FREEDOM FLIES IN YOUR HEART LIKE AN EAGLE






Dusty old helmet, rusty old gun,
They sit in the corner and wait.
Two souvenirs of the Second World War 
That have witnessed the time and the hate.


Mute witness to a time of much trouble,
Where kill or be killed was the law.
Were these implements used with high honor?
What was the glory they saw?


Many times I've wanted to ask them...
And now that we're here, all alone,
Relics all three of that long ago war. . .
Where has freedom gone?


Freedom flies in your heart like an eagle,
Let it soar with the winds high above
Among the Spirits of soldiers now sleeping.
Guard with care and with love.


I salute my old friends in the corner.
I agree with all they have said . . .
And if the moment of truth comes tomorrow,
I'll be free, or by God, I'll be dead!


. . . Audie Murphy, 1968


Audie Murphy was a wonderful actor who made many movies, mostly westerns. But prior to becoming a major motion picture star, he
was a true American hero. He joined the Army after the attack on Pearl Harbor, falsifying his age to enlist. He saw much action in the war, and received
every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism.   He was awarded the Medal of 
Honor for valor  in January 1945,  at the age of 19,  for single-handedly holding off a company of German soldiers for an hour,
then leading a successful counterattack while wounded and out of ammunition. He was one of the most decorated comabt veterans of WW II. 


Although he had a long and successful movie career, Audie refused to appear in alcohol and cigarette commercials because he did not
want to set a bad example. Murphy died in a plane crash in Virginia in 1971, shortly before his 46th birthday. He was interred with full military 
honors at Arlington National Cemetery, where his grave is one of the most visited. America needs more men  like Audie Murphy, a true American hero!