troops in storming an enemy position, tossing grenades, and taking a German officer prisoner at Soissons on July 1819, 1918. Maps depicting the enemy’s positions were in that officer’s possession. After his captain was hurt on the second day, Keene took over the company’s leadership and effectively led the attack.
What about the MOH, though? On July 19, 1981, the Baytown Sun (Texas) reported that Keene had received one. This assertion is supported by numerous websites and blogs as well as other well-known sources.
Keene, however, never got the Medal of Honor, claims Laura Lowdy, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s archivist.
Keene received the DSC, not the MOH, according to General Order No. 5, 1937, she claimed.
When people claim that he received the MOH, they mention the same basic sequence.
Another military hero whose notoriety was stoked by the pen of a reporter was Sgt. Alvin York, who was written about by George Pattullo of the Saturday Evening Post. York was awarded a MOH but did not get any other accolades.
Pattullo, according to Dr. Michael Birdwell, associate professor of history and keeper of York’s materials at Tennessee Technological University “emphasized the religio-participatory aspects of York’s achievement. His portrayal of a backwoodsman in Tennessee pulling out a solo achievement on the front lines in Europe evoked in the minds of the general public images of Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone.
York served in the 82nd Division’s G Co., 328th Inf. Regt. Nine of the 16 men he was with were killed on October 18, 1918, when machine guns opened fire near Chatel-Chehery. When York was told to silence the weapon, he used his sharpshooting and turkey hunting expertise. Six Germans charged York at one point, but he killed them all. After the Germans had finally submitted, York and the other eight survivors of the assault marched 132 prisoners back to the trenches.
Even now, some tales continue to be exaggerated, claiming that day there were up to 35 machine guns firing. Apparently, says Birdwell “York has always claimed that only one gun was taken.
Birdwell noted that York never asserted his independence or took pride in his deeds.
According to his estimation, York was responsible for at least nine of the 25 Germans who were found dead.
York was a modest man who didn’t seek out the spotlight but was compelled to do so by journalistic exaggeration.
A Final Determination
Let’s address the subject of which World War I servicemember received the most decorations. It’s difficult to give the top four extra credit because they received two MOHs apiece for a single activity. As mentioned, Kelly earned six prizes in totalfour Silver Starsand deserved special recognition for them.
However, Boone and Rickenbacker, two veterans on the roster, seem like more plausible prospects for that honor. Boone has two top medals to Rickenbacker’s eight. However, one must take into account Boone’s 11 awards, which include three Purple Hearts and six Silver Stars. Rickenbacker and no Purple Hearts or other distinctions.
One thing to consider, though, is whether Rickenbacker would have received less DSCs if the Distinguished Flying Cross had been around during World War I.
Barger should be taken into account if we were ranking based just on numbers. In addition to receiving a MOH, he sustained ten wounds. He lacked a DSC or Silver Star, though. In this regard, Boone’s awards surpass Barger’s.
However, the fact that only one guy currently holds both the MOH and seven of the country’s second-highest medals is difficult to ignore. With all due respect to Boone, we believe that Rickenbacker is the owner of more illustrious medals. He ought to be remembered as the World War I serviceman with the most decorations.