Audie Murphy : biography
Murphy was visiting Texas in December 1946, and gave a ride to hitchhiker John Thomas Daniels in McKinney County. The 25-year-old hitchhiker, who outweighed Murphy by over and was several inches taller, struck Murphy and demanded his car. According to the actor, "We fought all over the place for about 10 minutes," before Murphy broke free and called the police. The police and Murphy apprehended the suspect who by then was trying to rob a local woman.
He married actress Wanda Hendrix in 1949, and they were divorced in 1951. He married former airline stewardess Pamela Archer that same year. Son Terrance Michael "Terry" Murphy was born in 1952. Son James Shannon "Skipper" Murphy was born in 1954.
Murphy bred quarter horses at the Audie Murphy Ranch in Perris, California, and Murphy Ranch in Pima County, Arizona. He loved racing his horses at the Del Mar Racetrack and invested large sums of money in the hobby. Murphy had a gambling habit that left his finances in a poor state. When he filed for bankruptcy in 1968, he stated that he lost $260,000 in an Algerian oil deal and was dealing with the Internal Revenue Service over unpaid taxes. In spite of his financial difficulties, Murphy refused to do commercials for alcohol and cigarettes, mindful of the influence he would have on the youth market.
A May 18, 1970 attempt to mediate a dispute between a female friend of Murphy’s and her dog trainer David Gofstein led to Murphy’s arrest. Gofstein said that Murphy arrived with the client and a boxer. The victim said he had been beaten and shot at, that his wife had been roughed up, and that Murphy stuck a gun in his stomach and tried to abduct him. Gofstein said he broke free, and Murphy shot at him. Murphy was arrested ten days later by police in Burbank, California, and charged with suspicion of assault and attempt to commit murder. When Murphy came to trial in October 1970, he entered a plea of innocent to possession of a blackjack, in addition to battery and assault. He was acquitted of all charges.
Death and commemorations
On May 28, 1971, Murphy was killed when the private plane in which he was a passenger crashed into Brush Mountain, near Catawba, Virginia, 20 miles west of Roanoke in conditions of rain, clouds, fog and zero visibility. The pilot and four other passengers were also killed. The aircraft was a twin-engine Aero Commander 680 flown by a pilot who had a private-pilot license and a reported 8,000 hours of flying time, but who held no instrument rating. The aircraft was recovered on May 31.NTSB Accident Report from Aviation Accident Database After her husband died, Pamela Murphy was obligated to pay his debts. She moved into a small apartment and got a clerk position at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Los Angeles, where she remained employed for 35 years. In 1975, a court awarded Murphy’s widow and two children $2.5 million in damages due to the accident.$2.5 Million Awarded to Family of Audie Murphy Los Angeles Times (1923–Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] December 13, 1975: 12.Obituary Variety, June 2, 1971, p. 55. On June 7, 1971, Murphy was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. In attendance were George H.W. Bush, William Westmoreland, and many of the 3rd Infantry Division. Murphy’s grave site is in Section 46, headstone number 46-366-11, located across Memorial Drive from the Amphitheater. A special flagstone walkway was later constructed to accommodate the large number of people who visit to pay their respects. It is the second most-visited grave site, after that of President John F. Kennedy
The headstones of Medal of Honor recipients buried at Arlington National Cemetery are normally decorated in gold leaf. Murphy previously requested that his stone remain plain and inconspicuous, like that of an ordinary soldier. The 100th United States Congress, as part of its military funding appropriations Public Law 100-456, passed legislation authorizing a monument honoring the entire 3rd Infantry Division to be placed at Arlington National Cemetery. The legislation was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on September 29, 1988. The 9-ton 3rd Infantry Division Monument obelisk sits to the north of Audie Murphy’s grave.
