Navy awards 1st Medal of Honor since Vietnam

[bj229r]

link
 

Murphy is credited with putting his life in danger in an effort to save the lives of three of his subordinates during a fierce firefight in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border in June 2005.

That month, Murphy and three other SEALs -- Petty Officer Matt Axelson, 29, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny Dietz, 25 -- were inserted by helicopter onto a remote mountaintop near the border. They were four men on a secret mission to track a high-ranking Taliban warlord, Newsday reported last May. But they were discovered first by an Afghan goat herder who stumbled upon their hiding place in a mountainside forest. Not long after, the four SEALs were surrounded by dozens of armed insurgents, and a fierce battle ensued.

The lone survivor of the incident, Petty Officer 1st Class Marcus Luttrell, 29, of Texas, has called Murphy, the team's leader, "an iron-souled warrior of colossal, almost unbelievable courage." According to Luttrell's account, as told to Navy superiors and in a recently published book, Murphy displayed "an extreme act of valor" when he ran into the open -- and suffered a bullet wound when he did -- in a last-ditch attempt to call for help and save his fellow SEALs.

That call brought tragedy instead, when a rescue helicopter sent to save them was shot down, killing all 16 U.S. troops aboard, including eight Navy SEALs.

Murphy, Axelson and Dietz were killed as they fled down the mountainside in an effort to elude their pursuers.

"Lt. Mike Murphy was a valued teammate, professional warrior, and fearless leader," said Rear Adm. Joe Kernan, chief of the Naval Special Warfare Command, in a prepared statement. "We are humbled by his courageous and selfless actions and this award is a testament to the man he was."

As one of fewer than 2,400 men serving in the closely-knit SEAL community, Murphy was a member of the most elite group in the military. To join the secretive, highly trained unit -- whose commandos are trained to arrive at targets by submarine, over land or via aircraft -- men must submit themselves to months of grueling training designed to weed out all but the most determined fighters.
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Saw a thing about this on Mil channel....remember hearing Laura Ingraham interviewing Luttrell on her show a few months back, the guy broke into tears several times during their talk
Brave men.

[texasmom]

Have any of y'all read "Lone Survivor" by Mark Lutrell?

I bought it otw to a Dr. appt (forgot a book to read in the waiting room), and didn't put it down at all until I was finished later that day (except to drive).  It was awesome.

Incredible story about incredible men.

[bj229r]

Originally posted by texasmom
Have any of y'all read "Lone Survivor" by Mark Lutrell?

I bought it otw to a Dr. appt (forgot a book to read in the waiting room), and didn't put it down at all until I was finished later that day (except to drive).  It was awesome.

Incredible story about incredible men.

That was the subject of the inteview...here is a link to his interview with Glenn Beck regarding the battle
link

[texasmom]

Originally posted by bj229r
That was the subject of the inteview...here is a link to his interview with Glenn Beck regarding the battle
link

i don't think it was that interview, but a different one that prompted me to buy the book.

[Cypher]

Originally posted by texasmom
Have any of y'all read "Lone Survivor" by Mark Lutrell?

I bought it otw to a Dr. appt (forgot a book to read in the waiting room), and didn't put it down at all until I was finished later that day (except to drive).  It was awesome.

Incredible story about incredible men.

Just picked that up today. Haven't started readin' it yet.