The Temecula Valley Historical Society, of which we are now members, hosts intriguing monthly presentations. What's perfect about this group is that it is located in the most historic part of Temecula- The Vail Ranch Headquarters (1867).

Wanting to make the night an event, we met with friends (Suzanne, Max and Gail) for dinner first in the Cookhouse (a food court of sorts).
For seven decades, this historic 1880 Cookhouse was the location in which ranch cooks lived, prepared and served hearty meals. You know how I love to eat in history! Fun.

Tonight's lecture was described as, "We hear the name Audie Murphy in relation to a real estate venture in Menifee, but few of us know who the man was. Thanks to Bob Kent, an avid researcher, we will learn about the life of Audie Murphy."
For those who don't know, Audie Leon Murphy (1925-1971) was an American soldier, actor, songwriter, and rancher. He was considered the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism.

After the war, Murphy embarked on a 21-year acting career. He played himself in the 1955 autobiographical film To Hell and Back, based on his 1949 memoir of the same name, but most of his roles were in westerns.
Locally, Murphy bred quarter horses at the Audie Murphy Ranch (AM Farm) in what is now Menifee, California. Sadly, Audie's gambling problems caused him to sell the ranch in 1963 to Bob Hope. Mr. Hope held onto it for twenty years before selling it to a developer who paid homage to Audie Murphy by naming it after him. How many millenials live there and have no idea for whom their community is named?!
No matter the turns his life took, including an untimely death at age 45, Audie Murphy is a true American hero. He is buried, with full military honors, in Arlington National Cemetery. His gravesite is the second-most visited annually, surpassed only by President John F. Kennedy's. The U.S. Army has always declared that there will never be another Audie Murphy. After tonight's presentation, we better understand why.