When did Audie Murphy begin to distinguish himself as a combat soldier?
Due to his fragile physical appearance, Murphy still had to fight the system to get into combat. His persistence paid off in early 1943 when he was shipped out to North Africa with his combat initiation coming when he took part in the liberation of Sicily in July 1943. Murphy distinguished himself in combat on many occasions while in Italy, fighting at the Volturno River, at the Anzio beachhead, and in the cold, wet, desolate Italian mountains. While in Italy, his instinctive skills as a combat infantryman began to earn him promotions, increased responsibilities, and decorations for valor.
