Do You Remember Audie Murphy?

September 2, 1945. The end of World War II. On board the USS Missouri which was anchored in Tokyo Bay, all was decorum and protocol. Japanese officials, formally dressed, their faces inscrutable, Allied Generals, dignified and reserved in their victory, and overhead, hundreds of American fighters and bombers. General Douglas MacArthur, who was welcomed aboard the ship by Admiral Nimitz, addressed the group: “It is my earnest hope, and indeed the hope of all mankind, that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past, a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance and justice.”

This Youtube video is worth watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4DsCQUWkVw

The most decorated hero of the War, Audie Murphy, went home to Texas. He had not expected the overwhelming applause, the cheering crowds, the gratitude with which he was greeted wherever he went.  He went on to Hollywood to become a star there too. I remember seeing him in countless western movies, always my ideal of courage and decency, ever triumphant over evil. Audie Murphy was a winner. Have you seen the movie, To Hell and Back?

Let’s take a moment today to thank God for that day seventy years ago. Let’s remember the lives that were lost, the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona. Let’s realize the value of freedom, the price paid in lives, captivity and enduring horrors unimaginable. Where would we be today if that day aboard the USS Missouri had not witnessed the surrender of Japan? What sort of country would we have if it hadn’t been for men who faced what they most feared and did not give up, who loved their homes, families, their country and freedom more than they loved life? Let’s not forget September 2, 1945. We must remember.