9 More Films "Based On True Stories" That Missed Out The Best Part

4. The Aftermath - To Hell And Back

The story of Audie Murphy's heroic stand against the Germans was famously captured in To Hell In Back, which starred Murphy himself. Like Hacksaw Ridge, his tale began with derision - he was a tiny, lightweight man whose military credentials were met with scourn - but turned into incredibly heroism through his acts.

Having already cemented his reputation as a bad-ass with one one-man stand against several Nazi machine gun nests, snipers and infantry, Murphy earned his stripes in the Colmar Pocket campaign shown in the film. But the events were downplayed at his insistence - including the fact that he had malaria the whole time - as he didn't want anyone to think he was making it up to look cool.

It's a stunning story, but it's arguably not as important as what followed the war. He was diagnosed with Shell-Shock and admited to sleeping with a loaded gun under his pillow. Struggling with depression and insomnia, he became addicted to the prescribed medicine and beat it by locking himself in a motel for a week and going cold turkey.

And not content with already being a hero, Murphy then set about becoming one for veterans in his position, advocating for PTSD in soldiers and calling for the government to research the emotional impact of combat experiences, and to extend health care benefits to war veterans. That really ought to have been part of his chronicled story.