Audie Murphy, precisely 5ft 6 ½ (168.9 cm) tall, overcame his compact stature to become America's most decorated soldier of World War II, earning every U.S. Army combat medal for extraordinary valor. His modest height enhanced his authentic image as a determined underdog in Hollywood films like To Hell and Back, where he portrayed his own wartime heroism, and The Red Badge of Courage. A songwriter and rancher, Murphy bred quarter horses at his ranches in California and Arizona, his smaller frame belying a larger-than-life legacy.