Post by Gary K.

US Navy Navy SEAL Foundation Honoring a True American Hero 🇺🇸 Tomorrow marks 21 years since Operation Red Wings, a day forever etched in military history. Today, we remember and honor the incredible life and ultimate sacrifice of Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy—fondly known to friends, family, and the world as “Murph.” Long before he was a Medal of Honor recipient, Murph was a kid from Long Island. He was a lifeguard at Lake Ronkonkoma, a fierce ice hockey player, an honors graduate from Penn State University, and an avid reader who loved classics like Gates of Fire. Though accepted into multiple law schools, he chose a different path of service, commissioning into the U.S. Navy in 2000 and earning his Navy SEAL Trident with Class 236. On June 28, 2005, while leading a four-man reconnaissance element in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan, his team was compromised and surrounded by a massive enemy force. What happened next defines the absolute pinnacle of leadership and selflessness: The Ultimate Sacrifice: Despite being gravely wounded, Lt. Murphy deliberately walked out into the open—fully exposing himself to intense enemy gunfire—to get the satellite signal needed to call for a Quick Reaction Force to save his men. Unwavering Resolve: Shot in the back mid-call, he dropped the transmitter, picked it back up, calmly finished the transmission, and signed off with his signature, "Thank you." He then returned to the fight until his final breath. For his actions, Lt. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.