His time at Penn State was the very best of times for him and our family. Mr. Murphy had grown up with a father, a bus driver, who had a way of disparaging him that Mr. Murphy said was deeply hurtful. He started pounding the chain-link fence in the parking lot so hard, he cut his hand open. At the time Feb. 28, 1970 Mr. Murphy was in a combat hospital recovering from his wounds, and a few weeks later would return to the battlefield. Could I have helped, and how much a difference . A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. What many folks dont know is that when Michaels death in Afghanistan in 2005 was reported, the first condolence call the family received was from Hillary Clinton, who was a Senator from New York at the time, and the second call we received was from Joe Paterno. The media treated us very well, the reporting was excellent as far as getting Michaels story and Michaels life out, said Mr. Murphy, 60, a lawyer. While he urged his son not to join the military, based on his own experience in Vietnam as cannon fodder, he said, he strongly supported his son once he did. He graduated with honors (3.85 GPA) from Penn State in 1998, with a double major degree. His moment of destiny came five months earlier, however, in June when his team of SEALs was ordered to hunt out a suspected Taliban leader high in the mountains of the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan. I long for the day when war shall be no more, and that no one else. - ESPECIALLY VERY YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD NO OPPORTUNITY TO BLOSSOM IN LIFE -. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. Then he comes up to me, Mr. There are 40+ professionals named "Heather Duggan", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. Sadly, sixteen American Special Operations Forces (SOF) soldiers were killed when their helicopter was shot down while attempting to extract the four-man SEAL Team from the hostile combat zone in such inhospitable terrain. Heather Duggan is comforted by her mother and Daniel and Maureen Murphy during funeral services for the Murphy's son, Michael Murphy, at Calverton. I told him about the Medal of Honor. So he wasnt shot close up. (Daniel and Maureen have been divorced for several years, but they have remained close.) Collect, curate and comment on your files. Though he made it home, his best friend in their unit, Tommy Wynne, 20, of Bay Shore, did not. But he fought side by side with Dietz and Axelson and Luttrell until he realized they would need outside help to escape. Was I afraid of their possible buddies in the Taliban? This time, people are not taking it out on returning soldiers, Mr. Murphy said. "They were looking for us," Marcus Luttrell, one of Murphy's men, explained. } When youre injured in combat, adrenaline starts. This was the only time that the principal of the school had to call his parents. Unable to verify any hostile intent from the herders right then and there, the four-man SEAL team let the herders go without imprisoning them or killing them. All three of Murphy's men - Dietz, Axelson, and Luttrell - were awarded the Navy's second-highest honor, the Navy Cross. 1 jersey. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Legal Statement. Mr. Murphy, himself a wounded veteran of Vietnam, knows firsthand how differently the press and the public have responded to the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. "Now, the nation knows what a good man, what a polite man, what a brave man," Michael's father, Daniel, said. Murphy, a Long Islander who achieved his childhood dream of becoming a SEAL only to be killed last month in Afghanistan, had carried the Tiffany engagement ring in his pocket for four months. But most of the posthumous awards have gone to men who, above all, sacrificed their lives in order that others might live. This, for him? He returned to the job as a lifeguard every summer throughout his college years, for a total of five years. For his first assignment, he was deployed in Jordan alongside Foxtrot platoon that same year in October. Navy SEAL LT Michael P. Murphy graduated from Patchogue-Medford High School on Long Island, New York, and attended Penn State in the fall of 1994. Though Lone Survivor describes Lieutenant Murphy fighting for an hour with blood pumping out of his stomach, Mr. Murphy concluded that his son did not suffer, based on his own experience in Vietnam. Hed done two tours in Iraq, so I assumed. Lieutenant Murphy could never say where he was, but days before he had e-mailed a photo of his Seal team to his parents. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. So I can empathize with Marcus, Mr. Murphy said. Was I afraid of these guys? The Murphys were deeply moved by how much America was moved. Michael and I had long talks about this, Mr. Murphy said. I didnt sleep for weeks after, he said. When he in the eighth grade, he stepped in to save a schoolmate with special needs from bullies. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. He would brush it off," Duggan said. ", "That was the day he was buried I got that message that never came like three months before," Maureen Murphy said. The four Seals were scouting the remote area when three herders one about 14 and their goats crossed Corpsman Luttrells path. These were the best times because Michael and I spent those hours of quality time discussing current affairs and numerous other topics of interest. Menu Michael P. Murphy was a lieutenant of the American Navy Seal that puts her life to the service of the nation during the war in Afghanistan. He tells us as much about the SEALs as they doand much about the American warrior. Were about to get off the train for two days of media appearances in Manhattan., Can you call back in half an hour? he said a few days after the White House ceremony. Who was Michael Murphy? During an event at Penn State thereafter, when Michael was being honored as a distinguished alumni of Penn State, I related this story to the audience, which included Michael Pilato, who created the mural on Hiester Street that includes Michaels image. No. And so, with the wounded members of his team at his side, Murphy calmly walked out to meet certain death to make the call. Operation Red Wings was a counter-insurgent mission in Kunar province, Afghanistan. I said, You probably already know. I said, You did good, kid.. Select this result to view Heather Marie Duggan's phone number, address, and more. They want us to bring the medal, Mr. Murphy said. Tap into Getty Images global-scale, data-driven insights and network of over 340,000creators to create content exclusively for your brand. Arthur Herman is a visiting scholar at AEI. This is Daniel and Maureen Murphys third Veterans Day without their son Michael, but its different this time. The report described seven wounds, he said: to the stomach, to the back, four to the legs, and one below the eye, the one that killed him. He said that according to the autopsy his son died within seconds of that wound. He was definitely not going to kill a 14-year-old boy who would have reminded him of his brother.. But every once in a while a ship, usually a destroyer, is named after ordinary persons or people for displaying extraordinary courage and sacrifice. Please enter valid email address to continue. Interested actively for sport in the child . He might let them think they were making the call, as long as they agreed with the decision he intended to make. Quick Links So when his parents, Daniel and Maureen, accepted the Medal of Honor from President Bush today, it was public. I didnt feel it until 12 hours later.. A new headstone is being cut to add the new honor. Hed make calls in the morning, after lunch, dinner and at 11:30, before going back to his hotel, Mr. Murphy said. Go through the list of Medal of Honor winners, Army, Marines, Navy, Air Forceit doesnt matter. His parents, Dan and Maureen Murphy, accepted the award at a White House ceremony led by President George W. Bush. 80% of consumers turn to directories with reviews to find a local business. On 4 July 2005, Michael Murphy's lifeless remains were found by a group of American soldiers during a combat search-and-rescue operation, and his body was subsequently returned to the United States for proper burial with full military honors. After Murphy called for help, an MH-47 Chinook helicopter loaded with reinforcements was dispatched to rescue the team. His moment of destiny came five months earlier, however, in June when his team of SEALs was ordered to hunt out a suspected Taliban leader high in the mountains of the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan. While Murphy continued to be repeatedly shot,he signed off saying, Thank You," then continued the fighting from his exposed position until he succumbed to his wounds. Michael did not acquire the nickname in high school of Murph the Protector on a whim. Smoke Photos by Michael Williamson NEG#176022 12/30/05 -- WOMAN GETS A REWARD FOR HAVING QUIT SMOKING: Becky Balliet gets a one thousand dollar check. I could not have been more proud, but also worried since I had experienced war first-hand and had returned from Vietnam with bullet wounds and shrapnel in both legs and a 40-percent disability rating. He was a native of Patochogue, New York and a dedicated New York Rangers fan, the handsome athlete and star student from Penn State who turned down offers to attend law school to join the SEALs instead. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Finally, my stepdaughter, Kristen Leech-Murphy, is a senior in high school and applying for admission to Penn State, University Park campus, for the fall semester of 2017. 2023 Getty Images. The U.S. Navy names its ships and submarines after presidents and states of the union, admirals and senators, even species of fish and mountain ranges (USS Mesa Verde). He eventually moved into off-campus housing with fellow Penn State students Craig Palmer, Tom McCann, and Marius K., among others. Anger I was a prosecutor, and I thought of all the thugs and pedophiles and murderers still living, and my son, who never did a bad thing in his life, he was taken from us.. who sent an emissary to the closest United States military base, allowing a rescue team to locate him. Because of the rigorous Seal training of the 196 candidates in Michaels class, only 28 made it to Seal the Murphys were hopeful about their sons chances. Could I have been there? Thank you. Then Murphy stood and staggered back, and still kept firing as one by one his team was killed. Murphy was a lieutenant and a Navy SEAL, just like the men who took out Usama bin Laden. During his time in Afghanistan, he was the officer in charge of Alpha Platoon. In October of 2002, Murphy deployed with Foxtrot Platoon of SDVT-1 to Jordan as the liaison officer for Exercise Early Victor, just one of hundreds of clandestine exercises that the United States military conducts each year around the world. and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His other posthumous awards include the Silver Star Medal (which was later upgraded to the Congressional Medal of Honor) and the Purple Heart. It was on one of those Sunday late-night drives back to Penn State that Michael informed me of his interests in being a part of the military and the Special Operations community, specifically the Navy SEALs. Get the recap of top opinion commentary and original content throughout the week. But most of the posthumous awards have gone to men who, above all, sacrificed their lives in order that others might live. Mr. Pilato was so moved by the story and the gesture by Joe Paterno that he drew a white rose by Michael connecting to a white rose in Joe Paternos hand to signify the very special bond between the Paternos and the Murphy family. Corpsman Luttrell would live to tell of this heroism in the recent best seller Lone Survivor, describing Lieutenant Murphy as an iron-souled warrior of colossal, almost unbelievable courage. Corpsman Luttrell and the two other Seals who were killed, Gunners Mate Second Class Danny P. Dietz, 25, and Sonar Technician Second Class Matthew G. Axelson, 29, all received the Navy Cross.