Medal of Honor Redipient: Michael Murphy

Lieutenant (SEAL) Michael Murphy of the United States Navy was an educated man, a spectacular SEAL and one heck of an American. He had a great life ahead of him, a beautiful fiance, a career as an officer of the Navy and a couple of bachelor degrees, just in case. In a split second he decided to risk all of it in an attempt to save the lives of his fellow SEALs while in a firefight with the Taliban in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan. His efforts had been in vain and he lost his life for them, but he showed the world that he was not a man that would back down; even in the face of insurmountable adversity, he did all that he could to try and save the lives of his men and defeat the enemy.

Michael Murphy was born in Smithtown, New York on May 7, 1976 to Maureen and Dan Murphy. He grew up in a town on Long Island called Patchogue, with his brother John. He graduated from Patchogue-Medford High School in 1994 and went on to enroll at Pennsylvania State University. From which he graduated in 1998 with two bachelor degrees, one in psychology, the other in political science. He then attended some SEAL mentoring classes at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point followed by an education at the Navy's Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida. He graduated from SEAL training in July of 2002.

On June 28, 2005, Lt. (SEAL) Michael Murphy led a team of four SEALs into Asadabad in the Hindu Kush Mountains region of Afghanistan in pursuit of a known terrorist. The SEALs came across some goat-herders that apparently leaked their position to local Taliban forces. According to the only survivor of the incident, Hospital Corpsman Second Class (SEAL) Lutrell, over one-hundred Taliban fighters arrived at their location.

The four SEALs were forced to take cover behind some rocks on the face of a mountain. Lt. (SEAL) Murphy later attempted to contact headquarters for reinforcements and realized that he would not be able to get through, unless he moved. In that moment Michael Murphy decided to move out into the open, under heavy enemy fire, to make the call. In doing so, he knowingly and willingly exposed himself to the enemy. He made contact and successfully transmitted their location and the size of the enemy force, despite being shot in the back and being forced to return enemy fire while relaying the information.

A Chinook helicopter, carrying 8 Army Night Stalkers and 8 Navy SEALs, was sent to the location of the fight. However, an RPG hit the aircraft and killed all of the men on board. Lt. Michael Murphy and his men were on their own. Lt. Murphy continued to fight alongside his fellow SEALs, until he died of his wounds. Two of the other SEALs were killed as well and the third (Lutrell) was knocked unconscious by the blast from an RPG. Hospital Corpsman Second Class (SEAL) Lutrell was able to hide from the enemy for a day, after he regained consciousness. He was then taken in by local nationals and cared for in a nearby village. He was picked up by U.S. Forces on July 2.

The loss of these three men, Lt. (SEAL) Michael Murphy, Gunner's Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny Dietz and Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew Axelson as well as those of the sixteen men on board the Chinook, was a tragedy. Nonetheless, it is important to remember that the four men who fought alone on that mountain managed to kill an estimated 35 members of the Taliban during the two-hour firefight. Each and every one of them was and is a credit to the United States.

On October 22, 2007, Lieutenant (SEAL) Michael Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as the leader of a special reconnaissance element with Naval Special Warfare task Unit Afghanistan on 27 and 28 June 2005." His parents received the award for him during a ceremony at the White House. Their son is buried at the Calverton National Cemetery in New York.

Sources

Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy; United States Navy (SEAL), retrieved 8/30/09, navy.mil/moh/mpmurphy/bio.html

Medal of Honor Recipients; Afghanistan, retrieved 8/30/09, history.army.mil/html/moh/afghanistan.html

Couric, Katie, The Quiet Strengthof an American Hero, October 22, 2007, retrieved 8/30/09, cbs.news.com/stories/2007/10/22/eveningnews/main3394474.shtml