Audie Murphy

 Audie Murphy.

One of America’s greatest soldiers in WWll who earned just about every military honour. He suffered from Post Traumatic Stress which deeply affected his life and relationships. Notorious for being short tempered you just did not want to get on the wring side of him.

There is a story where he frightened actor, Lawrence Tierney. Tierney was a well know bully who often terrified some of those who worked with him. There is a story where both were at a Hollywood party and Tierney became drunk and belligerent towards other guests. Audie just went up to him and in a quiet, measured way told the bully what would happen if he didn’t stop. Tierney was so shaken that he left.

In 1970, he was arrested and tried for attempted murder after getting into a fistfight with a massive, six-foot-three man who trained guard dogs for a living. In the course of the trial, it was discovered that the dog trainer had abused a German Shepherd belonging to a female friend of Murphy. The trainer had also groped and verbally abused the woman when she protested. To no one's surprise, Murphy was acquitted. His defence was, "If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead," Several jury members lined up to shake his hand after the verdict was delivered.

During his acting career he had to point out to some men that he did not allow himself to be spoken to with anything less than the greatest respect.

While filming, The Red Badge of Courage, one of the assistant directors yelled at him the wrong way, annoying Audie who left the crowd scene he was in, grabbed the man by the shirt and told him, "Don't you ever talk to me like that again!" I have a strong suspicion that he took Audie up on this request.

In another incident he stopped two men in a car from harassing some teens on motor scooters. When the men tried to start a fight with him, he attacked both with his riding crop. They ended up in the hospital. Not bad for someone who stood only 5 foot 5 inches tall.

Unfortunately he died in a plane crash aged only 46 in 1971. A sad day.