Audie Murphy: Great American Hero

He was an unassuming farmer's boy from Texas with only a fifth-grade education. But when Audie Murphy single-handedly fought off 250 German soldiers, he became a legend. Audie Murphy: Great American Hero tells the story of the most decorated soldier of WWII. After earning 33 medals in combat, Murphy headed west for Hollywood stardom and appeared in over 40 pictures. But like many heroes, Murphy was also flawed. By the time of his death at the age of 46, a gambling addiction had drained all his finances. Audie Murphy: Great American Hero would be useful for classes on American History, WWII, American Culture and Military History. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

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1. What defines a hero? Does this same definition transcend history? Would the heroes of antiquity still be heroes today? Would the heroes of today be heroes in the past?

2. Audie Murphy's family were sharecroppers. What is sharecropping? How did this system of farming and labor define the Southern economy in the first half of the 20th century?

3. Audie Murphy was a child during the Great Depression. How did the Great Depression affect Murphy and shape his childhood? How did it influence his later life?

4. When young soldiers engage in combat, they witness death, pain and destruction. Discuss some of the effects this has on soldiers. How do they adjust to life after the war is over? How do they deal with the horrible memories?

5. How did Lattie Tipton's death affect Audie Murphy? Discuss why the bonds between buddies are so important and essential to soldiers?

6. Audie Murphy performed some of the most celebrated acts of heroism in WWII. What drove Murphy to such heroic feats?

7. Why did Murphy receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation's highest honor?

8. What is post-traumatic stress syndrome? How does it affect soldiers throughout their lives?

9. Murphy became a successful actor after the war. How did Murphy get into the motion picture industry?

1. Design a poster or some other souvenir that commemorates the awarding of the Congressional Medal of Honor to Audie Murphy.

2. Design a poster for the movie To Hell and Back.

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