Lt. Michael P. Murphy
nominated for the Medal of Honor
Blackfive has been following this story. Lt. Murphy commanded the team that included Danny Dietz and Matthew Axelrod and an anonymous SEAL, all of whom received the Navy Cross.
Here’s what Newsday reported:
Murphy, who was 29, was killed in a fierce firefight in mountainous terrain along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. He led a four-man special reconnaissance unit that was secreted into the Hindu Kush mountains along the border in June 2005.
The unit was reported to be trailing a high-ranking terror leader near 10,000-foot peaks when they were ambushed and overrun by scores of insurgent fighters on June 28, according to Newsday interviews and media reports. The newspaper Navy Times reported in October that Murphy’s actions — “far outnumbered and surrounded by enemy” — were being reviewed for the U.S. Navy’s first Medal of Honor awarded since the Vietnam War.
A troop transport helicopter that sped to their rescue with eight Navy SEALs and eight Army commandos aboard crashed after being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. All aboard were killed. A single member of Murphy’s team managed to elude capture, and eventually was reunited with U.S. forces.
Relatives of the SEALS have said the lone American survivor told them that Murphy came to his rescue when he was trapped by insurgents during the battle, according to the interviews and reports.
The survivor also told relatives that Murphy was shot when he climbed to higher ground and into the open to send an electronic call for help. Wounded, Murphy completed the call, then continued fighting. It is this action that is believed to be at the heart of his consideration for the Medal of Honor.
Two of Murphy’s colleagues who were killed in the firefight — Sonar Technician 2/C Matthew G. Axelson and Gunner’s Mate 2/C Danny Dietz — were awarded the Navy Cross, second only to the Medal of Honor, during a posthumous ceremony in September.
The lone survivor, whom the Navy has not named because he has returned to covert duty, also received the Navy Cross in a private ceremony. Conspicuously, Murphy did not receive an award at that time and Navy officials typically do not comment on such matters.
On Wednesday, Cmdr. Gregory Geisen, a Navy spokesman, said Murphy is being considered for a high honor, but he said the Navy would not release any details.
“Lt. Murphy was submitted for an award commensurate with his actions in Afghanistan,” Geisen said.
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