<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=09wQh4_1GspaRjs00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=09wQh4_1GspaRjs00" width="1200" height="600" >CRAIG COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - As we look ahead to Veterans Day, we’re remembering Audie Murphy, the war hero and movie star who died in a Craig County plane crash 55 years ago.In this week’s visit to the WDBJ7 archive, we recall the search for the missing plane, and the effort to honor the victims, which continues today.It’s a brisk morning on Brush Mountain in Craig County. And 60 people are hiking from the trailhead parking lot to a granite memorial almost a mile away. “We are here to honor Audie Murphy and to recognize and remember his courage while also giving our thanks to servicemen and women of all branches and all times,” said Salem Museum Assistant director Hunter Haskins.Murphy was the most decorated soldier of World War II. A Medal of Honor recipient, he became a movie star after his military service. But on Friday May 28, 1971, he and five others were travelling from Atlanta to Martinsville on a business trip when their plane went down in Craig County.“That journey ended here on Brush Mountain, when fog and poor weather diverted his flight to what would have been Woodrum Airfield Roanoke, ultimately taking his life and the lives of five others,” Haskins said during the ceremony Saturday morning. “Herman Butler, the pilot, Claude Crosby, Kim Dody, Jack Littleton, and Raymond Prater. All six of them left an absence among those who knew and loved them. We acknowledge them all in this moment and hold all their families in equal respect.”The Civil Air Patrol initiated a search that covered a large area of western Virginia. People in Galax had seen a small plane that appeared to be in trouble as it circled over the city.Authorities didn’t reach the crash site in Craig County until Monday afternoon.The monument was dedicated three years after the crash. The Veterans of Foreign Wars unveiled the memorial on Sunday November 10, 1974, with about 150 people attending.“Eternal Father, strong to save, from the battlefield to this mountain we give you thanks for veterans like Audie Murphy, who in great love showed up to serve and to protect and to free,” said Roanoke College Chaplain Chris Bowen.Saturday’s ceremony was the inspiration of 92-year-old Barbara Blauvelt, who was serving with the Civil Air Patrol during the search in 1971. And it was the work of many partners including the Salem Museum, Civil Air Patrol, Daughters of the American Revolution, Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, and others.Linda Mulheren is President of the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club.“I’m blown away by the people that came all the way up here to memorialize this great American,” Mulheren told WDBJ7. ”There were a lot of veterans here today, and I’m just so touched that they would take the time and energy to come up here on this mountaintop. to remember this great American hero."Students in the Roanoke College ROTC program assisted.Damon Daniels is the Coordinator of ROTC and Outdoor Adventures at Roanoke College.“I thought it was important to bring them here for this memorial, seeing as it was Audie Murphy,” Daniels said. “Previously, I had no idea he had died here, and he’s a true war hero, kind of a legend in the US Army, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to bring them here and pay respects.”Rick Duncan was 16 years old in 1971, and a member of the Craig County Rescue Squad, when he was called out of class to help with the recovery.“I was invited to come up here and I hadn’t been up here since the crash,” Duncan said. “And I had heard about the monument that they placed up here and I really wanted to see it. And there’s not many of us left who were up here that day.”Elyese Johnson-Bray Anderson represented Audie Murphy’s family. Her great grandfather and Audie Murphy’s great-grandfather were brothers.“I’ve only lived in Roanoke for seven years, and so I’ve never come up here because I didn’t want to come alone,” she said. “And this gave me an opportunity to be up here and experience what it was like, where it was at. And just knowing just over that edge over there is where the plane crashed and just how dramatic that was and how it affected the world and the family. It was emotional. I’ll be back, but this has been a very nice experience.”The ceremony included the presentation of wreaths by the family and the DAR. a moment of silence, Taps and a flyover by the Civil Air Patrol.All were paying tribute to a soldier whose courage continues to inspire others more than 50 years after his death.The tribute to Audie Murphy will continue with two more events later this week.The Civil Air Patrol and the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club have organized two free showings of “To Hell and Back” the movie based on Murphy’s life. The shows at the Grandin Theatre are scheduled on Wednesday at 3:00pm and 7:00pm.The Salem Museum is planning a special event Thursday night at 7:00pm honoring Murphy and the first responders who answered the call 55 years ago.For more information visit the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club Website, and the Salem Museum Website.</div></body>

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CRAIG COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - As we look ahead to Veterans Day, we’re remembering Audie Murphy, the war hero and movie star who died in a Craig County plane crash 55 years ago. In this week’s visit to the WDBJ7 archive, we recall the search for the missing plane, and the effort to honor the victims, which continues today.

WDBJ7 Archive: Honoring Audie Murphy

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CRAIG COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - As we look ahead to Veterans Day, we’re remembering Audie Murphy, the war hero and movie star who died in a Craig County plane c

WDBJ7 Archive: Honoring Audie Murphy

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