Honoring Lt. Michael P. Murphy

Lt. Michael P. Murphy is the first to be awarded the highest military award for combat in Afghanistan, the Medal of Honor. This is the first Navy Seal to receive this honor since Viet Nam. The Right Truth Book Club reviewed "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson, which is the eyewitness account of Operation Redwing and the lost heroes of Seal Team 10 in Afghanistan. While this is a story about heroism, suffering, patriotism, and the kindness of strangers, it is also an indictment of American liberals, specifically the liberal media. Perhaps this is why the MSM failed to report on Michael Murphy and the Medal of Honor this week.

Marcus Luttrell was part of a four man sniper team sent to Afghanistan in a remote area near the Pakistan border, to find, track, and collect intelligence on a high-ranking Taliban leader with close ties to Osama Bin Laden. A group of goat herders happen upon the team and a decision must be made -- kill the goat herders, or let them go and risk them talking to the Taliban.

The decision the team made was based on fear, not fear of the Taliban, but fear of the liberal media back home. The decision to let the goat herders go was based on the present Rules of Engagement, and resulted in the deaths of three Seals, and the deaths of others who attempted to rescue these brave men.

An excerpt:

"When they find these bodies, the Taliban leaders will sing to the Afghan media. The media in the U.S.A. will latch on to it and write stuff about the brutish U.S. Armed Forces. Very shortly after that, we'll be charged with murder. The murder of innocent unarmed Afghan farmers." [Mikey]

I had to admit, I had not really thought about it quite like that. But there was a terrible reality about Mikey's words. Was I afraid of the Taliban? No. Was I afraid of the liberal media back in the U.S.A.? Yes. And I suddenly flashed on the prospect of many, many years in a U.S. civilian jail alongside murders and rapists.

And yet ... as a highly trained member of the U.S. Special Forces, deep in my warrior's soul I knew it was nuts to let these goatherds go. I tried to imagine what the great military figures of the past would have done. Napoleon? Patton? Omar Bradley? MacArthur? Would they have made the ice-cold military decision to execute these cats because they posed a clear and present danger to their men?

On Lt. Michael P. Murphy, from Tanker Brothers:

LT Murphy was part of the team that included PO2 Danny Dietz, whose memorial was unveiled in Littleton, CO on July 4, 2007

The report:

Lt. Michael P. Murphy, 29, who had SEAL training here and was assigned to a SEAL team in Hawaii, was killed in June 2005 during a mission in the Hindu Kush mountains to find a key Taliban leader.

Ambushed by insurgents, Murphy's four-man SEAL team engaged in a fierce firefight and was in danger of being overrun.

Although he was wounded, Murphy risked his life to save fellow SEALs and then maneuvered into an open position to send out an emergency call and to continue firing at the enemy. While making the call, he was hit again.

Only one of the SEALs on the team survived. Eight other SEALs and eight soldiers aboard a MH-47 Chinook helicopter sent to rescue Murphy's team also were killed when the craft was brought down by a rocket-propelled grenade.

The incident was the worst single-day loss of life for Navy Special Warfare personnel since World War II. (more)

Others honoring Lt. Michael P. Murphy:

David Online:

Somehow lost in all the accolades, tribulations, and congratulations last week to Al Gore for his personal courage and sacrifice in making a movie to warn the world of global warming was the White House announcement that Navy Seal, Lt. Michael P. Murphy has been posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for valor.

Red State Rascals
Michelle Malkin
Pundit Review
Blue Star Chronicles
Jig's Old Saws

UNFIT TO PRINT? "By now, most folks know exactly how much The New York Times despises the U.S. military."

My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

BlackFive has the best roundup.

Comments

[Debbie]

Gabriel: Interesting and different blog. Thanks for sharing.

Stormwarning: Yes, there were some, but many were late and some had snide remarks or ways of reporting.

Angel: Thanks.

Karen: Sorry to point it out to you, but I prefer folks to point out something I have forgotten or missed so I can change it. I figured you were the same.

Paladin: I don't care about Hollywood celebrity either.

[Stormwarning]

I believe that the NEWSDAY, a New York, Long Island newspaper clearly qualifies as a member of the dreaded "mainstream media" (article on October 11th).

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-murphy-medal,0,2605432.story?coll=ny_news_local_xpromo

Even with a video tape

[gabriel christou]

please visit
www.gabrielchristou.blogspot.com

you will see PHOTOS of WHO and WHERE Bin Laden and his NETWORKS ARE….

PLEASE FORWARD THIS INFORMATION TO THE FBI.

[Karen]

Good catch at my post! I'm editing it a bit!

Thanks.

[PALADIN]

YES INDEED DEB, THAT ENTIRE TEAM PERFORMED SUPERHUMAN FEATS. I SOMETIMES WONDER WHERE WE,RE AT AS A PEOPLE AND CULTURE, WHEN IT SEEMS TO ME THAT, THE BIGGER THE DIRT BAG , THE BIGGER THE HERO. HENCE BRITNEY, LINDSAY LOHAN, PARIS HILTON, et al. I TRULY HATE THE CULT OF HOLLYWEIRD CELEBRITY!!!!!!!

[Angel]

thanks for honoring him Deb...what a beautiful man!:)

[Debbie]

Paladin: Well said my friend. If you read the book or the story of this young man, you share my feelings. These men fought while injured time after time, until their mangled bodies could fight no longer. I honor them all.

[Karen]

Marcus Luttrell is a local guy. Quite a fine American.

[PALADIN]

IT,S A SAD DAY, WHEN THE MEDIA CAN,T REPORT A TRUE STORY ABOUT THIS FINE YOUNG AMERICAN HERO. I GUESS BRITNEY BIMBO, AND ANNE NICOLE ARE MORE TO THEIR LIKEING. PATHETIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE WAS A SPECIAL MAN, IN SPECIAL WARFARE, DOING THINGS TO KEEP HIS COUNTRY AND HIS FAMILY SAFE. I WILL REMEMBER HIM!!!!!!! NAVY S.E.A.L.S. HAVE A SAYING , "MY LIFE FOR FREEDOM" THIS SPECIAL YOUNG SAILOR LIVED THOSE WORDS. GODSPEED YOUNG SAILOR!!!!!!!!!!

[Almtnman]

Congratulations, Lt. Michael P. Murphy