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Audie Murphy's k98 sniper

Here’s the scope
 

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There are some good up close pics of it. It's a nice piece, but I think the stock was wanked a bit, probably by Audie himself. He was quite the man, so I think him pimping the stock a little adds value.
 
He killed the guy using the HT with an Winchester M1 carbine. Pretty sure it had flip sights. He counter-snipered seven German snipers with a carbine. That one was given to his sister. The gifting was shown on the cover of life magazine showing Audie with his sister and the rifle. He was a little guy with big nads, heck of a man. IIRC, there is an Underwood carbine at Ft. Gordon that Audie supposedly used so he was likely issued more than one?

I wonder if that cook stove was the one in at the farmhouse everyone was pining for and it got the guy killed when it caught on wire when he was crawling under it.?

Somebody please donate an M1911A1 after they find out what kind/maker which he carried and slept with for the rest of his life. That glossy thing just does not work in that setting.
 
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Picture mentioned in Life Magazine

Someone mentioned the Life Magazine with the HT, here it is.
 

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Audie Murphy's sniper rifle

I have always been a huge Murphy fan as well as collecting sniper rifles. Seeing the July 16th, 1945 Life magazine I made a promise to someday try and find and hold his sniper rifle. In the mid 1990's I found out Audie's rifle was on display down at the Audie Murphy Veterans Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. As luck would have it I became close friends with Audie's sister Billie and Nadene, and on a visit to see them in northern Texas I told them of the wish I had made 40 years earlier. Billie had never been to the hospital and volunteered to accompany me. We arrived at the huge hospital and Billie although a quiet person went up to the front desk and asked to see the hospital director. She was told that was impossible as he was busy. Billie said quietly, "You tell him Audie Murphy's sister is here and I want to talk to him. A phone call and within minutes the lobby was filled with the hospitals VP's. The lobby museum was filled with Audie Murphy mementos and closed off and the glass display cases all opened. At Billie's request the sniper rifle was removed and handed to her who in turn handed it to me. My wish had come true. I have collected 98's my whole life and on that day the sniper rifle was 100% matching and had original finish on both metal and wood. The hospital's professional photographer took about 50 close detailed photos of the rifle later on and sent them to me. The high light of the day was when word spread through the hospital that Audie's sister was there requests poured in for patients to meet her. She went to all the different floors and everybody had a tear in their eyes seeing these terminal sick men light up as she shook their hands. Sister Nadene told me that Audie had sent the sniper scope back to Texas in March 1945 to her brother in law Poland Burns in Farmersville, Texas and brought the sniper rifle back home in Farmerville with him in June 1945, shortly after he had received the Medal of Honor.
 
Audie Murphy's sniper rifle

I will dig out the photos from my files and post in mext couple of days, Thanks for the interest
 
mike radford said:
He killed the guy using the HT with an Winchester M1 carbine. Pretty sure it had flip sights. He counter-snipered seven German snipers with a carbine. That one was given to his sister. The gifting was shown on the cover of life magazine showing Audie with his sister and the rifle. He was a little guy with big nads, heck of a man. IIRC, there is an Underwood carbine at Ft. Gordon that Audie supposedly used so he was likely issued more than one?

I wonder if that cook stove was the one in at the farmhouse everyone was pining for and it got the guy killed when it caught on wire when he was crawling under it.?

Somebody please donate an M1911A1 after they find out what kind/maker which he carried and slept with for the rest of his life. That glossy thing just does not work in that setting.
Click to expand...

It's been some years since I read his book. I recall where he walked up on a sniper and while dodging the shot close up got pinged in the buttocks but one handed shot the german dead on the fly with his carbine.
Is there a more detailed book of his actions during the war ?.
 
gew98 said:
It's been some years since I read his book. I recall where he walked up on a sniper and while dodging the shot close up got pinged in the buttocks but one handed shot the german dead on the fly with his carbine.
Is there a more detailed book of his actions during the war ?.
Click to expand...

Read "No name on the bullet" by Don Graham. Of course there is also Audie's book "To hell and back". Audie was very modest in the book (and also in real life), he gave credit to his fellow soldiers and downplayed his own heroic deeds. One of his fellow soldiers said they slept well when they knew Audie was at the front.
 
Hiway 89 from the North Carolina line to galax va used to have an airport on the west side of the hiway. People could hear the plane carrying Audie Murphy trying to land but it could not because of the heavy fog. The plane later crashed killing the hero on a mountain side in Virginia. He was a true hero!
 
gew98 said:
It's been some years since I read his book. I recall where he walked up on a sniper and while dodging the shot close up got pinged in the buttocks but one handed shot the german dead on the fly with his carbine.
Is there a more detailed book of his actions during the war ?.
Click to expand...

I've read To Hell And Back Several times and it is a good read if you haven't read it. The only other book on him I have read is The Price of Valor, which delves into his life both before, during and post WW2. It was informative. I had heard somewhere that his To Hell And Back was ghost written and therefore led some to think it was full of exaggerations. But The Price of Valor explains that in the 50's Murphy had a roommate that he told all his war stories to and this roommate wrote them with Murphy's approval and assistance.
 
Intruder196 said:
I've read To Hell And Back Several times and it is a good read if you haven't read it. The only other book on him I have read is The Price of Valor, which delves into his life both before, during and post WW2. It was informative. I had heard somewhere that his To Hell And Back was ghost written and therefore led some to think it was full of exaggerations. But The Price of Valor explains that in the 50's Murphy had a roommate that he told all his war stories to and this roommate wrote them with Murphy's approval and assistance.
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I can recall that feel of "ghost written" regarding to hell and back...just so much not said therein. I will look for "the price of valor" now. Thanks !.
 
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