City Manager Ben White, left, along with his wife Carol White, Misty Wiebold and Bryon Wiebold, traveled to Holtzwihr, France, Farmersville’s sister city, for a special celebration last month. Courtesy Bryon Wiebold

Ben White and Bryon Wiebold recently returned from what could be described as a double date for the ages.

White, Farmersville’s city manager, and Wiebold, the city’s immediate past mayor, traveled to Holtzwihr, France, with their wives, Carol White and Misty Wiebold, to commemorate the heroics of a young U.S. Army officer who once called Farmersville home.

That officer was Audie Leon Murphy, the most decorated soldier of World War II.

Holtzwihr, a small village near the German border, holds an annual ceremony to honor Murphy’s valor during a fierce battle against Nazi forces. The Whites and Wiebolds were in attendance as Holtzwihr officials marked the 80th anniversary of Murphy’s heroics on Jan. 26, 1945. His bravery earned him the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award.

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