Commemorative Manuscript of Michael Murphy. Free Essay Example

Michel Patrick Murphy or Murph as his colleagues used to call him was a renowned United States Navy SEAL personnel. Murphy is recognized for his contributions during the war in Afghanistan, in which he received a Medal of Honor for his unselfish actions as a navy officer in combat. It is stated that Michel Patrick Murphy was the first United States Navy SEAL officer to receive a Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War (Military Hall of Honor n.p). Murphy is known for other awards in his career paths but he is always remembered and associated with the Afghanistan war. There are significant hallmarks in the U.S. Navy that make Michel Patrick Murphy a remarkable figure in the history of combat.

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Michel Patrick Murphy was born and raised in New York, back in 1976 and died in 2005. Murphy went to Pennsylvania State University and pursued political science and psychology. After college, he accepted an invitation to join the United States Navy. Michel Patrick Murphy participated in several combats against terrorism. Being a United States Navy, Murphy participated in several missions in the war against terror activities (Fallen Heroes Project n.p). By 2002, he was recognized as a United States Navy SEAL officer. During one of the country’s missions in Afghanistan in 2005, Murphy met his death.

One of the questions that any person could ask is how Michel Patrick Murphy met his death and how did his actions remain in the history of the United States Navy SEAL. In June 2005, four Navy SEAL officers were in a mission to scout Ahmad Shah who was a renowned terrorist from the East of Asadabad, South of Hindu Kush, Afghanistan. The four Navy SEAL officers included Michel Patrick Murphy, Danny Dietz, Axelson Mathew, and Marcus Luttrell (U.S. Navy Office of Information n.p). The four officers were known for their commitment to the Navy, their experience, and the skills in scouting. On this mission, their assigned objective was to scout on a mid-30-year-old terrorist by the name of Ahmad Shah from this region of Afghanistan.

Ahmad Shah had marshaled a group of terrorists in the eastern region of Asadabad in the Hindu Kush of the country. Shah had gone undercover for a long time and his terror activities were increasing. The role of the four Navy SEAL was to determine his location and group of activities as well as the associated links. Shah assumed a new name and was now called Muhammad Ismail. By June 2005, Shah had aa group of fighters, whom the locals called Mountain Tigers (U.S. Navy Office of Information n.p). Shah worked and aligned his activities with the Taliban among other lethal terror groups within the border of Pakistan. These groups worked in coordination to execute major attacks locally and internationally.

On June 28, 2005, the mission to scout Shah was compromised when local nationals identified the four Navy SEAL officers (Military Hall of Honor n.p). The locals informed the Taliban members of the precise location of the four officers. Immediately a fierce firefight ensued between more than 50 militia and the four Navy SEAL officers. The anti-coalition terrorists overpowered the four officers forcing them to retreat to a ravine because of the three-sided attack and unfavorable terrain to counter the fierce shots from the militia. It is at this moment that the four Navy officers decided to bound down the steep mountain. It is estimated that the fire exchange lasted for over 45 minutes when Dietz attempted to make an open call but his hand was shot. It was at this moment that Michel Patrick Murphy decided to save his crew members from the intensifying attacks from the coordinated intergroup militia attacks (Fallen Heroes Project n.p; U.S. Navy Office of Information n.p).

Murphy decided to move into an open area so that he could get a good signal to contact the headquarters. He made this decision because it was not possible to make contact in the extreme terrain. By doing this, Murphy exposed himself to direct gunfire from the over 50 militia. While being rained on with bullets, Murphy managed to contact the SOF Quick Reaction Force located at Bagram Air Base. Murphy under his exacerbating condition from bullet wounds managed to give full details regarding their location, the number of officers, the size of the Taliban militia, and the nature of the attack (U.S. Navy Office of Information n.p). Murphy was even shot on the back to the extent that he could no longer hold the transmitter but he grasped it back to continue giving the necessary details for the rescue. After completing the call, Murphy struggled to go back to the cover position, which he managed, and together with his fellow officers, continued with the gunfire exchange.

In conclusion, the actions of Michel Patrick Murphy were a true picture of the sacrifice of a hero. Although Murphy, Axelson, and Dietz were killed in the battle, Luttrell managed to escape and was later rescued by the emergency response troops. The courage depicted by Michel Patrick Murphy on June 28, 2005, and his devotion to rescuing his team remain a remarkable historic occurrence in the United States Navy SEAL history.

Work Cited

Fallen Heroes Project. Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy. The Fallen Heroes Project. 2007. Online. [https://www.fallenheroesproject.org/united-states/michael-patrick-murphy/]

Military Hall of Honor. Lieutenant Michael Patrick Murphy – Biography. Military Hall of Honor. 2007. Online. [https://militaryhallofhonor.com/honoree-record.php?id=35]

U.S. Navy Office of Information. Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy (SEAL), USN: Summary of Action – Biography. Defense Media Activity. 2007. Online. [https://www.navy.mil/ah_online/moh/murphy.html]