Patterico's Pontifications

5/5/2011

Since We Are Feeling All Warm and Fuzzy Toward Our SEALS, Let’s Talk About the U.S.S. Michael Murphy

Filed under: General — Aaron Worthing @ 7:38 am



[Guest post by Aaron Worthing; if you have tips, please send them here.  Or by Twitter @AaronWorthing.]

Update: In the comments, Chris writes:

“Lone Survivor” by Marcus Luttrell tells the story. Luttrell was the only surviving SEAL (duh) of that mission. It is a very good book.

Hey, mother’s day is real soon, right? (That’s a half-joke.)

That is a ship that is to be christened this Saturday, named in honor of this guy:

That is posthumous Medal of Honor recipient Michael Murphy.  Here’s a blurb from a very nice article discussing why he is being given this latest honor:

Engaged in a frenzied firefight and outnumbered by the Taliban, Navy Lt. Michael Murphy made a desperate decision as he and three fellow SEALs fought for their lives on a rocky mountainside in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province in 2005.

In a last-ditch effort to save his team, Murphy pulled out his satellite phone, walked into a clearing to get reception and called for reinforcements as a fusillade of bullets ricocheted around him. One of the bullets hit him, but he finished the call and even signed off, “Thank you.”

Then he continued the battle.

Dan Murphy, the sailor’s father, said it didn’t surprise him that his slain son nicknamed “The Protector” put himself in harm’s way. Nor was he surprised that in the heat of combat his son was courteous.

And do I have to say, “read the whole thing?”

And this video on the subject is powerful (even if the animated guns shooting was a bit of a corny touch):

So if you happen to be in the area, you might pop your head in.  It might be particularly raucous in light of recent events, but in a good way.

H/t: The Blaze.

[Posted and authored by Aaron Worthing.]

7 Responses to “Since We Are Feeling All Warm and Fuzzy Toward Our SEALS, Let’s Talk About the U.S.S. Michael Murphy”

  1. “Lone Survivor” by Marcus Luttrell tells the story. Luttrell was the only surviving SEAL (duh) of that mission. It is a very good book. You can undoubtedly purchase the it through Patterico’s Amazon widget thingy.

    Chris (5f80f9)

  2. thanks. as you can see, i liked your comment enough to make it an update. trying to do the fundraising thing for patrick.

    Aaron Worthing (b1db52)

  3. Sweetness on a pole.

    DohBiden (15aa57)

  4. It might be particularly raucous in light of recent events, but in a good way.

    I can’t imagine it being raucus. No matter how you do the math, exchanging Michael Murphy for OBL was no fair trade.

    Look, I’m as happy as the next guy that OBL is dead. But I can’t forget that a bunch of good people died in the effort.

    And as a aside, can we finally mount a national effort to quit naming USN capital ships after polititicians and rent seekers?

    A destroyer is an fine thing. But so’s an aircraft carrier. And as much as I think of Ronald Reagan or Gerald Ford, I think Swede Vejtasa, Barry Atkins, or the Galloping Ghost of the China Coast should be at the head of the line when it comes to ship names.

    Steve (266b4d)

  5. Steve

    i can mostly agree with that on ship naming conventions, but i think that having a USS Lincoln or Kennedy is perfectly appropriate.

    Aaron Worthing (b1db52)

  6. Maybe. It’s certainly appropriate in Lincoln’s case, as he kept the Union together. And I’ll be the first to admit George Washington deserves a ship named after him.

    But no matter how much Carl Vinson may have done for the USN, he shouldn’t have an aircraft carrier named after him. And the idea of naming the upcoming LPD-26 after John Murtha is an abomination. It’s an insult to the Marines that he gratuitously smeared regarding Haditha.

    I hear the sailors are fixing the Navy’s huge error in judgement by referring to that particular ship as the “fat b*****d.”

    Steve (266b4d)

  7. There is so much bravery and valor in the men and women of our armed forces, I am incredibly proud and grateful to all of them. They keep us safe and sacrifice so much.

    Afghanistan has brought us so many amazing, yet heart-breaking, stories of our warriors. Luttrell’s book is stellar, and tells the story of both him and Lt. Murphy. As you know, Murphy’s radio call (God bless him) tragically led to the the greatest disaster of the whole episode. Nothing makes our warriors more fearless than responding to the distress of their comrades. The helicopter that came to their rescue was immediately taken down by an RPG and all 8 SEALs and all 8 Night Stalkers died in the conflagration. These things happen in all wars. Their bravery deserve to be remembered and their families deserve our support. Bless them all.

    Thomas Burk (ac9839)


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