Let's tour the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum in Greenville.
Jessica registers everyone.
Almost time for the buses.
The buses are here so let's get a seat.
Thirty minutes later we are in Greenville at the museum.
Wind was trying to blow off our badges.
We made it!
Hold on to that cup of coffee, Jon!
Marianne Burgeson, Vernon White and Helen Savage listen to the tour guide.
Lots of Audie Murphy items for sale in the gift shop.
We saw a short documentary about Audie Murphy before entering the museum.
Linda and Gary Stopani and Jimmie Roberts remember some of the old actors' pictures.
Vernon White and Helen Savage look at the memorabilia on the actors' wall.
We examine the cabinets full of articles about Audie and other heroes.
Mary Anne Harris' parents rented a room to one of Audie's aunts.
Audie served in the 3rd Infantry Division and became the most decorated soldier of WWII.
The 3rd I.D. fought over a lot of territory in Europe.
Many medals were awarded to Audie Murphy. He gave most of them away but the family had them replaced.
Audie's discharge papers from the United States Armed Forces in 1945.
Cowboy hats were fine for the movies but this was one of Audie's favorites. He appeared in 44 movies.
Audie played himself in his autobiographical movie in 1955.
Many types of guns were manufactured as a tribute to Audie Murphy because he was such a good marksman.
Audie died in a plane crash in 1971 and was interred, with full military honors, in Arlington National Cemetery. He requested a plain and inconspicous tombstone.
Audie had been a songwriter and had many songs on the top charts. In 1996, he was inducted posthumously into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Then on to the King Cotton part of the museum. The bale weighs approximately 500 pounds.
A typical cotton broker's office.
This machine was used to compress the bales of cotton.
This plow was used to form the cotton seed bed. The additional metal piece called a Rooster's comb was welded on to the plow blade to break the clods of heavy Blackland.
Farm journal to record the type of work and the long days.
All of these products contain cottonseed products -- from dynamite to fingernail polish to shortening to ...
1906 Cadillac Model K sold for $750 new in January, 1906.
Jerry wants one to go with his '34 Ford Coup.
Old gas pump and pump organ.
Yes, Texans continue to serve their country proudly.
We hopped back on our buses to visit the memorial.
The bronze statue of Audie Leon Murphy is very impressive.
Audie did not consider himself a hero.
The memorial contains marble tablets listing every Hunt-county soldier who died in various wars.
Memorable quotes from past presidents deorate the other side of the marble tablets.
Back on the bus and across I20 to Mary of Puddin Hill.
Hmmm, it smells delicious!
We took the bunny hop tour before eating unch.
Each of these are made of sugar and are very fragile.
Each egg features something that people will remember for 10 years -- in this case the People's Princess, Diana, in 1998.
The Chocolate Doll House is a featured sculpture made in 1986. It is made from 300 pounds of solid white chocolate and hand painted with food coloring.
Now it's time for lunch.
Lots of desserts!
Now, let's meet the unofficial greeter, Babe, and take a tour of the chocolate kitchen.
This one of their chocolate fountains.
The conveyor belt carries the goodies to be packaged.
This is one of the fruitcake ovens -- takes about two hours to bake a fruitcake made mostly of nuts.
Their main business is mail-order fruitcakes.
Everyone tasted samples and most left with a bag of delicious goodies plus some chocolate rabbits or carots.
The blue bonnets were just starting to bloom on I635 close to TI.
