Synthesis Essay – Audie L. Murphy
MSgt John C. Latham
Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy
September 9, 2015
Instructor: StFw Rainer Lichtsinn
Audie Murphy “August, 1944. Beach landing south of France. Suddenly the day is ripped apart by the sound of machine gun fire; you and your men are pinned down with no help en route. As you rush forward, sliding in amongst your men, you see the fear in their eyes. If ever there was a now or never moment, now is it. With no regard for your own safety, you slam a fresh magazine in your carbine, grab two grenades and charge around the farmhouse between you and the machine gun nest. You quickly find yourself separated from your men; the only option is
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By taking the lead and directing the assault on the machine gun nest from the point position, Sgt Murphy provided a focus point for his men to rise to the occasion and press forward when they had little, to no motivation to continue. At this point in time, this type of leadership trait was visionary in respect to how military leaders were trained to behave thus successfully removing the status quo. We can also see that when applying the concept of Emotional Flexibility in regards to the Three Elements of Adaptability (BCEE, 2014b, p. 6-7), Sgt Murphy was able to control not only his own emotions in regards to fear, apprehension, and concern. But he was able to assess his men’s emotional situation and concentrate them on the act of completing the mission. In a passage from Audie Murphy’s Autobiography, To Hell and Back, “For the first time in the war, I refuse to accept facts. While Brandon grows cold beneath my hand, I keep telling myself, ‘He is not dead. He can’t be dead, because if he is dead, the war is all wrong; and Brandon has died in vain.’” (A. Murphy, 1949, p. 177). It was at this point when Audie Murphy moved forward to finish the attack on the German machine gun nest. Audie Murphy suppressed his urge of fear in order to adapt to the situation at hand. If he had not adapted to this situation, and been able to provide an inspirational example to his
Hillenbrand aims the story towards anyone with a military backgroud or someone who is fond military survival stories. Hillenbrand references many WWII figures, places, techniques, or objects that people without knowledge of WWII or wars in general may not understand. This book could also be intended for anyone who is looking to gain determination or hope of their
Lt. Audie L. Murphy’s name stands as one of the most prominent in American military history. He was a figurehead of leadership and the epitome of the seven Army Values (Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage). He was a model for every soldier to follow, one that overcame every odd that was ever against him and rose to conquer every challenge. In his personal memoir “To Hell and Back”, he expressed a very personal view of what it takes to embody these characteristics which would eventually encourage anyone who reads it. In the next few paragraphs I will expound on his leadership and analyze what it really takes
Through the distress of a single man, Jarrell is able to depict the fears of a lonely soldier in an extremely vulnerable position, and invites us into the heinous reality of war which forces us to question our impressions of soldiers having no fear yet not questioning their bravery. War can produce gruesome situations that can cause even the bravest men to face their fears, but it is how they deal with this fear that is the important part. Ball turret gunners were courageous warriors. They were fully aware of how susceptible to death they were, nevertheless, they would continue to fight time after time. WWII was a dreadful episode in human history that killed millions of people, and its bloodshed is described by the UN Charter as a scourge that “has brought untold sorrow to mankind”. Jarrell had served in the military himself, thus he knew - at least to some extent -
Earning the rank of NCO in the Marine Corps is a difficult feat and it is the mentor’s job to guide his mentees on a path that would have them attain not only the next rank but also any goals they may have set out for themselves. No one can put the mentorship program in any better words than Gen John A. Lejeune himself. He once said “One must put himself in the place of those whom he would lead; he must have a full understanding of their thoughts, their attitude, their emotions, their aspirations, and their ideals; and he must embody in his/her own character the virtues which he would instill into the hearts of his/her followers.”. Which in my interpretation I believe him to be saying Not only does the Marine
The Royal Canadian Air Cadets is an example of a community activity that I have actively taken many leadership roles in. Having served the Royal Canadian Air Cadets for more than four years with the 540 Golden Hawks Squadron, I partake in various activities. I have also learned numerous invaluable life and work skills such as teamwork, leadership and confidence, all of which are not spoon-fed to us, but rather acquired from the experiences that I have been through with cadets. We are constantly coached and supervised by Officers who encourage us to lead others. As we age and climb up the ranks, we are encountered with many leadership opportunities that we are strongly encouraged to take.
Stewardship of the Army Profession is the last of the Five Essential Characteristics of the Army Profession, but in terms of importance, it is just as, if not more important than the other four. The United States Army’s ADRP-1, or Army Doctrinal Reference Publication 1, even defines stewardship as “the responsibility of Army professionals to ensure the profession maintains its five essential characteristics now and into the future”. Such importance is placed on this characteristic because Stewardship of the Army Profession is the one that ensures the other four are maintained. I sought out the definition of stewardship because despite having spent almost three and a half years and West Point, I was not entirely sure what the doctrine behind Stewardship was. In doing this, I felt like I was better prepared for both this paper and ensuring that the corrections I made were stewarding the profession. With this newly acquired knowledge, I set out to make my corrections.
It seemed like ages before he was free. He ran back towards the British line, expecting at any moment to feel a bullet rip through him. Then, out of the blue, a single shot rumbled across the dormant battlefield. Ed spun around just in time to see the German commander’s pistol smoking. The machine gunner who had spared his life was slumped over, motionless.
It was September 30th 2015 and I was coming off Active Duty Orders working for the Indiana Army National Guard Military Funeral Honors Team. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next. When I went to Joint Forces Headquarters to pick up my DD Form 214, I ran into the Sergeant Major that was in charge of Recruiting and Retention for Indiana. I talked to him a little bit and he asked me if I had ever thought about becoming a recruiter. I told him that I have thought about it, but everyone I knew, told me that I couldn’t handle the stress of being a recruiter. Sergeant Major told me that the excuse I gave him should motivate me even more to be a recruiter. I told him that I would sleep on it and call him in the morning. The next morning, I called Sergeant Major and told him that I was ready to accept the challenge and be a RRNCO (Recruiting and Retention Non-Commissioned Officer).
All bullets were counted, beds made, uniforms cleaned, this occurred until suddenly 03:45 arrived. “Men, the time is nearly here,” my words choked as self-hatred flooded my body, “What we do here today will be remembered for generations to come, we fight today not only for ourselves, but all who we know. All our mates and family who live back home!” A faint cheer followed my speech as I steadied myself for what was to come. “We charge in 5 minutes. We charge not only for our freedom but for the freedom of our country. For the freedom of the world!” Spit filled the air from the cheer which erupted from my unit this time. A unity formed over the men, a cold malevolent sweat captured me. Who was I to send these boys to their death? A resolve set inside me, I would fight alongside my men, their lives are worth the same as mine. 04:00 “THIS IS IT MEN! WE FIGHT FOR THE WORLD!” I screamed as I led the charge. Vaulting out of the trench I saw no man’s land clearly for the first time. Death was everywhere, flies swarming the pools of blood. The land so barren of life no greenery was seen. A cold resolution set over me, it was the Germans fault, they caused
We all sleep and rest and eat in the trenches, but it’s not paradise. One night, the sound of loud booms woke us up. We were being attacked by some very dangerous artillery. We could feel every boom and every crack in the dirt above us. Many soldiers were not prepared for this and got sick. The attack come out of nowhere and frightened all of us.
The Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer is, to some, just words that must be uttered during ceremonies and those times when new sergeants earn their stripes. To others, there is no higher thought. These Soldiers live their time while in uniform trying their best to uphold everything written in those three paragraphs. Some choose what those words mean; others make little effort in deciding but let others decide for them. When I entered the service of my country 6 years ago, I had no clue that such a creed existed. My family included wartime veterans; my grandfathers served in korea. And my great Grandfather in world 1. They All served honorably and passed down many stories of both tragic and valorous deeds. They all know and have told me
I am writing this letter to respectfully ask for your support in helping me become one of the many distinguished cadets at the United States Military Academy. I have achieved so much in my 16 years of life and being appointed into the academy will be very well-deserving and forthcoming to all the amazing opportunities that the academy has to offer. I have worked tremendously hard to obtain a 4.0 gpa and maintain a class rank in the top 100 of my 1000 person class. With your help I can hopefully be appointed as a West Point candidate for the class of 2022.
“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done, because he wants to do it”. -34th President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower.
There are many job oppurtunitiesin the army. Anyone one can join and be anything he wants. In the army everyone has the chance to travel the world. The army has certain benefits and requirements. All of them will be explained.
The Army and the Air Force have many similarities and differences, some of the similarities are the troop’s dedication, diversity, and patriotism, and some of the differences are the way each branch trains, their respective customs, and quality life.