Michael Patrick Murphy, May 7, 1976 – June 28, 2005 I am currently reading Lt. Murphys biography called SEAL of Honor, and I have been in tears almost the entire time; and I am only 50 pages in! Lt. Murphy is known best as the commanding officer of SEAL Team 10, and best friend of Marcus Lutrell, the author of Lone Survivor. The details of that story are well worth your time learning more about, but to sum up, Lt. Murphy and his team went on a mission to locate and provide intel on a leader of the Tailiban in Afghanistan. When given the choice to kill some goat herders who accidently came upon the SEAL, Lt Murphy and his team let them go; those goat herders then returned that kindness by identifying the SEAL teams position to the Taliban. All 4 of the SEAL team were seriously wounded, and eventually all but Marcus Lutrell were killed. Lt Murphy risked and ultimately lost his life trying to spare the lives of his friends and fellow SEALS. My heart is full of gratitude to Lt. Murphy, his team, and all members of the United States Military for their choice to stand on that line and keep evil men at bay. I can drive to and from work, hug my children, speak my mind and worship as I choose because of men and women like Lt. Murphy. My heart and prayers go to his friends and family who must miss him everyday, but who are also heros for making the choice to let Lt. Murphy go to protect all of us. We are so lucky to live in this country, to be served by and represented by these men and women, and they do not get a fraction of the praise, reverence or love they deserve. Lt. Murphy and his team died not only because they refused to kill innocent goat herders, but because they were afraid of those cowards, politicians and media whores here at home who would have cried murder if those goat herders were killed. Lt. Murphy could be alive today if he had no reason to fear the support he would receive here at home had he made a different choice. But he didnt make that choice, and chose instead to gamble his life on an act of kindness that was ultimately not returned. We owe not only a debt of gratitude to men and women like Mike Murphy, we owe them EVERYTHING that we have and take for granted on a daily basis. The fact that you are reading an uncensored version of this post, the fact that I could say these things without fear of being murdered, that you are likely reading this in the comfort of your home surrounded by family and friends: all of this we owe to men like Mike Murphy. He belongs in the same class as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. and George Washington Carver. Show these men and women the respect, reverence and gratitude they deserve, and know that whenever you see on the news that another serviceman or woman has died, that they are not only mourned by their family, but by their brothers and sisters in arms. And loosing those brothers and sisters hurts in a way that we will never understand, or have to imagine because of those same people who stand that line, and continue to do so even after a loss of life so special and selfless as that of Michael Patrick Murphy.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 03:27:37 +0000