Richard Price as one of the Jones's awarded a VC :" Ooh! He's a peeler 647. Come to arrest the Zulus"Schiess the Swiss corporal of the Natal Native Contigent has just explained why he's there.

I read To Hell and Back There was a line in it that stuck in my mind when Murphy had been given a field commission. He went to visit one of the few members of his platoon still alive after fighting their way through Italy - they both started as dog soldiers. Murphy, as a lieutenant, was greeted with " Well! If it aint the creeping crawling crap from Texas" The nurses didn't know where to look.

Isn't that interesting? During The American War of Independence the Brits beat ourselves. Washington was an Englishman from Boston - and I don't mean Massachusetts.'Stonewall' Jackson, if I remember correctly, went up and down the Shenandoah valley like a fiddlers elbow. Mad as a parrot by all accounts.If I have to give an American icon apart from John Wayne it has to be Jesse Owens. An unasuming man who shoved it to the Nazis right where it hurt.

Interesting to be a fly on the wall in this discussion. I spent last winter reading bios of George Washington and other of America's Founding Fathers. Earlier today I was reading some of the papers written during that era on a website called Campaign for Liberty. One of you, in another discussion said that people just don't know their history.Even though I know a smattering, discussions like this make me realize that there is still a whole lot left to learn. Something new everyday...eh?I am learning a bunch more from this site about the Welsh heros. Again, I knew a smattering, but am looking forward to learning more.Thanks.

while i,m at it the movie zulu( went to the kerdiff premire ) watched so many times i forgot i work with a bunch of retired marines 20 years plus , and when i told them i was from wales the first thing out of their mouths was zulu , the last night of boot camp they take you to the movies and let you smoke and eat candy, and the movie they show most often zulu in their words the greatest small unit action in history they also remember the gloustershire regiments action fighting a rear guard action to cover marines , the only foreign unit to recive the presidetial unit citation of course the glousters are a border regiment in it boyo

audi murphy his mam named him after a german car?

hang on a bit wheres richard petty , chuck berry paul robeson mahalia jackson and her son reggie , sgt bilko the marx bros, carlos heathcliff annie oakley dear mr colt , donny osmond and crew , tom cruise , (ponty lad) twice removed , his genres didnt go far did they ,

Absoloutely fascinating Harold.Of course I'd heard of him and even seen clips of 'red badge of courage ' and 'to hell and back'But I never knew all that.What an amazing guy.Sir Tasker would be the closest Welsh equivelent I suppose.Its human I guess for us all to think that we are the first to do anything, experience love, fear, grief, glory, or whatever. When we come across stories such as this it reminds us that the path we think we blaze is a well trodden path.Gaz

Audie Murphy is one of the greatest of American icons. He was the most decorated American soldier in World War II winning more than 33 citations; in fact, he won every military honor available at that time, and, five of those were awarded twice to this 5 foot 5 1/2 inch, 110 lb (7 Stone, 12 lb) enlisted man from a small town in Texas. What's more, this very timid, self-effacing American soldier was awarded 5 medals by the Nation of France including it's highest award, the Legion of Honor (Grade of Chevalier) and 1 medal, Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm, from Belgium.A partial list of military honors from the United States follows:His principal U.S. decorations included the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars with Valor device, and three Purple Hearts (all for genuine combat wounds). Murphy participated in campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany, as denoted by his European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one silver battle star (denoting five campaigns), four bronze battle stars, plus a bronze arrowhead representing his two amphibious assault landings at Sicily and southern France. During the French Campaign, Murphy was awarded two Presidential Citations, one from the 3rd Inf, Division, and one from the 15th Inf. Regiment during the Holtzwihr action. WikepediaAfter returning home to America he, like millions of other returning GI's, sought to integrate himself back into civilian life by going back to farm work in Texas. His wartime notoriety, however, netted him an invitation to Hollywood by film legend James Cagney. Despite an auspicious start he eventually wound up homeless, sleeping on the floor of a gymnasium in Hollywood where performed meager chores for his meals. Then, as they say, he was "rediscovered" and once again and given a part in a movie, The Red Badge of Courage, in which he depicted a soldier cowering in fear as he first encountered the enemy in battle. The public was moved and even the critics heaped acclaim upon his performance.This launched Audie Murphy into a movie career which spanned the next three decades and saw him star in more than 44 productions on the silver screen. He was eventually persuaded, after relentless arm-twisting and cajoling from friends and family to star in a movie about his own life: To Hell and Back. The film was so successful that stood it at the top of the box office heap for 3 decades until it was finally dethroned by a great white shark called Jaws. Audie Murphy never lived to see that day.He did, however, live long enough to start yet another successful career. He became a songwriter and his songs were recorded by the likes of Dean Martin, Eddy Arnold, Charley Pride, Jimmy Bryant, Porter Waggoner, Jerry Wallace, Roy Clark, Harry Nilsson and Eddie Arnold.He was killed in private plane crash in 1971.Many tourists visiting Hollywood may notice a Star honoring Audie Murphy on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. However, his grave at Arlington National Cemetery where he was buried with full military honors remains, to this very day, the second most visited grave at Arlington--second only to President John F. Kennedy. Per his instructions, his grave stone is of standard military issue, because he requested that it should "plain and inconspicuous" and "of the type that any ordinary soldier" would receive. A grateful country awarded this inconspicious hero his last and final request.

You didn't aim this at me and I can't answer it as I can't divorce myself from my point of view as a citizen of the US (remember Canada and Mexico are also "America") but as you said Washington, are you a fan of Washington? Have you read anything about his role as the revolutionary war's intelligence kingpin? http://www.srmason-sj.org/council/journal/feb00/poteat.html http://www.amazon.com/George-Washington-Spymaster-Americans-Revolutionary/dp/0792251261 http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/2000/1/2000_1_45.shtml

Growing up in todays world wherever you are, it is impossible not to be influenced by the phenomenon of the United States and all it represents, its institutions and general influence on the globe.Throughout my life, like pretty much everyone on this planet, advertising, Hollywood myth and imagery and image creators have touched my formation. The great and the good the bad and the ugly are all there, a stream of stuff that people could spout, Abe Lincoln, Dr Luther King, Marilyn, Frank Sinatra the list is pretty much endless as it it is still ongoing, constantly reproducing itself with each generation.Hemingway and Steinbeck, Huston and Speilberg, Babe Ruth, Ali, Dan Morino, Patton, Eisenhower, I could go and on and on, its pretty mindblowing stuff. Every field of human endeavour. America goes beyond being a nation of states, its a global brand that attracts and influences without even trying to.The kind of power that can scare different mindsets into attacking it with planes into towers.I often wonder what it would be like to be an American? What type would I be? A lilly livered liberal apologist for being American? Or an obnoxious 'nuke em all' Hawk with a chestful of medals? Or where in between in that spectrum? Had my ancestors jumped on a ship there a few generations ago.Anyways I've aimed this discussion towards ex pats, out n out Americans of Welsh blood or not, and to us Welsh back here, all I want is a single icon of Americanism, just out of interest.This is a site for people with an intrest in both countries but America is the big scary one and Wales the little quaint one in this partnership.After much deliberation mine has to be GEORGE WASHINGTON.But beleive it or not, Hunter S Thompson was in the running along with Nick Nolte and Steve McQueen (well, us blond boys have a special bond you know)!! Bizzare I know
updated by @gareth-williams: 12/04/15 03:57:45PM