Murphy, summer to be celebrated in Celeste
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
May 27—Hunt County will again be celebrating Audie Murphy, its most famous hero, next month with a parade and day full of activities in the town of Celeste.
The inaugural Audie Murphy All AmerICAN Parade and Celeste Summer Festival is scheduled June 11. Activities are planned for the campus of Celeste High School and include a car and motorcycle show, chili cook-off, cornhole tournament, children's play area with bounce houses, face painting and games, local vendors for shopping, food trucks, a 5K on the Chapparal Bike Trail and evening concert and fireworks.
Organizers hope to make it an annual event.
Murphy, the most decorated soldier of World War II was born just south of Celeste on June 20, 1924, and went to school through the 8th grade in Celeste — considered the family's home town.
Murphy enlisted in the Army in Greenville on his 18th birthday and during his three years of active service, Murphy received every decoration of valor that the United States had to offer, some of them more than once, including five decorations by France and Belgium. Among his 33 awards and decorations is the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for bravery that can be given to any individual in the United States of America.
On Jan. 26, 1945, near the village of Holtzwihr in eastern France, Murphy's forward positions came under German attack. Facing six Panzer tanks, Murphy ordered his men to fall back to better their defenses as he mounted an abandoned, burning tank destroyer. With a single machine gun, Murphy fought against the advance for almost an hour, despite being wounded in the leg. Murphy later led his troops on a counterattack which succeeded in driving the Germans from Holtzwihr.
Following the war, actor James Cagney saw Murphy's photo on the cover of Life Magazine and invited him to Hollywood. Over the next 25 years, Audie made 44 feature films, including his autobiography, "To Hell And Back."
Anyone wanting additional information about the events planned in Celeste can contact Connie Crawford at 469-307-3039 or Erin Jordan at 903-413-7423.
