His U. S. Army service covered nine World War II campaigns fought by the 3rd Infantry Division: Tunisia, Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, Southern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland and Central Europe.

On the day he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his January 1945 actions at the Colmar Pocket in France, he was considered to be America's most decorated World War II soldier and received national recognition as such when Life magazine made him their cover story.

[4][5] His superior officers, as well as the Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives, encouraged him to apply for enrollment at West Point and offered to provide any assistance and influence needed to help him be accepted as a cadet.

Although the military did little for Murphy's post-war stress, he was publicly forthcoming about it in hopes of prodding the government into providing better treatment and medical benefits for other veterans suffering the same issues.

[c] According to his biographer David A. Smith, Murphy acknowledged his birth date was falsified at his enlistment in a 1950 interview with the Austin Statesman: "'The doctor back home couldn't remember exactly when I was born,' he said with a smile, 'so I was 18.

[19] His company commander thought his build was too slight for service in the infantry, and tried to have him transferred to a cook and bakers' school, but Murphy insisted on becoming a combat soldier.

En route there,[34] Company B was assigned to a hillside location protecting a machine-gun emplacement, while the rest of the 3rd Infantry Division fought at San Fratello.

"[36] With Sicily secured from Axis forces, Supreme Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower made the decision to invade Italy in early September 1943.

Tipton tossed hand grenades in the direction of the fire and Murphy responded with a Thompson submachine gun, killing five German soldiers.

Seventh Army under the command of Lieutenant General Alexander Patch was the initial amphibious landing force for the 15 August 1944 Allied invasion of southern France, known as Operation Dragoon.

[70] Operation Dogface was the 3rd Infantry Division's support role for the VI Corps in securing Bruyères and Brouvelieures, with the goal of getting the U. S. Sixth Army Group through the Belfort Gap by November.

[81][82] After crossing the Ill river through the Riedwihr Woods on 24 January, the 3rd Division was ordered to the town of Holtzwihr, where they met with a strong German counterattack.

[83] Two officers in the division were killed by mortar shells in an attack the following day during which Murphy was wounded in both legs, and for which he received a second Oak Leaf Cluster for his Purple Heart.

[88] Murphy mounted the abandoned, burning tank destroyer and began firing its .50 caliber machine gun at the advancing Germans, killing a squad crawling through a ditch towards him.

[87] ... during his indomitable one-man struggle, Lieutenant Murphy broke the entire attack of the Germans and held hard-won ground that it would have been disastrous to lose.

[92] On 4 February, Murphy led Company B in a battle to successfully rid the Jewish Cemetery near Biesheim of German troops holed up inside, killing six and taking the remainder prisoner.

[95] While the Division was stationed at Nancy, General O'Daniel held a ceremony on 5 March to award Murphy his previously won Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star.

[96] Brigadier General Ralph B. Lovett and Lieutenant Colonel Hallet D. Edson recommended Murphy for the Medal of Honor for his actions at Holtzwihr,[97][98] the awarding of which was confirmed by an official press release on 24 May 1945.

[50] On 16 April 1945, France awarded Murphy the French Croix de guerre with Silver Star,[104] which was presented to him in Dallas on 15 September by U.S. Army Brigadier General William Albert Collier.

At a 13 June San Antonio homecoming parade held for returning Texas veterans, a quarter of a million people cheered Murphy, Charles P. Cabell, Lucian Truscott, Harold L. Clark and others.

[114] Farmersville[f] pulled out all the stops, giving him an escort caravan, and five thousand local citizens showed up to hear a band concert and speeches in his honor.

[116] The 16 July issue of Life magazine brought Murphy national attention when its cover story proclaimed him "most decorated" next to a smiling image of him in full dress uniform.

Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives Sam Rayburn supported the idea and offered to use his influence to help Murphy enroll at West Point.

Attending a lunch for Murphy afterwards were Ainsworth, Phinney, 36th Chief of Staff Colonel James E. Taylor and the State Director of the Selective Service Brigadier General Paul Wakefield.

[142] He missed the 1954 summer training camp due to his location shooting for To Hell and Back [143] During his service, he granted the Guard permission to use his name and image in recruiting materials.

[117] Upon attaining the new rank, Murphy and General Phinney toured the state of Texas to help promote the "Guard Muster Recruiting Drive" set for 22 February.

[149] [150] In his civilian life, Murphy was at odds with what he perceived as an innate film industry culture of phoniness,[151] once likening his own acting career to prostitution.

While very few Hollywood celebrities attended, among the mourners were six Medal of Honor recipients, General John W. O'Daniel and several 3rd Infantry Division veterans who had fought with him.

The U.S. Army Band marched in front of six black horses that pulled the caisson with his flag-draped casket from Fort Myer Chapel to the cemetery.

[161][162] VFW Post 5311 in Virginia worked for 3 years with the United States Forest Service for permission to erect a monument at the site of Murphy's death.