What a wonderful giving & caring woman Pam was to our men in uniform. The history of Audie & Pam are pieces we may each not know. It is with great pride that I share with you this wonderful story.(**Kelly Richardson, a fellow blogger, shared with me this write up her Mother sent to her.**)
Pam Murphy, the widow of Audie Murphy, was involved in the Sepulveda VA hospital and care center over the course of 35 years, treating every veteran who visited the facility as if they were a VIP. Pam Murphy died last week at the age of 90.
The vets disagreed. Mrs. Murphy deserved the accolades, they said. Incredibly, in 2002, Pam's job was going to be eliminated inbudget cuts. She was considered "excess staff." "I don't think helping cut down on veterans' complaints and showing them the respect they deserve, should be considered excess staff," she told me. Neither did the veterans. They went ballistic, holding a rally for her outside the VA gates. Pretty soon, word came down from the top of the VA. Pam Murphy was no longer considered "excess staff." She remained working full time at the VA until 2007 when she was 87. "The last time she was here was a couple of years ago for the conference we had for homeless veterans," said Becky James, coordinator of the VA's Veterans History Project.
Pam wanted to see if there was anything she could do to help some more of her boys.
Funeral services for Pam Murphy will be held Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the chapel at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles. Dennis McCarthy's column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
(~~Don't miss any of the stories I will share starting with yesterday's post, for Memorial Day honoring our moments in history~~)
October 7, 1923 - April 8, 2010
Pamela Murphy, widow of WWII hero and actor, Audie Murphy, died peacefully at her home on April 8, 2010. She is survived by sons, Terry and James. Pam established her own distinctive 30 year career working as a patient liaison at the Sepulveda VA Hospital, where she was much beloved. Services will be held at Forest Lawn (Hollywood Hills) on Friday April 16 at 2:30PM
Pamela Murphy, widow of WWII hero and actor, Audie Murphy, died peacefully at her home on April 8, 2010. She is survived by sons, Terry and James. Pam established her own distinctive 30 year career working as a patient liaison at the Sepulveda VA Hospital, where she was much beloved. Services will be held at Forest Lawn (Hollywood Hills) on Friday April 16 at 2:30PM
Pam Murphy, the widow of Audie Murphy, was involved in the Sepulveda VA hospital and care center over the course of 35 years, treating every veteran who visited the facility as if they were a VIP. Pam Murphy died last week at the age of 90.
After Audie died, they all became her boys. Every last one of them.
Any soldier or Marine who walked into the Sepulveda VA hospital and care center in the last 35 years got the VIP treatment from Pam Murphy. The widow of Audie Murphy – the most decorated soldier in World War II – would walk the hallways with her clipboard in hand making sure her boys got to see a specialist or doctor — STAT. If they didn't, watch out. Her boys weren't Medal of Honor recipients or movie stars like Audie, but that didn't matter to Pam. They had served their country. That was good enough for her. She never called a veteran by his first name. It was always "Mister." Respect came with the job. "Nobody could cut through VA red tape faster than Mrs. Murphy," said veteran Stephen Sherman, speaking for thousands of veterans she befriended over the years. "Many times I watched her march a veteran who had been waiting more than an hour right into the doctor's office. She was even reprimanded a few times, but it didn't matter to Mrs. Murphy. "Only her boys mattered. She was our angel."
Last week, Sepulveda VA's angel for the last 35 years died peacefully in her sleep at age 90.
"She was in bed watching the Laker game, took one last breath, and that was it," said Diane Ruiz, who also worked at the VA and cared for Pam in the last years of her life in her Canoga Park apartment. It was the same apartment Pam moved into soon after Audie died in a plane crash on Memorial Day weekend in 1971. Audie Murphy died broke, squandering million of dollars on gambling, bad investments, and yes, other women. "Even with the adultery and desertion at the end, he always remained my hero," Pam told me.
She went from a comfortable ranch-style home in Van Nuys where she raised two sons to a small apartment - taking a clerk's job at the nearby VA to support herself and start paying off her faded movie star husband's debts. At first, no one knew who she was. Soon, though, word spread through the VA that the nice woman with the clipboard was Audie Murphy's widow. It was like saying Patton had just walked in the front door. Men with tears in their eyes walked up to her and gave her a hug. "Thank you," they said, over and over.
The first couple of years, I think the hugs were more for Audie's memory as a war hero. The last 30 years, they were for Pam.
She hated the spotlight. One year I asked her to be the focus of a Veteran's Day column for all the work she had done. Pam just shook her head no. "Honor them, not me," she said, pointing to a group of veterans down the hallway. "They're the ones who deserve it."
Any soldier or Marine who walked into the Sepulveda VA hospital and care center in the last 35 years got the VIP treatment from Pam Murphy. The widow of Audie Murphy – the most decorated soldier in World War II – would walk the hallways with her clipboard in hand making sure her boys got to see a specialist or doctor — STAT. If they didn't, watch out. Her boys weren't Medal of Honor recipients or movie stars like Audie, but that didn't matter to Pam. They had served their country. That was good enough for her. She never called a veteran by his first name. It was always "Mister." Respect came with the job. "Nobody could cut through VA red tape faster than Mrs. Murphy," said veteran Stephen Sherman, speaking for thousands of veterans she befriended over the years. "Many times I watched her march a veteran who had been waiting more than an hour right into the doctor's office. She was even reprimanded a few times, but it didn't matter to Mrs. Murphy. "Only her boys mattered. She was our angel."
Last week, Sepulveda VA's angel for the last 35 years died peacefully in her sleep at age 90.
"She was in bed watching the Laker game, took one last breath, and that was it," said Diane Ruiz, who also worked at the VA and cared for Pam in the last years of her life in her Canoga Park apartment. It was the same apartment Pam moved into soon after Audie died in a plane crash on Memorial Day weekend in 1971. Audie Murphy died broke, squandering million of dollars on gambling, bad investments, and yes, other women. "Even with the adultery and desertion at the end, he always remained my hero," Pam told me.
She went from a comfortable ranch-style home in Van Nuys where she raised two sons to a small apartment - taking a clerk's job at the nearby VA to support herself and start paying off her faded movie star husband's debts. At first, no one knew who she was. Soon, though, word spread through the VA that the nice woman with the clipboard was Audie Murphy's widow. It was like saying Patton had just walked in the front door. Men with tears in their eyes walked up to her and gave her a hug. "Thank you," they said, over and over.
The first couple of years, I think the hugs were more for Audie's memory as a war hero. The last 30 years, they were for Pam.
She hated the spotlight. One year I asked her to be the focus of a Veteran's Day column for all the work she had done. Pam just shook her head no. "Honor them, not me," she said, pointing to a group of veterans down the hallway. "They're the ones who deserve it."
The vets disagreed. Mrs. Murphy deserved the accolades, they said. Incredibly, in 2002, Pam's job was going to be eliminated inbudget cuts. She was considered "excess staff." "I don't think helping cut down on veterans' complaints and showing them the respect they deserve, should be considered excess staff," she told me. Neither did the veterans. They went ballistic, holding a rally for her outside the VA gates. Pretty soon, word came down from the top of the VA. Pam Murphy was no longer considered "excess staff." She remained working full time at the VA until 2007 when she was 87. "The last time she was here was a couple of years ago for the conference we had for homeless veterans," said Becky James, coordinator of the VA's Veterans History Project.
Pam wanted to see if there was anything she could do to help some more of her boys.
Funeral services for Pam Murphy will be held Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the chapel at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles. Dennis McCarthy's column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
That's a wonderful story. I knew of Audie Murphy, but I'd never heard anything about his wife.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your prayers for MaryGrace and for keeping me up to date on what is going on with Sherry. I,too wish we could get together more often. You and I are NOT that far apart...maybe we can work something out sometime this summer.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
andrea
What a beautiful and heartwarming story of a lady, who truly use the gifts God gave her to serve until her last breath.
ReplyDeleteLove and Hugs ~ Kat
Mary, that should be Sepulveda, CA, not VA., honey. That's in southern Calif.
ReplyDeleteThank YOU!! For these stories, especially at this time when our military men are being taunted once again. It sickens me. I have such a respect for the men and women who protect me and my family and my country.
xoxo,
Connie
Connie ~ I believe the VA stands for Sepulveda Veterans Admin Hospital.
ReplyDeleteTTFN ~ Marydon
Wonderful, wonderful story!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by.
Have a great week.
Vickie
Thanks for sharing such beautiful story. Sorry if I haven't been around. Life is running away from under my feel (BUSY!) Love you always - Nat
ReplyDeleteGreat story..i love these kinds of stories...and no matter what Audie Murphy did in his later life, he was a hero in the war.
ReplyDeletepeace,
glenda
MaryDon thanks so much for a great story for an equally great lady. I didn't know anything about Audie Murphy's wife and what a special lady she was!
ReplyDeleteI have a couple hundred old movies and I'm not really crazy about war movies but fell in love with To Hell And Back where he played himself. It ended up being the only war movie in my entire collection.
And now I find out his wife was a hero in her own right too.
A wonderful story - thanks I really enjoyed it!!!
I loved Audie Murphy's movies when I was a kid .Didn't know all the bad about him. His wife was a real hero.
ReplyDeletePatsy
I have heard of Audie Murphy quite a bit - never about his wife - so glad to 'meet' her. Thanks. sandie
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely story about a truly amazing lady....thank you for sharing her story..hugs, Linda
ReplyDeleteHi Marydon, What a wonderful story of an incredible lady. She lived a life full of inspiration. My mother also had a long career working for the VA hospital in Michigan. I have such a big respect for those that serve and give of themselves to keep us free. Thank you for sharing this story. I really enjoyed this.
ReplyDeleteAlso loved your Sunday post too.
Thank you for stopping by and your sweet comments. We are on a working vacation this week. Trying to finish some projects before it gets too hot here to be outside.
Have a great week.
Hugs, Celestina Marie
I love stories about war hero's. Thank you sooo much!
ReplyDeleteCarol
I agree, Audie was married to a lovely lady! It hurts me to see "a fading movie star" written to discribe him.
ReplyDeleteI hope the Military treats the wives of their men and their wives better than they treated me after Patricks death. Audie's wife should never have had to go through what she did.
Anyway...lots of feelings here. When there is a war on..and bugle's are sounding in our ears...things get better or so I understand. I hope so. If so, it's about time! Audie's wife should never have had to go through so much.
I remember being unable to find a decent job back in the 50's because I was married to a military man. :) The men were very poorly paid..and after all, had they wanted the men to have a wife and children they would "have issued them"... ah well...it's all over now. I was able to get my own insurance..
I was married to my Marine 43 years and through three tours in
Viet Nam.. and ended with nothing because I chose to marry again.
Hi Marydon!!!
ReplyDeleteI have an Uncle who adores Audie and I have learned to love him too!!!Visit his grave every single time I go to Arlington National Cemetery.
He is indeed a true HERO!!!!
Great story on his lovely wife, who I must say I never knew any of this.
Thanks for sharing this great story and May her children and Grand children know she is a SAINT to all of our Vets!!!
Love,
jamie
Very interesting, thank you.
ReplyDeleteBM
Thanks, Marydon! I knew that she had just died, but I didn't know the story behind her. What an amazing woman.
ReplyDeletexo
Claudia
What an amazing Woman she was... I am a huge fan of Audie I watch all his movies....I did not know how he really was in real life,,,, so sad.... Pam sounded like a real take charge lady,,, and the love she had for her boys,,, we need more like her in the VA hospitals.. they do not get enough help when they need us.. great post,,, thanks for sharing it...
ReplyDeleteHugs;
Alaura
What an absolutely great story about a woman who gave so much of herself to a wonderful cause. She was, indeed, an angel to all "her boys."
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this with us, Marydon. hugs, Sue
I have been a huge Audie Murphy fan since I was a child. His modesty and patriotism were the traits I admired most. After reading about Pam Murphy, I am just as impressed! She was an incredible lady. The love, compassion, and respect she felt for those veterans speaks volumes! In my opinion, Pam Murphy was also an American hero! Her sons must be very proud men. I would love to hug the sons of such fine American heroes! Thank you, Audie and Pam Murphy! :)
ReplyDelete