EP287: Nanny's Hands and America's Most Decorated Soldier

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When the American people.*Next story from Dennis Peterson and author from South Carolina today that it shares with us the story of his maternal grandmother, or nanny as he and his family called ears Dennis with the store hands can reveal a lot about a person.

For example, the city slicker a paper pusher or someone who sits in front of a computer all day will generally have soft, smooth hands.

Someone who does regular hard manual labor outdoors and all kinds of weather.

However, generally has hard, rough, callused hands. The former will have clean, clear, neatly trimmed nails. The latter has thick broken nails with some degree of dirt showing under the Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes character certainly would notice such things to notice that when I was growing up I noticed especially my maternal grandmother's hands nanny. We grandkids called perhaps the most prominent feature of Nanny's hands, was that they showed unmistakable evidence of arthritis. The knuckles were swollen and enlarged hard and painful looking things. I especially recall the knuckle on her index finger where the finger joined the palm of her hand, and the arthritis had drawn her index fingers inward toward the middle fingers in a painful curve. Her hands must often have hurt her because she continually rub and she sometimes massaged into the various lotions and ointments such as Kaz Walker's super terms. I have often wondered as I observed Nanny's arthritic hands.

If there was a connection between arthritis and hard work because Nanny's hands were always hard-working hands if they were not busy doing some kind of work she was patting the arm of her chair with them or tapping the side of her leg or rubbing them.

Her hands were seldom still Nanny's hands washed piles and piles of clothes long before she got an automatic wringer washer. I recall mother's recounting help Mondays were washday, they built a fire back in the yard heated water and then carried it to the back porch where they ported into a large tub and went the dirty clothes and the line so and then then he scrubbed the close on an old washboard. The hot water in the live burning her hands bright red strong hand ranks the close and rung the water from them before hanging them on the line to dry in the bright sun in the clear country air Nanny's hands were also busy in the kitchen preparing and then frying or baking various foods, peeling and mashing potatoes, shelling peas, breaking and stringing beans, peeling and slicing apples or peaches or needing a rolling upgrade down.

She was always fixing her had just fixed something so there was always something to eat.

Nanny's house one could always count on her having some kind of desert kitchen, coconut cake, stack cake, chocolate cake, apple pie crusts were always what we kids describe this style, meaning that one could hold a piece of pine hand and eat it without its breaking apart in my favorite fried apple pies.

One of them was a meal in itself, almost as good as a moon pie like a moon pie one of Nanny's fried apple pies and NRC: which sure ruined a guys summer Nanny's hands were also expressed should use them a lot when she talked, gesturing, pointing, waving all motions designed subconsciously to further communicate whatever she was saying and they often cover her mouth, not only when she was suddenly surprised by something or alarmed by what she had just heard, but also when something had tickled her and she was trying to suppress a laugh but Nanny's hands arthritic, disfigured, tired and worn, though they were most of all kind and gentle hands. They could as easily wipe away a tear, fear, comfort, homesickness, uncleanness, great as they could carry a heavy bucket of coal to feed her hungry warm morning stove. They could as easily and gently caressing the hand of the young grandson just going off to college, giving tactile proof of promised prayers as they would grab and break off a switch with which to administer grandmotherly discipline to some people. Nanny Summers's hands might have seemed unsightly, perhaps even ugly. But to me, those hands were among the most beautiful and most lovely hands on earth. And what a beautiful piece. Special thanks to Monty Montgomery for the production and to Dennis Peterson and author from South Carolina for sharing the story finger joined the palm of her hand contortions of arthritis. When you look at it you know it's painful for continually rub them. He said, and they were hard-working hands. She wondered if arthritis came from hard work. Something he said Nanny's hands were ugly to me. They were beautiful. Then as I hear Dennis tell the story about his Nanny's hands.

I can't help but think of bellwethers tells by the way, remarkable story that his own grandmas and in my favorite bellwethers on one of my favorite songs grandmas hands you to and look for a bellwethers concert version as he tells the story of his grandma's hands. Dennis Peterson story about his Nanny's hands here on our American story view of the great American stories we tell and love America like we do for asking you to become a part of the our American stories family.

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It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be UHC Medicare health plans.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. I know everything about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent and company business owners to help you pass. State Farm is in your corner and on neighbor. There call your local State Farm agent for quote today will continue. Stories are about to tell you one of the essential American stories that one of the most esteemed American vets. Chances are you've never heard this man's name. Now let's go to the story of 250 kills in World War II is America's most decorated soldier having received the award citation and decoration the Army could give including all before we look became a movie star in 17 songs which were recorded by guys like Dean Martin Fisher Wegner Jimmy Dean and Charlie pride wrote a best-selling autobiography and started its film meditation became universal studios highest grossing film 20 years Josh broke its record in 1975. His grave is the second most visited Arlington national Cemetery, JFK since the first. Yet this 5 foot, 510 pound baby faced hero is practically unknown in America today, which is astonishing considering just 50+ years ago he received more fan mail than any other celebrity in Hollywood. Find out more about this American hero. Let's take a listen to the man who wrote the book. Dr. David E. Smith is an American history professor at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He wrote the price of valor, life Audie Murphy, America's most decorated hero World War II. I asked him who is Audie Murphy an American combine role at the most decorated soldier from the war we've ever fought the same time right after he was a movie star, Hollywood movie star cultural cachet. They would never have one of the things that about him that he bring these role bring together the role of genuine hero and celebrity and they don't match they don't match at all me that he wrote was a very pretty killer. An important cultural element within any culture hero is how we learn what virtue hero is someone who small amount of time. Body of particular virtue of an idea we have trouble relating until we play. That's what he was termination. The patriotism that becomes a movie and hated being he didn't like movie stars.

His first wife, whom he made the year wanted the movie Hollywood part hated celebrity and talent to hang around other actors, mostly on that would hang around the horse Wrangler died here in 13 Maryland 311, three biology and legend hero is a man of divine ancestry was endowed with great courage and strength celebrated for his brave exploits and savored by the gods in reality, Audie was all these things, but as to the part of ancestry. It was far from divine years.

Joanne Mattern, author of Audie Murphy back going on 1925 and he was born in and that mean that they picked cotton field field where owned by someone else and turned her working all they got was a little live in the money that they earned everything else went to the owner of the field no more than a little.

It had no running water, no bathroom know that you could be 12 children altogether, and where old enough, maybe 450. They went to work, but he later that that worked and that it was a full time job.

In fact, when Audie was born, his mother Josie couldn't take time off to take care of the baby so she put them in the baby and took him out the name of Amit and Emmett oriented in gambling and having a good time and the only time they got any meat that he and his brothers went out and hunted them. I neighbor once done a bullet in it and that he went hunting for rabbit and portal at the left and the gun shot. He was use Audie sister Dean Murphy Willow Clinton were killer rabbit on Ron Townley. Randy's cyber lab died because he is right here again is Dr. Smith find him throughout his entire life is duty to the people who are depending on him. He felt his duty toward his younger sibling in a profound way. Times were beginning to unfold. That would shape his destiny forever.

The country was in the throes of the Great Depression that one point things got so bad for the Murphys that they moved into a railroad boxcar when he was 13 years old father left the family never came back. Now you can in order to do that though he never got but in the family was his mother. Josie and 1941, died of pneumonia and he that is not unusual in the story of a sharecropper family Lily when the sharecropper runs like to take care of their children younger brother take care and couldn't take care of work today would everything is Murphy is Michael last time Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor seven probably Audie Murphy and Michael Hackney were actually double date with the Ater and after they returned from the movie theater learn course of of the bombing immediately. All the young man chose to join that included Ali Murphy as well about 70 years old plus, he was playing with that baby face neatly recognize the need to go dries Marines.

They virtually laughing out the door. The paratroopers let that never works out.

So finally, he is distinctly runoff. In essence, that he does enjoy no year old anyone so he went and joined the Army story so far. I movie but just didn't know just didn't know the circumstances. My goodness, losing a father and mother and then having kids often living out of a boxcar back on the life of Audie Murphy.

This is our American stories with we have such a special brought to you by near attack ODT we recorded at and Windows hang out near attack ODT were not 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still such an exciting event like Windows hang out I had when I took minor tech PT. I was present amazing time of our conversation with some of our closest friends & was brought to you by near attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg life with migraine attacks can mean missing out on big moments with friends and family, but only near attack ODT were magic 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines and adults sell like Windows hang out down have to be next to millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment.

Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be UHC Medicare health plan's.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives.

I know everything about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent call and confident that State Farm is in your corner and on neighbor.

There call your local State Farm agent for quote today telling the story never seen the movie comes on TV all the time.

This time, don't skip. It's terrific.

His life story should be a remake to everybody today knows. Let's return to Greg and Audie start Army infantry is the most accepting of recruits who appear to possess the least amount of skills, Murphy attended to boot camps before seeing any action in both camps. The Army tried nicknamed baby try to put them in their post office and then their kitchen. Audie would have none of it pushed around from the very beginning would literally put himself until he collapsed him.

Remember clearly all the carriers wanted to find someplace that he might be a better one. Take one of the tree and I'm to do it. Reluctantly, they thought he was assigned to Company B, 15th infantry Regiment, third division, no one can know that this poor tenant farmers one day help because my promise thousand you're right performing such wondrous deeds data seemed almost mythological about the third division in the invasion of Sicily and Larry is a soldier in his company and they are dreamily closed. Laddie has been estranged wife and daughter and Audie. I don't think he realizes special to wife and daughter, because he doesn't have much in the way family and he talks to Laddie about it all and know you're going to get back to Syria going to get back to are you going to be a great father.

They come ashore in France in August, 44, and fighting their way up the hill. Laddie working their way up till the whole. The German machine gun and played and they surrendered and they they wave one. Laddie says okay.

We can go get German sniper from someplace else up on the hill.

Laddie any collapses right down in lab draw. And everybody heard me and goes back to Laddie body cries over and heartbreaking, but it him cervical distinguished service Cross is the second highest military award after the medal of honor. That was one of the only two moments in Audie's life.

He openly admitted to crying the other being the death of his mother is Dr. Smith with the heroic act that would earn Audie Murphy the Congressional medal of honor in the respect and love of the United States of America medal of honor is probably the most impressive story that you make here to the German border wintertime, the snow on the ground.

Icy cold leading a couple of tanks and a platoon of soldiers southward toward town from the town toward him from the company of German soldiers, maybe more, maybe of Italian and to what he has with him are a couple of things that look like tanks but there call paint destroyers there faster and lighter than tanks meant to be able to shoot tanks than Galway but both of those things.

Both of those paint destroyers are knocked out of commission really early on in this firefight and he realizes that without those paint destroyers to give his men cover to be incredibly hard for them to continue their pushed south across the field and he orders his men to start to fall back toward the forest and he stayed out of the front point of the position because he has a radio is calling in artillery from the rear telling you where to drop the artillery round and he was always very good at this, which served him very well and he pulled back and both of the tanks that are with him have been knocked out and he realizes that if the Germans overrun this position that he had.

They will go straight into the woods and straight to the headquarters of his company and overrun their entire position and he got a stay there as long as he can and yelling into the radio yell and coordinate any sort of backing up many realizes that over to his right think that's been knocked out of commission and that the minute cited that he he he realized that the 50 caliber gun up on the top of it up on the chart is still operable and he climbed up on the tank and he he trained the gun on the Germans coming across the field toward him and that the tank is burning so it's producing a lot of smoke and it masks his position against him covered like a smokescreen and he swiveled back and forth with the 50 caliber shooting at these German soldiers that are coming across the field and getting really close. Later he said I remember being up on the fun I had was the first time my feet have been warm for three months and across the radio comes the question, how close are they to your position is responsive, but you talk to one and it gets to the point where the shell coming in and hitting our jarring him and taking him around the hitting so close to them and finally, finally, they begin to pull back and and he realizes that the Germans are withdrawn and he climbed down off the spanking, shaking, and he walks over to a tree and he leaned against treating just slumped down to the ground and write about that time the tank he was standing on explode and it blows that you know what happened in the air and often the word and the people who watch the people who filled out the report for him eyewitness reports for him to get the medal of honor said they had never even seen anything like it.

They couldn't believe it. Based on the couldn't believe it and they sought and when we come back more of this remarkable story Audie Murphy story here on our American stories. The final segment of this remarkable life American stories we bring you and firing stories of history, sports, business, faith and love stories from the great and beautiful country need to be told we can't do it without you are stories are free to listen to with her not free to make love are stories in America like we well American stories.com click the donate button give a little. Great American stories coming American stories.com Tori we have such a special brought to you by near attack ODT we recorded at event windows hang out near attack ODT were not to plant 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still such an exciting event. Windows hang out I had when I took minor tech PT. I was present amazing time of our conversation with some of our closest friends & was brought to you by near attack ODT were met to plant 75 mg life with migraine attacks can be missing out on big moments with friends and family only near attack ODT were magic 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines else sound lively events like windows, hang out down have to be next to millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be UHC Medicare health plan's.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. I know everything about running a coffee shop for small business insurance.

I need my State Farm agent call and confident that State Farm is in your corner and on neighbor. There call your local State Farm agent for quote today and we continue without stories. Let's return to Greg in the final part you have and end up in a foxhole with body Murphy was going to talk to you and what you might hear is not what you think all the time finds himself sitting foxhole with body Murphy and Audie. You know, don't be afraid to be scared there's going to be times when you're scared that Audie tell I'm always scared the front irony is that everybody else in the division says when we hear that Audie Murphy the front. The rest of us go to sleep. Sleep well, but I will be time to cry and it's okay to cry. Audie transformed very much over the course of soldier from someone who had nothing day like file for people who can't take it break under combat to somebody who understand how harrowing it isn't what it was attendance in the thousands. Murphy received his medal of honor Austrian city of Salisbury may of 45 airfield just outside of Falkirk have the survivors will already be brave soldier but the guy killed the one who deserved the honor photographs of him venting there. You think.

Thanks to life magazine putting Audie on its cover. He returned an American hero. I asked Dr. Smith to put into context what it meant to grace the cover of life magazine in the 19th there's nothing day. Think about this. Sometimes I think of anything today that is analogous to life magazine in 1945. There's nothing that has the cultural centrality. There's nothing that in one magazine in one photograph can make you a national icon but life magazine would like that and in life magazine had heard about him had heard about him coming back to Texas had heard about the ceremony that he threw the photographer to do a photo essay in in the little town of Farmersville in Greenville where he lived. But if you get that life magazine you open it up you look you see photograph of him getting his hair cut with a bunch of farmers looking in item this cover and it shows him fresh face looking like high school football quarterback in the military uniform. He evidently gone. He looks and I think this is important. He looks completely on guard by his.

He looks as fresh face as if he was fresh out of high school and of course not. You can't tell it all by looking that this guy killed 250 soldiers.

This guy was shot repeatedly. This guy was 50% disabled. According to U.S. Army and this guys carrying around already carrying around some terrible emotional baggage that's keeping him from sleeping at night, but Gary is on the cover of the line. One of Hollywood's biggest movie stars Sonia Murphy on the cover of life magazine and pick up the phone. Here again, Joanne matter is a famous actor named, and the Audie and I should be in the movie invited to come and try to be a movie and even lived with him for a while but I didn't really take off though and ended up sleeping in an exam that a friend of his own bounced around a little bit but then in 1949 he wrote a book called Helen back and that was all about his experiences in the war and the book with a huge bestseller and got Hollywood's attention again so he ended up making a few movies, mostly Western and he didn't care for Western like every movie will have the same lot that left movie dead and one of my favorite quote.

He said that the same and some of the dialogue. Only the horses or change and what happened even doing these movies and kind of putting along Helen back with you to bestseller and Universal Studios decided to make it into a movie and they wanted Audie to start and I said no heat that I don't want the public to think I'm trying to be famous by by saying look at me on the work hero, but eventually he changed his mind because he felt that he could show how brave all the soldiers were who went thought who had died and kinda do attribute them you the movie and he also wanted to make sure the movie was as realistic as possible and dying. And it meant that he could happen say and you know how the battle for days and the uniforms and how to how the actors came to the elders doing it. The movie came out in 1955. It was a huge hit it with actual Universal Studios highest earning movie until 1975 when John came out and it was the high point of Buddy's acting career. He went on to the movies and television. After that, but that was really the high point going on off screen difficult for him.

Nowadays, we would understand that he had posttraumatic stress disorder from his time in battle. But during the 50s that term didn't exist yet, and people were really aware of so Audie actually and he started to speak out about how he felt that he had trouble sleeping. Every time he heard a loud noise.

He would jump he slept with a gun under his pillow when he went out in public when he was driving down the road.

He was constantly looking for danger. You know, looking for something to jump out at him and he said when he was speaking out, he said to be trained to kill, and then come back into civilian life and be alone in a crowd. It takes an awful long time to get over it. But EDP try to help others through his experiences as Audie's friend, film director, but that occur Audie struggle with PTSD called me one day and he said I'm sitting here with my 45 the pictures in good shape. Don't worry about a thing. I'm going to blow my brains out and I had two seconds. I said that's really great.

He supported me as one of what you mean. I said for every kid in the country who venture the greatest fella who ever lived.

That will make everybody in the United States: pull the trigger, he said, you son of Audie's life clearly defined who he was and what he stood for his death was no different than anyone. I will plan and help 45 years old and because he was aware veteran and hero. He was buried at Arlington with full military honors and you are a medal of honor winner your gravestone and the lettering done gold trim very eye-catching and he didn't want that the plane gravestone and it just with his name very plain very brief doesn't really get any. And what a hero he was and he cemetery. The first one being president John Kennedy's grave the most popular American using duction on a biography Helen back is how he concludes I was first aware of Murphy as a war hero was on the cover of life magazine when I was a youngster not long before his untimely death in an airplane accident. I was working in California when Audie Murphy came back into the news woman friend of his center dog to a trainer. She wasn't happy with the results. As I recall he started to intervene. He visited the dog trainer who then complained to the police. Murphy had shot the local police brought Murphy in for questioning. When Murphy was released without charges.

A large number of reporters were outside the police station.

Murphy agreed to take questions. One of the reporters asked to shoot at the body.

Murphy decorated combat veteran of World War II. It is interrogator for a moment and then said that familiar Texas voice. If I had you think I would've missed.

I love that moment Audie Murphy for as a citizen soldier and hero, and great job on the Dragon again 250 confirmed kills one man humble beginnings, humble in birth and humble in death story here on our American stories Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65.

You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage.

It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be UHC Medicare health plans.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. Carpentry is my hustle for small business insurance.

I need my State Farm is there small business owners to so they know how to help you best like a good neighbor, call your local State Farm agent for quote today, nearly 60,000 women diagnosed with uterine cancer cancer talk to a doctor about your family about their cancer history, uterine cancer symptoms leading is unusual for you, because treatment is most effective early appointment. If you have any concerns your body is important for the campaign to learn more