Audie Leon Murphy has been dead for more than 50 years, but his memory lives forever in the hearts of those who live in his adopted hometown of Farmersville, which this past weekend brought back its annual Audie Murphy Day celebration after a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic.

Murphy was the soldier who in January 1945 single-handedly saved the village of Holtzwihr, France from the advance of German troops. His heroism earned him the Medal of Honor and the eternal gratitude of the villagers who honor him to this day.

This year, the 21^st Audie Murphy Day celebration had events over the course of two days, Friday and Saturday. The film “To Hell and Back,” an autobiographical movie starring Murphy that tells of his exploits on the battlefield, was shown to about 150 visitors Friday night at Fine Arts on Main.

Then came an array of events on Saturday, starting with a breakfast for veterans at First Baptist Church and then a morning parade through the downtown district. Mayor Bryon Wiebold and his wife, Misty – co-organizers of this year’s event – welcomed the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, along with the 1^st Cavalry Division Band and the 1^st Calvary Division Horse Detachment from Fort Hood.

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