Audie Murphy, 06/20/1924 – 05/28/1971. Standing at 5’5″ and weighing 110 lbs, he was refused enlistment from the Marines, Navy, and Army Paratroopers for being too short and underweight. Finally the U.S. Army enlisted him in 1942 and he began boot camp. Murphy passed out during drill and his commander tried to transfer him to cook and bakers’ school, but Murphy refused and persevered through basic and advanced infantry training.
Audie Murphy was awarded 33 U.S. decorations and medals, five medals from France, and one from Belgium. He received every U.S. decoration for valor available to Army ground personnel at the time. He earned the Silver Star twice in three days, two Bronze Star Medals, three Purple Hearts, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the Medal of Honor. He received a battlefield commission.
Wyatt Earp (pictured right at age 75) was many things in his life: Lawman, pimp, gambler, investor, hotelier, teamster and so much more.
My point is that there was a time in America when men with fame, arrived at it not for dressing up like women, or being of one or another particular race, but for doing things.
I believe that concept to be almost completely lost in the present day when students all “deserve” A grades simply for showing up at class (some of the time), and trophies are handed out to losers to make them feel good about themselves. It’s not unlike a current NASA mission, set out by Barack, to “make Muslims feel good about themselves” because Muslim nations are a bunch of snake pits. Those with oil are wealthy snake pits — but none of them ever put a person into space and returned them safely to Earth. They have other things in mind with the rockets that they buy or build.
Hedy Lamar Was a famous Hollywood starlet. She is said to have tipped the balance of WWII. Not only is she almost unbelievably beautiful, she was also exceedingly clever. She co-invented of an early wireless form of communication; her invention allowed shortwave radio communications on the field. She gave the invention, for no compensation, to the US Government. the Germans did not yet have this capability.”
It’s interesting to compare her to present-day Kardashians and the housewives of wherever.
A friend of mine said that the Darwinian process of survival of the fittest vanished in the 1930s, when for the most part, there was enough food to feed the world and with the exception of a few hell-holes and man-caused political crisis points, humanity passed beyond the point of “only the strong survive”. Is that what’s wrong with us?
They don't make 'em like they used to, LL.
WWII saw many famous, or future famous, men and women step up in our country's need. Not so today. A side note, I was reading up on Mr. Earp and in his later years he made a friend of a young actor in Wierdywood. This young actor was so enthralled with Mr. Earp that he tried his best to emulate him in the movies by walking and talking like him. The young actor… John Wayne.
Working around young people today is so depressing. They have no concept of what it takes to have a successful life. When I see a young woman who is approaching 30 yo and has been a barista in a grocery store for her entire "career" and who, I might add, is not the least bit stupid, I shudder. What's really lacking is what we used to call gumption. Audie Murphy, Wyatt Earp, and Hedy Lamar all had gumption.
At first I thought that was not the case – however the more I think about it, the more it seems to be true.
That's very interesting. I never knew that.
Tom Micks and a number of other Hollywood types met/knew Wyatt Earp because he lived in Los Angeles.
They get by with a lot less effort and don't strive for much. As you suggest, it's not so much brains as it is drive.
I agree, but these days "gumption" is labeled as "unhealthy competitiveness" or "obsessive focus" or something worse. As far survival of the fittest goes, we are actively subsidizing production of undesirables, some of whom have a roughly 15-year generational cycle, as opposed to 20-40y for the rest of us.
Mike – you're right on target.
I wonder if that is part of the reason the wimps fear Trump, He actually has done something.
We have all these people sitting around in their onesie pajamas and whining into their cocoa. That's when they're not doing their best to be blasphemous parodies of women.
There will be a reckoning.
My step daughter just received her doctorate and my son just graduated college and is working as an engineer and serving in the Air Guard. I know countless unsung heros who are working hard and raising young families…all is not lost and they will rise to the top leaving the others in their wake. BTW…they are conservative and most are registered republicans. Believe me they are as concerned about the future as we are but are working toward their own American dream.
I'm glad you didn't say "It's Hedley"… 😉 Sorry, I digress.
I'm so glad someone is recognizing these Americans.
I don't understand how historically so much information is at our fingertips what with computers and all, yet our people are historically so stupid. I don't get it.
Take heart Adrienne,
My grandson(I admit to grandfatherly pride here) is becoming a Devil Pup. This is an organization with ties to the Marines that teaches the discipline and more that it takes to make it in this world. They put these kids trough rigorous physical training and more including teaching the respect and love of flag and country.
And the real beauty of this? The kids have to want to do this! They have to got through many trials just to qualify for a chance to go to Camp Pendelton for ten days. At least here in Vegas, you would be shocked at how many kids try out for this and stick it out!
I know how you feel on one hand, but let's not completely sell our kids short. There is a lot there and it just needs the right people and leaders to bring it out
The real problem is, will there be enough workers to overcome the free cheese crowd in the next generations???
I think the resemblance is amazing between Murphy and the actor who played him in the move.
Devil Pups? Love it, and the fact that your grandson is doing that. Good for him. But, it sounds like he has lots of encouragement from dad and grandpa which so many kids today don't have.
Trump is an alpha male. Beta's fear alphas – and for good reason.
Can you say "man bun", LSP?
Yay for the happy stories! Good job, mom.
I like that theory of survival of the fittest. It makes sense as the need/want of food is a great motivator, and there is certainly more food available to us now than ever before. All someone has to do is go to the nearest stop n rob. I think that many kids today can get what they want/need without having to work/motivate very hard at all. Things are much easier now then they were 40-50 years ago, never mind compared to the 1930's.
And Adrianne is right, Dads and Grandpas make a difference, especially to young men, but to young women as well. Feminism did us absolutely no favors at all, especially in the long term.
Suz
Rural Nevada, Well said!
Yes, three of my grandkids are in their 20's, one just graduated from college with a BS in biology, one has been a Navy corpsman for 8 years, and one graduated from diesel mech tech last fall. All are smart hard workers, and know how to get things done. I'm not giving up on them to make for themselves a good future, just because others are louder or get more media attention
Audie Murphy played himself in the movie…which I expect you know.
Now, that IS the question, isn't it?
Rural Nevada, has raised a great family, as did Brig and as have I. The question has become one of numbers and who the heroes of the present generation are. 60+% of Hillary Clinton supporters would still like her to be president – even if she's in custody, convicted of committing half a dozen felonies.
The chaff that used to fall by the wayside back in the days when successful folks had 'gumption,' they are now called Democrats. Or more accurately 'undesireables.'
Undesireables were never intended to vote by the Founding Fathers, since they didn't have the gumption necessary to own property. Now, they are actively courted by Democrat leaders, and are virtually hand carried to the ballot box.
Undesireables are now mainstream Americans, and are a force to be reckoned with. Unlike the good old days when those with gumption politely or not so politely insisted that the undesireables go around to the back porch to receive their handouts.
Are you showing your undesirable-phobic side?
I think that I'll break out my Kipling and read THE CITY OF BRASS one more time.
OK, LL, you've outed me. This is how it's going to be at my next meeting:
Fredd: "Hi, I'm Fredd and I am an undesirable-a-phobe. It's been 6 months since I've last given a handout to an undesirable."
Group: "HI, FREDD…"
Please vote in our online poll – Are you better off than you were 8 years ago?
commoncts.blogspot.com/2016/06/online-straw-poll-are-you-better-off.html
ps. Would you consider adding CC to your blogroll???
Oh no. I'd forgotten all about that. Now I remember.
"Hi Fredd"
I used to watch all of Audie Murphy's movies. As I recall, if the movie was true to life, he was shot in the bum after accepting his field commission, and sent home. He did have an amazing career.
It is obvious that common sense no longer survives. At least, not in any noticeable amount.
I think Darwin's survival of the fittest died as we were made to feel that we couldn't allow people to go homeless/ hungry/ without this that or the other that someone else had but had worked for.
Can't really explain myself tonight; but I definitely agree with you.
I've always preferred accomplishment over fame. Once upon a time, those two seemed to go hand in hand. Alas, in today's world, not so much. Audie Murphy was the original Captain America. Hedy Lamarr wins just by being so danged good looking.
His dad is an Afghan vet and now a Metro cop here in Vegas. They are a God fearing family.Luckily, we were lucky enough where our "morality" actually stuck as to their upbringing.
Seriously though, every time I see these whiny brats at the colleges and more I get sick to my stomach. About that time up comes a story of an upstanding young man or woman fighting the good fight. So there is hope.
BTW: Devil Pups derived from the great nickname for our Marines, Devil dogs. 🙂
Comments are closed.