relief and refused to put them through the required close order drill. Although already recommended for a promotion to technical sergeant, his refusal on behalf of his men cost him the promotion. Upon completion of the training, Murphy and his men occupied the area of Campo Morto-Padigliano. On 1 May, the 3rd Division was sent back to Torre Astura, where they remained until 21 May. 61 infantry officers and enlisted men of Company B, 15th Infantry, including Murphy, were awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge on 8 May. Murphy was also awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster for his Bronze Star. The 3rd Division began its assault of German troops in the Second Battle of Cisterna on 22 May, and by 25 May, Cisterna and Cori were in Allied hands. Audie's platoon moved towards Artena on 26 to 27 May, regrouping with the Division at Valmontone. Combat action 29 May to 1 June put Valmontone and Labico under Allied control. After Rome was liberated, the Division was assigned to patrol the city 6 to 15 June. The Division was moved to southwest of Rome 16 June where they remained bivouacked until the end of July. Murphy was made platoon sergeant on 4 August. He moved out of Italy with the Division on 8 August 1944. European Theater Southern and southeastern France The U.S. Seventh Army under the command of Lieutenant General Alexander Patch was the initial amphibious landing force for the 15 August 1944 Allied invasion of southern France, known as Operation Dragoon. The 3rd Infantry Division was still under the command of Major General O'Daniel. At 0800 military time, they came ashore on Yellow Beach near Ramatuelle with the first wave of the assault. They began to move inland through a vineyard. As the 3rd Platoon progressed toward an incline, one of their light machine gun squads became separated. German soldiers began firing at them, initially killing one and wounding another. Murphy ran out alone to locate the lost squad and led them back to the unit. He then used the machine gun to return fire at the German soldiers, killing two and wounding one. When he relinquished the machine gun back to his men and took up a new position, he was joined by his best friend Lattie Tipton. At that moment, two Germans exited a house about away, and feigned surrender by waving a white flag. Tipton believed it