13 Untold Stories About America’s Most Decorated WWII Hero

1. Teenage Warrior

Murphy enlisted in the Army at just 17 years old, using falsified documents provided by his sister to circumvent the age requirement.  Despite being rejected initially by multiple branches for being underweight, his determination led him to finally secure a spot in the U.S. Army on June 30, 1942.

By the time World War II ended in Europe, this teenage soldier had already eliminated approximately 240 enemy combatants. This remarkable achievement came before he had even reached his official 21st birthday, making him one of the youngest highly decorated soldiers in American military history.