Hunt Co., TX - News: Audie Murphy Day ***************************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb by: Sarah Swindell USGenWeb Archives. Copyright. All rights reserved http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ***************************************************** Audie Murphy Day Yesterday’s celebration in honor of our country’s most decorated World War II soldier, Audie Murphy, was outstanding. I am still in the clouds with excitement. It meant so much to me. Not that I personally knew Audie Murphy, but I did see him for a distance a couple of times. Once, when I was in the seventh grade, I think it was, he came to school and there was an assembly. I cannot remember the assembly, but I do remember seeing Audie standing in uniform in front of the Celeste Superintendent Clyde W. Heflin’s office. There was another man standing with Mr. Heflin and Audie; this third person I did not recognize. Eddie Sue Gibson Milton remembers that our class watched Audie walk up the sidewalk into the building. We were not knowledgeable of the significance of the uniform, but even as seventh-grade-country girls, innocent of the world; we did recognize a good-looking young man when we saw one. So from our second story classroom windows with noses pressed against the glass, we were swooning and he WAS handsome. Our teachers spoke of “Our Town’s Hero” from time to time. Mrs. Owana Weatherley was our seventh-grade teacher who related the current events, local, Texas, and US history. Incidentally, she was probably at the window with us watching Audie walk into the building and telling us all about him. Mrs. Lois Lewis in the eighth and ninth grades kept those events alive for us. I am not sure when Audie’s movies hit the screens, but his westerns, To Hell and Back, and Red Badge of Courage were seen and referred to in our classes. I cannot remember who they were, but some CHS students wrote about Audie as the subject of their junior term papers for Mrs. Mildred Roach. After I married and when son David was small, getting his first haircuts, “John The Barber” had the honor. On the walls of this Celeste Barber Shop were various pictures of Audie as well as snapshots stuck in the spaces between frame and glass. Mr. and Mrs. John Cawthon’s home was a second home for Audie when he was a lad. One time when David was getting a “cut and shave,” Audie happened to be in the neighborhood and was in the barbershop. This caused quite a commotion in tow, but David managed to get his ears lowered in spite of it all. When I was teaching school in Celeste and maybe when Audie’s plane went down, Mr. Tillerson, superintendent, showed me one of Audie’s report cards. I cannot remember what grade, but it was an elementary school card with a teacher’s lovely signature on it. It might have been Aunt Edna (Roach)’s signature since she was elementary principal during those years. Anyway, I remember Mr. Tillerson and I discussing his “bad” grades in some subjects and his “bad” attendance. He was absent almost as much as he was present. But, looking at all the circumstances of those who were very poor during this period of history, going to school was more a luxury. The Murphy Family was not the only one having a hard time keeping food on the table because I have heard W. T. and Brud (Glyn) Swindell speak of going hunting with Audie with only a shell or two. Whether they (and their families) went to bed with food in their stomachs depended on whether the moving target (of rabbit, squirrel, etc.) was hit or not. I was told that it was because of these incredible odds that Audie became such an expert marksman. It was during these times, also, that molded his character to be able to do what he did under adversity and to lead under pressure of war at such a young age. Sometimes the young hunters would parch corn meant for the farm animals. Sometimes they popped corn. Sometimes they made water gravy. This was their meal. Ardythe Davis and others have stories. Recently Johnnie Nell Robinson Williams said that she could “see” Monroe Hackney and Audie swimming in the Hackney pool without a stitch of clothes. Johnnie added, “We really couldn’t see anything!” She always remembers that Mr. Hackney would get Audie to run errands for him—taking money for items from the store. Mr. Hackney preferred Audie to Monroe because Audie was quicker and “he brought back the change!” As Celeste Postmaster, from time to time, someone would be coming by the office wanting to know more about Audie Murphy. The most recent visitor was a gentleman with a thick accent from Ireland or Scotland. He was a college teacher or some professional interested in our country’s most decorated World War II soldier. When Mrs. Cawthon were still alive, she was the first one they visited. Others in town who could share pieces of information were Ruby Warren, Cleatis Hudson, Gerald Williams, Neil Williams, and Monroe Hackney. Mrs. Mildred Roach and Sydne Lee Roach West donated to the Greenville Public Library a theater bill of his To Hell and Back when it was showing at the downtown movie in Celeste. We used one of his westerns and other early western bills owned by Mrs. Mildred and Sydne in 1981 for the “Happy Trails” graduation party decorations at the Celeste Methodist Church. Also, as Postmaster, I shipped for customer Cap Rock Electric Cooperative, Celeste Division, a photograph of Audie Murphy, which belongs to the Celeste High School Library to Midland for reproduction. I knew we were handling valuable cargo, but all went well as Cap Rock Electric did a special feature and made copies of this photograph. Many times I have answered letters from, mostly elementary-aged, people all over who wanted to know more about Celeste, how the town got its name, and who were some of our outstanding citizens. I always told each one about Audie Murphy. Mrs. Lewis and others helped me with this service from time to time as well. With requests becoming more frequent, I finally made a master letter, which I copied, for each inquiry. I kept this master Celeste letter on file at the post office. I believed in promptly answering each child’s letter. Recently, Jerry and I helped Debbie Brooks and her Celeste Beautification Committee re-mount the Audie Murphy Historical Plaque, which stands on US Highway 69 (now renamed in Audie’s honor) within the city limits of Celeste. It was a strange feeling having state property and Audie’s story in our possession before Jerry did what he needed to do as welder and repairman. So, it was not that I personally knew Audie Murphy or that I ever spoke to him because he was a little before my time. After all, his actions were for all time and those in Celeste made sure that we would know and not forget. Therefore, it were as if I were among friends, long lost loves, old acquaintances who were there from Virginia, Houston, Euless, Killeen—many places beyond Hunt County and even Texas—at this special cancellation honoring Major Audie L. Murphy. Donna Smith, a member of the Greenville Area Customer Advisory Council was in charge of making this all happen, announced at the conclusion that she had correspondence and phone calls “from all over.” Not one item was overlooked from welcome to displays, from program to refreshments, from decorations to conclusion. District Manager Rick Spathelf recognized all veterans stating their loyalty to country and to one another is witnessed in their company-unit reunions—how they plan and continue those until the last man stands. Then he asked for each veteran in attendance to stand for a special thank you and applause. Judge Joe Bobbitt announced the dedication of US Highway 69 in Hunt County as Audie Memorial Highway. Later Clyde Easter, a military friend, declared that all of US Highway 69 should be renamed to Audie’s honor. Mr. Easter, himself also highly decorated, spoke of Audie’s modesty, his leadership, and what each and every soldier sacrificed so that US citizens, generation after generation, could be free. He reminded us that freedom does have a price and that real heroes should be remembered. He stated that Audie always felt that he wasn’t a hero—that he was just holding all those medals for all the members of his company and in particular those who died on the field. He charged us to remember this as we travel the Audie Murphy Memorial Highway and that we, too, should be “holding on to everything that is right and dear and what makes America great and makes real heroes.” Mr. Oakley, Texas House of Representatives, underscored the importance of recognizing heroes, the importance of looking close to home for someone to whom our youth can admire. He stated that he took great pride in taking Hunt County visitors to the State Capitol to see the Audie Murphy painting just outside his office. Nadene Murphy, sister and representative of the family, asked us to always remember what Audie Murphy did for all of us. The special cancellation was unveiled by Rick Spathelf and was presented to the Audie Murphy Room of the Hunt County Library. Big Bill Johnson performed his original country Audie Murphy song; one line reminded us that behind the baby-face was a big man’s temper. Besides seeing those already mentioned, it was great to sit beside a young fan club member from Euless. She spoke of the Life’s full-spread feature in 1955. She wondered if his trip to Celeste, which I remember, was in connection with that article? Moderator Beverly Loss, Co-Chair PCAC, mentioned the This is Your Life television broadcast also around this time. I just remember that Audie came before the old high school building burned in December of 1955. I just wanted to hug and hug and hug, Marcia Moore, Shirley Bartlett, Wanda Crowell, Sandra Longley, and, of course, Donna Smith, for all they did to make this day possible. They were a sight for sore eyes. I know that there are others on the committee and I appreciate them, too, but I don’t know them. My loss. Anything this successful takes months of work. Then when it comes close to the day, the days and nights before actually takes hours upon hours getting every detail in place—and it was beautifully done. I skipped the cake, but it was lovely to look upon. The punch was refreshingly cold and delicious. What fun it was to see Mrs. Lois Lacy Lewis, pushing one hundred with just a few years away from the mark, who taught these values Mr. Easter spoke about and who practiced them throughout her years of service to community and others. Mrs. Lewis has been instrumental in keeping Audie’s memory alive after teaching by writing on occasions about him in her article “Our Town’ in the Celeste- Leonard papers. Others from Celeste I saw were John Lyon, Ruby Warren, Mr. and Mrs. Curly Combs, Patsy Smith Jones, Hubert Shields, Shelly Swindell, Jerry Swindell, Coburn Moser, and Alice Roach, Greenville Postal clerk, who was so busily taking care of the special cancellation orders. It was great to see Postmaster-Retired from Greenville John Little and others from the USPS, now currently serving, so supportive of this wonderful idea. As Mr. Easter said in his speech, we in America often honor Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, and other celebrities (he related that real heroes’ names are being left out of history books with names of celebrities included instead). We needed to remember those who sacrificed to keep America free and strong. The Greenville Advisory Council did just that. So did Hunt County. So did Texas. So did the USPS. With the June 20, 1996, celebration. And as Mr. Spathelf said, “The memory of this day of this man will last in the mailing and receiving of this special cancellation and in the connection of this place to all over the world through the USPS.” Those who travel US Highway 69 in Hunt County will be reminded daily of the hero from such humble beginnings who believed in “holding on” for others. May we travel in that direction and as well. I had planned on attending the evening dance, but I was so excited that my adrenaline was overflowing. We had several stops to make in the heat. First, we got Mrs. Lewis back to the Colonial then to the hospital to see former student and current Celeste School employee, Linda Henry Rector, next to eat, and then to the courthouse. In Celeste, we had a few stops and then to drop Shelly off at the church building. Getting in and out of a hot car doesn’t go well with adrenaline. Or maybe it was the Mexican food lunch? Either way, I spent the late afternoon in bed and Shelly had to call Mrs. Lewis to cancel our evening date. It was a wonderful day. Even in bed, I was floating in the clouds and dreaming of heroes, the one we had honored today and all those who worked to see that he was honored. Sarah Roach Swindell June 21, 1996