Michael P. Murphy was a United States Navy SEAL officer who was awarded the highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his heroic actions during the War in Afghanistan. He was the first member of the US Navy to receive the award since the Vietnam War. But what did he do to earn such a prestigious honor? How did he die? And what legacy did he leave behind? This article will answer these questions and more.
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Early Life and Education
Michael Patrick Murphy was born on May 7, 1976, in Smithtown, New York, to Irish American parents Maureen and Daniel Murphy, a former assistant Suffolk County district attorney and a wounded veteran of the Vietnam War. He was raised in Patchogue, New York, where he attended Saxton Middle School and Patchogue-Medford High School. He was known to his friends as “Murph” and as “The Protector” in his high school years, as he often stood up for the weak and the bullied. He also worked as a lifeguard at the Brookhaven town beach in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, every summer throughout his college years.
In 1994, Murphy graduated from high school and enrolled at The Pennsylvania State University, where he graduated with honors and dual degrees in political science and psychology in 1998. He was engaged to his college sweetheart, Heather Duggan, and their wedding was scheduled for November 2005. After college, he decided to join the US Navy, despite having admission offers from various law schools. He enlisted at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York, and was selected as an officer candidate in September 2000. He underwent naval training at the Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island, and was commissioned as an ensign on December 13, 2000.
Murphy had a lifelong dream of becoming a US Navy SEAL, the elite special operations force of the US Navy. He was accepted into the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training program at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in California, where he endured six months of grueling physical and mental challenges. He graduated from BUD/S as the class leader of Class 236 in July 2002. He then completed the Army Airborne School, the SEAL Qualification Training, and the SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) school. He was assigned to the SDV Team One (SDVT-1) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in December 2002. He was promoted to lieutenant in October 2003.
As a US Navy SEAL, Murphy participated in several missions in the War on Terrorism, including Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He deployed to Afghanistan in April 2005 as the team commander of a four-man reconnaissance and surveillance team, consisting of himself, Petty Officer Second Class Matthew Axelson, Petty Officer Second Class Danny Dietz, and Hospital Corpsman Second Class Marcus Luttrell. Their mission was to locate and eliminate a high-ranking Taliban leader, Ahmad Shah, who was responsible for the deaths of several US Marines in the region.
Operation Red Wings
On June 28, 2005, Murphy and his team were inserted by helicopter into a remote mountainous area near the village of Asadabad in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. They began their hike towards their target, but soon encountered three local goat herders who stumbled upon their hiding spot. The team faced a dilemma: whether to kill the goat herders, who might alert the Taliban to their presence; to tie them up and leave them behind, which might endanger them or compromise the mission; or to let them go, which might risk an ambush. After a heated debate, Murphy decided to follow the rules of engagement and let the goat herders go, despite knowing the potential consequences.
His decision proved to be fatal, as the goat herders quickly alerted the nearby Taliban forces, who mobilized an estimated 30 to 40 fighters to attack the SEAL team. The team was soon surrounded and pinned down by a barrage of gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades from the enemy. The team fought valiantly, but they were outnumbered and outgunned. They suffered multiple gunshot wounds and tried to escape by sliding down the steep mountain. Murphy, Axelson, and Dietz were separated from Luttrell, who was blown off a cliff by a rocket blast.
Murphy realized that the only way to save his team was to call for backup. However, the mountainous terrain blocked the signal of his radio. He had to expose himself to the enemy fire and move to a clearing to get a clear signal. He did so, knowing that it would cost him his life. He managed to contact the headquarters and request immediate support for his team. He also reported his team’s location and the size of the enemy force. He then returned to his cover position to continue fighting, but he was shot several times in the chest and back. He died on the spot, along with Axelson and Dietz. Luttrell was the only survivor of the team, who was later rescued by a local Pashtun villager who sheltered him from the Taliban.
Military Decorations
Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration, for his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. He was the first member of the US Navy to receive the award since the Vietnam War. His citation reads:
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. While leading a mission to locate a high-level anti-coalition militia leader, Lieutenant Murphy demonstrated extraordinary heroism in the face of grave danger in the vicinity of Asadabad, Konar Province, Afghanistan. On 28 June 2005, operating in an extremely rugged enemy-controlled area, Lieutenant Murphy’s team was discovered by anti-coalition militia sympathizers, who revealed their position to Taliban fighters. As a result, between 30 and 40 enemy fighters besieged his four-member team. Demonstrating exceptional resolve, Lieutenant Murphy valiantly led his men in engaging the large enemy force. The ensuing fierce firefight resulted in numerous enemy casualties, as well as the wounding of all four members of the team. Ignoring his own wounds and demonstrating exceptional composure, Lieutenant Murphy continued to lead and encourage his men. When the primary communicator fell mortally wounded, Lieutenant Murphy repeatedly attempted to call for assistance for his beleaguered teammates. Realizing the impossibility of communicating in the extreme terrain, and in the face of almost certain death, he fought his way into open terrain to gain a better position to transmit a call. This deliberate, heroic act deprived him of cover, exposing him to direct enemy fire. Finally achieving contact with his headquarters, Lieutenant Murphy maintained his exposed position while he provided his location and requested immediate support for his team. In his final act of bravery, he continued to engage the enemy until he was mortally wounded, gallantly giving his life for his country and for the cause of freedom. By his selfless leadership, courageous actions, and extraordinary devotion to duty, Lieutenant Murphy reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Murphy was also posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the third-highest military decoration, and the Purple Heart, the medal for those wounded or killed in action. His other awards include the Combat Action Ribbon, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, and the NATO Medal.
Honours and Legacy
Murphy’s heroism and sacrifice have been honoured and commemorated in various ways. Some of them are:
- The US Navy ship USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, was named in his honor and commissioned on October 6, 2012.
- The LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum and Sea Cadet Training Facility was established in his hometown of Patchogue, New York, to preserve his legacy and educate the public about the US Navy SEALs.
- The Penn State Alumni Association established the LT Michael P. Murphy/Penn State Veterans Plaza, a memorial for all Penn State alumni who have served in the military, on the university campus in 2013.
- The Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation was founded by his family and friends to provide scholarships to students who demonstrate leadership, service, and character.
- The Michael P. Murphy Memorial Park was dedicated in his honor in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, in 2006. The park features a black granite wall with Murphy’s Medal of Honor citation and a bronze statue of him in his Navy uniform.
- The Michael P. Murphy Run Around the Lake is an annual four-mile run around Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, that raises funds for various veterans’ causes and charities.
- The Michael P. Murphy Award is presented annually by the US Special Operations Command to a service member who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and courage in combat.
- The Michael P. Murphy Challenge Coin is a special coin that is given to those who have shown extraordinary courage, leadership, or service in the military or civilian life.
- The Michael P. Murphy Workout of the Day (WOD) is a CrossFit workout that consists of a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and another one-mile run, all while wearing a 20-pound vest or body armor. The workout is done on Memorial Day to
