DDG-112 Commissioning Publication

Iridium salutes the courage of the brave heroes of Operation Red Wings and

especially LT. Michael P. Murphy, US Navy SEAL, who knowingly and without

hesitation sacri�ced his life to help save his fellow soldiers.

We wish a safe passage to the crew of the USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112),

christened on May 7, 2011 in honor of LT. Michael P. Murphy.

To all the men and women serving in the armed forces, Iridium extends its

gratitude and respect.

Iridium delivers reliable, near real-time, mission-critical, global

communications services and creates vital lifelines for all military

branches of the U.S. Department of Defense. Iridium strives to

ensure that these lines of communication are never broken.

www.iridium.com

May 7, 2011 USS Michael Murphy DDG-112 Christening 3

Dedication

SHIPS AREN’T BUILT TO SIT STILL. NEITHER ARE WE.

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From navigation, dynamic positioning and maritime automation to acoustic undersea warfare systemsand more, L-3 Marine & Power Systems has the resources, people and technology to meet your needsfor total system support. Equally important, as a proactive partner, we continually innovate and integratetechnologies to meet new needs quickly, efficiently and reliably — all with open architecture flexibility.Today, we’re coming through 24/7 for customers around the world, with 94 locations in 20 countries.To see how we can do the same for you, visit us at L-3com.com/MPS.

Use of this U.S. DoD image does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.


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Contents

10Meet theShip’s Sponsor

Ten questions for Maureen Murphy,Michael Murphy’s mother.

14Biography ofLt. Michael P. Murphy

The young SEAL’s military careerappeared to be on the fast track.

12Meet theShip’s Commander

Cmdr. Thomas E. Shultz will be the USS Michael Murphy’s first commander.

16The patch forEl Barrio’s Bravest

Michael Murphy was dedicated tohonoring some of the FDNY’s finest.

13Meet theShip’s Executive Officer

Cmdr. Corey J. Turner will be the USS Michael Murphy’s first XO.

18The men ofOperation Red Wings

Michael Murphy and the mission that led to the Medal of Honor.

The men and women ofAnheuser Busch honor the memory of

Lt. Michael P. Murphy US Navy (SEAL)

and wish safe passage to the crew of the DDG-112.

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Contents

26


24The portraitof Michael Murphy

Artist Gerald Slater’s painting of Murphy honors the Navy hero.

28Building theUSS Michael Murphy

Bath Iron Works fabricates themighty Arleigh Burke-class ship.

25The citation for theMedal of Honor

Word-for-word description of Michael Murphy’s heroism in battle.

36Laying theMurphy’s keel

The family catches its first glimpse of Michael Murphy’s name on the hull.

26The portrait of the USS Michael Murphy

The Navy’s official rendering showsthe destroyer in all her glory.

40The legacyof Michael Murphy

SEAL’s belief in core American values still burns brightly.

Salutes Lt. Michael P. MurphyU.S. Navy SEAL

On June 18, 2010, Dan and Maureen Murphy inscribed the signatures of Lt. Murphy’s family on an iron plate during a dedication ceremony for Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Michael Murphy. The plate was affixed to the ship’s hull during the ceremony. Lt. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in June 2005. He was the first U.S. Navy SEAL awarded the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War.

The Team

Publisher: David Peabody

Editor: Julie Bird

Dedication: President George W. Bush

Editorial Contributors:

Julie Bird

Tom Breen

Gary Williams

Christening Publication Task Force:

Michael Clarke

Thomas Sutherland

Gary Williams

Kim Wolfert

DEFENSE STANDARD Operations Center:

Executive Vice President: Kelly Montgomery

Vice President, Operations: Daniel Peabody

Vice President, Sponsorships: Joe Gonzalez

Military and Government Relations: Martin McAuliffe

Publisher’s Assistant: Benjamin Peabody

Creative Director: Matthew Cerra

Designers: Samantha Gibbons, Jennifer Roark-McCants

Special Thanks to:

Daniel Murphy

Maureen Murphy

John Murphy

Peter K. Hsu

Jim DiMartini, Bath Iron Works

Christopher G. Johnson, NAVSEA

Nate Evans, FDNY Engine 53, Ladder 43

Gerald Slater, Artist

John Horton


photo: Cmdr. R.K. Lovell

Contents

Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without the written consent of DEFENSE STANDARD.The opinions expressed within the publication do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. DEFENSE STANDARD ™ is a registeredtrademark and its use is protected by federal and international law. Note: Neither Department of Defense nor any other U.S. Governmentagency has approved, endorsed or authorized this publication to any degree. No such inference is suggested, inferred or communicated in any way.

Maureen Murphy,mother of Navy Lt.Michael Murphy,accepts her son’sMedal of Honor fromPresident George W.Bush in an October2007 ceremony atthe White House.

photo: Chief Mass Comm.Spec. James Pinsky


Ilearned that I was to be the sponsorof my son’s ship on May 7, 2008,Michael’s birthday. There were two

dedications to him on that day, the firstbeing the renaming of the Patchogue Post Office and the second, a park at Lake Ronkonkoma. Dr. Donald Winter, the former secretary of the Navy, madethe announcement during the park dedication ceremony.

What is the role of a ship’s sponsor?The ship's sponsor brings the spirit of the

namesake to the ship and forms a personalfamily bond with the crew of the ship.

What does being the ship’s sponsor meanto you?

For me, it is very important that I take onthe role of a mother figure and let each andevery crew member know that they have animportant job to do and are very much apart of this family.

How to you plan to fulfill the unique roleof sponsor of the USS Michael Murphy?

I plan on writing and visiting the ship in order to get to know each andevery member on board. That wouldinclude having meals, talking and evenhaving a friendly game of cards.

Prior to the christening there is a “masting”ceremony in which items are sealed into asteel box below the ship’s mast. What itemswill be included for your son’s ship?

Some of the items placed in the steel boxwill be rosary beads for the safety of all themen on board, the collectors’ coins ofMichael and his SEAL team, a baseball cardof Mike when he was in Little League, theTrident, several monetary coins to equal$1.12 (being the number of the ship), andvarious other personal items.

What type of "christening fluid" do youintend to use in christening the ship?

I intend to christen his ship with a tradi-tional bottle of champagne.

You attended the keel authentication cere-mony last year. What were your thoughtswhen you saw your son’s name embla-zoned on the hull of the ship?

It was a very bittersweet moment thatmade me want to cry. When I saw his nameup on the hull of the ship, I was sad that hewas not there, but I was also very proud. Nomatter what Michael took on in life, whetherit was his studies or the sports he played,he always started out very unassuming. Butin the end he always, just like cream, rose tothe top. He started his military career as a

serviceman and now there is this huge shipnamed in his honor.

With all of the accolades that have beenbestowed upon your son, what do you think he would think of all of the attention?

He would probably be embarrassedbecause he was a very humble man. If hewas still physically around, he would behonored, but he would probably watch all ofthe ceremonies fromthe back of the crowd.Just like in most of hisphotographs, he wouldbe in the backgroundand never up front tograb the glory.

What is the legacyyour son leaves to us as well as future generations?

To be the best friend that you can possiblybe, always be loyal to your family, do a jobwell and always do the right thing no matter what.

What would you like the world to knowand remember about Michael Murphy?

Mike was a blessing to me, his father,brother and entire family from the verymoment he was born. He was smart, hand-some, polite, confident, had a wonderfulsense of humor and a heart of gold. Healways had a great sense of right and wrong,and did the right things in life because itwas the right thing to do.

A Q&A with Ship Sponsor

How and when did you learn you were to be the sponsor for your son’s ship?

Maureen MurphyBy Gary Williams

Maureen Murphy

Interview

12 USS Michael Murphy DDG-112 Christening May 7, 201112 USS Michael Murphy DDG-112 Christening May 7, 2011

Cmdr. Thomas Shultz, a native of El Cajon, Calif., was com-missioned in July 1994 after completing the Naval ROTCprogram at the University of California Los Angeles.

Following commissioning, he completed the Surface Warfare OfficersSchool Division Officer Course in Newport, R.I. He was thenassigned to the USS Monsoon(PC 4) as the weapons, deck and supply officer. His second

division officer tour wasaboard the USSSides (FFG 14) asthe main propulsion assistant and auxiliaries officer.He then attended the Naval Postgraduate School inMonterey, Calif., where he earned a master's degree inmechanical engineering.

Upon completion of the Surface Warfare OfficersSchool Department Head Course, Shultz was assigned

as chief engineer on the USSMobile Bay (CG 53)

from June 2002 until June 2005. During his tour Mobile Bay madetwo Arabian Gulf deployments. From July 2002 until April 2003,Mobile Bay deployed with the Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, par-ticipating in Operations Southernh Watch, Enduring Freedomand Iraqi Freedom. Mobile Bay next deployed with Expeditionary

Strike Group Three from June2004 until December 2004 forOperation Iraqi Freedom.

Following completion of hisdepartment head tour, Shultz wasassigned as the flag lieutenant for

the commander of Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. He thencommanded USS Patriot (MCM 7), homeported in Sasebo, Japan,from January 2007 until August 2008. While Shultz was in command, Patriot earned consecutive Battle E and RetentionExcellence Awards. He reported as chief staff officer ofCOMDESRON 7 in September 2008 and made two deploymentswith the Ronald Reagan Strike Group in support of OperationsEnduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

CommanderUSS Michael Murphy (DDG-112)

Cmdr. ThomasE. Shultz is a 17-year veteran of the Navy.photo: U.S. Navy

USS Patriot won consecutive Battle E and Retention Excellence Awards

under Shultz’ command.

Thomas E. Shultz

Guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53)

photo: U.S. Navy

Bios


Cmdr. Corey Turner graduated fromthe U.S. Naval Academy in 1995 with abachelor's degree in chemistry.

His initial sea assignment after gradua-tion was a split tour as damage controlassistant and then assistant operations offi-cer in USS Milius (DDG-69), homeported inSan Diego, where he was part of the ship’smaiden deployment. Turner’s follow-onassignment was to Department Head Schoolin Newport, R.I.

Upon completion of Department HeadSchool, Turner was assigned to precommi-sioning crew in USS McCampbell (DDG-85),built in Bath, Maine, and homeported in

San Diego. He served as operations officerduring building and manning of the ship,initial sea qualifications and subsequentdeployment work-ups for counterdrugoperations. He then reported to the staff

of Commander Destroyer SquadronTwenty-One as operations/plans officer,completing a 3rd/7th Fleet deploymentaboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) insupport of Operation Northern Edge, RIM-PAC 2004, JASEX and various multination-al exercises.

Turner earned his master’s degree innational security and strategic studiesfrom the U.S. Naval War College inNewport, R.I.. Upon graduation heremained at the college as a member of theNaval Operational Planner Course, subse-quently earning a designation as a jointoperational planner. He then went to the

commander's staff at North AmericanAerospace Defense Command and UnitedStates Northern Command, J-5 Plans,Policy and Strategy Directorate, inColorado Springs, Colo. Assigned as a lead

strategic planner, Turner conducted numerous DefenseSupport to Civil Authorities(DSCA) planning events, to include support for hurri-canes, wildfires,winter storms,pandemic preparedness andinauguration day.

Turner then reported to the commander's staff atCombined Maritime Forces,U.S. Naval Forces Central

Command and Commander U.S. FifthFleet, Manama, Bahrain, as the deputydirector for plans, supporting maritimesecurity operations, counterpiracy operations and Operations EnduringFreedom and Iraqi Freedom.

His personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal,Meritorious Service Medal, NavyCommendation Medal (two gold stars),Navy Achievement Medal (one gold star)and various individual and unit service ribbons.

Executive OfficerUSS Michael Murphy (DDG-112)

Turner was deputy director for plans for the U.S.Fifth Fleet, supporting counter-piracy operations

and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleetphoto: U.S. Navy

Cmdr. Corey J. Turner graduated from the U.S. NavalAcademy in 1995.photo: U.S. Navy

Corey J.Turner

14 USS Michael Murphy DDG-112 Christening May 7, 2011

LT. Michael P. Murphy was bornMay 7, 1976, in Smithtown, N.Y.,and grew up in the small town of

Patchogue on Long Island’s south shore. Heplayed sports and attendedPatchogue's Saxton MiddleSchool. In high school, Murphytook a summer lifeguard job atthe Brookhaven town beach inLake Ronkonkoma -- a job hekept each summer throughouthis college years. A member ofthe National Honor Society,Murphy graduated fromPatchogue-Medford HighSchool in 1994.

Murphy attendedPennylvania State University,where he was an exceptionalall-around student athleteexcelling at ice hockey andgraduating with honors. Hisreading interests ranged fromworks by the Greek historianHerodotus to Tolstoy's War and Peace. Murphy's favoritebook was Steven Pressfield’s

Gates of Fire about the Spartan stand atThermopylae. In 1998, he graduated withtwin bachelor's degrees in political scienceand psychology.

He was accepted to several law schoolsincluding Fordham and the University ofTennessee, but instead he changed course.Although slightly built and just 5 feet 10

inches tall, Murphy attended SEAL mentor-ing sessions at the U.S. Merchant MarineAcademy under the mentorship of retiredCapt. Andrew Bisset. He set his sights onbecoming a Navy SEAL. Murphy acceptedan appointment to the Navy's Officer

Candidate School at Pensacola, Fla., inSeptember 2000.

Commissioned as an ensign on Dec. 13,2000, Murphy began Basic UnderwaterDemolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training inCoronado, Calif., in January 2001, graduat-ing with Class 236. BUD/S, an intense six-month training course with a completionrate just over 20 percent, is the first step tobecoming a Navy SEAL.

After graduating from BUD/S, Murphyattended the Army Jump School, SEALQualification Training and SEAL DeliveryVehicle (SDV) School. Murphy earned hisSEAL Trident and checked on board SDVTeam (SDVT) 1 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, inJuly 2002. He deployed with Foxtrot Platoonto Jordan as the liaison officer for ExerciseEarly Victor in October 2002.

Following his tour with SDVT-1, Murphywas assigned to Special Operations CentralCommand in Florida and deployed to Qatar

in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.Promoted early to the rank of lieutenant junior grade after returning from Qatar, hewas deployed to Djibouti in the Horn ofAfrica to assist in operational planning forfuture SDV missions.

He was again promoted early, to the rankof lieutenant, and assigned to SEAL DeliveryVehicle Team 1 as assistant officer in chargeof ALFA Platoon. In January 2005 hedeployed to Afghanistan in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom.

On June 28, 2005, Murphy was the officer

United States Navy (SEAL)May 7, 1976 - June 28, 2005

Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy

A young MichaelP. Murphy is pictured in the 1994Patchogue- Medford HighSchool yearbook.

photo: Courtesy the Murphy Family

Murphy was promoted early to the rank of lieutenant junior grade, and

again to lieutenant.

Basic Underwater Demolition/ SEAL(BUD/S) Graduating Class 236Murphy is pictured in the far left on the back row.

photo: U.S. Navy

By Gary Williams

The SEAL


in charge of a four-man SEAL element insupport of Operation Red Wings, which wastasked with finding a key anticoalition mili-tia commander near Asadabad, Afghanistan.Shortly after inserting into the objective area,the SEALs were spotted by three goatherders, who were initially detained butwere released. It is believed the goat herders reported the SEALs’ presence toTaliban fighters.

A fierce gun battle ensued between theSEALs and a much larger enemy force onthe steep face of the mountain. Despite theintensity of the firefight, Murphy risked hisown life to save the lives of his teammates.Intent on making contact with headquarters,but realizing this would be impossible in theextreme terrain where they were fighting,Murphy unhesitatingly and with completedisregard for his own life moved into theopen, where he could gain a better positionto transmit a call to get help for his men.

Moving away from the protective moun-tain rocks, he knowingly exposed himself tointense enemy gunfire. This deliberate andheroic act made him a target. While continu-ing to be fired upon, Murphy made contactwith the SOF Quick Reaction Force atBagram Air Base and requested assistance.He calmly provided his units’ location andthe size of the enemy force while requestingimmediate support for his team. At onepoint, he was shot in the back, causing himto drop the transmitter. Murphy picked itback up, completed the call and continuedfiring at the enemy, who were closing in.Murphy, by now gravely wounded, returnedto his cover position with his men and con-tinued the battle.

As a result of Murphy’s call, an MH-47Chinook helicopter, with eight additionalSEALs and eight Army Night Stalkers, wassent as part of the Quick Reaction Force toextract the four embattled SEALs. As theChinook drew nearer to the fight, a rocket-propelled grenade hit the helicopter, causinga crash killing all 16 men aboard.

On the ground and nearly out of ammu-nition, the four SEALs continued to fight. Bythe end of a two-hour gunfight that

careened through the hills and over cliffs,Murphy, Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class DannyDietz and Sonar Technician 2nd ClassMatthew Axelson had fallen. An estimated35 Taliban were also dead. The fourthSEAL, Hospital Corpsman 2nd ClassMarcus Luttrell, was able to evade theenemy and was rescued by U.S. forces onJuly 2, 2005.

Demonstrating undaunted courage, intrep-id fighting spirit and inspirational devotionto his men in the face of certain death,Murphy was able to relay the position of hisunit, an act that ultimately led to the rescue ofLuttrell and the recovery of the remains ofthe three who were killed in the battle.

Murphy was buried with full military honors at Calverton National Cemetery less

than 20 miles from his childhood home. His personal awards include the Medal of Honor, Silver Star, Purple Heart, JointService Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal,Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Star,Global War on Terrorism ExpeditionaryMedal, Global War on Terrorism Medal,Navy Expert Rifle, Navy Expert Pistol,gold parachute wings, and the NavyTrident.

Murphy is survived by his motherMaureen Murphy; his father Dan Murphy;and his brother John Murphy, who graduated from the New York Institute ofTechnology and is a police officer with theSouthampton Police Department.

Murphy deployed toAfghanistan in January 2005 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.



The Patch

It is a venerable firehouse building, wornand proud, set in New York City’sSpanish Harlem on Third Avenue, home

of Engine Company 53/Ladder Company

43. They call the area El Barrio, a placevibrating with incessant chattering voicesand high drama.

After 9/11, the Fire Department of NewYork (FDNY) became the stuff of legend andlore, with so many among its ranks offeringup their lives to rescue the injured anddying as the Twin Towers crumbled in thewake of the terrorist attack. The firemen are“El Barrio’s Bravest,” the name on theirhouse patch. Since the attack the firehouse,like other stations across the city, serves as asacred place for New Yorkers and visitors,with 9/11 never far from people’s thoughts.

It is sacred for another reason, becoming aliving memorial to Medal of Honor recipient

Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL, nevera fireman in practice, but now a fireman’slegend in heart and spirit. Murphy in everyway is one of them. “Murph has become

our guy, and everyone who knew him isfamily to us,” says firefighter Nate Evans,32, a former Marine from Pennsylvania.

The story of Engine Company 53/LadderCompany 43, usually referred to as E53/L43,begins with a summer friendship betweenMurphy, killed heroically in Afghanistan inthe summer of 2005, and OwenO’Callaghan, first a firefighter and now aSuffolk County, N.Y., police officer. The twomet as lifeguards in the mid-1990s along thebeaches of suburban Long Island, bondingimmediately, working together and partyingtogether. Both Irish-Americans, gregariousby nature, they remained friends as theirlives progressed, Murphy as a Navy SEAL

and O’Callaghan as a city public servant.When terrorists attacked New York in

2001, the two grew even closer as friends.The sacrifice of scores of New York firemendying in and after the attack, includingO’Callaghan’s uncle Daniel, touchedMurphy in myriad ways, laying the ground-work for the ties between a fallen hero andthe roughly 60 men of E53/L43 that remaintight today.

Because of 9/11, the primary FDNYpatch, along with the house patches, endedup national and international symbols, illus-trative of the daily sacrifices made by fire-fighters along the streets of New York, butan even broader symbol for all the men andwomen asked to protect us during wars,civil emergencies, and from the fires andcrime that threaten each of us at anymoment.

In 2005, as Lt. Murphy braced for combatin the mountains and valleys of Afghanistanwith his SEAL teammates, he askedO’Callaghan to give him a “few” of the “ElBarrio’s Bravest” house patches to distributeto his men. “How many do you want?”

By Tom Breen

When terrorists attacked New York in 2001, the two grew even closer as friends.

The Men Who Inspired

Michael Murphy

Fire in Their Hearts:


O’Callaghan wondered. “Twenty-five wouldbe good,” Murphy said. O’Callaghan shotback, “Twenty-five, are you serious?” “Yes,twenty-five.” That’s how an FDNY fire-house patch found its way to Afghanistan, avisible reminder of why U.S. troops arefighting abroad, O’Callaghan says.

With these patches, the stories of MichaelMurphy and El Barrio’s Bravest began tointertwine. Now, SEALS, many fromMurphy’s SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One(SDVT-1), find their way to the firehouse,staying overnight occasionally, sharingmeals and long conversations, and relishingthe firefighters’ company. Many of the menof E53/L43 served in the military, some incombat, and some still are in the reserveforces. Two firehouse leaders, Capt. EugeneKananowicz and Capt. Al Hagan, offeredtheir full support as the firefighter-SEALbond formed, O’Callaghan says. "They aregood men."

In addition to the long and winding con-versations and steak dinners with SEALsand other military folk stopping by for visits(“We pay for our own steaks, not the city,”

Evans makes clear, loudly and with a laugh),El Barrio’s Bravest have forged an intensefriendship with Murphy’s family -- fatherDan, mother Maureen, and Michael’s youngerbrother John, 25.

For instance, when Michael received theMedal of Honor posthumously in October2007, a trio of representatives from E53/L43attended the firehouse ceremony. While inD.C. for the Medal of Honor ceremonies,firehouse members presented a plaque toMurphy’s SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One.Later, Murphy’s SEAL team traveled to thefirehouse to present another plaque that currently hangs there.

Says O’Callaghan of the plaque presenta-tion, “It was a very emotional moment foreveryone involved. The [visit to the firehouse]was an opportunity for the SEALs to find clo-sure and the firehouse seemed to provide aplace where we all could let our guards downtogether. The SEALs could break their stoicmold and reflect, while the firemen offeredtheir thanks and sincere appreciation.”

The plaque from the SEALs featuresMichael’s photograph, as well as the “El

Barrio’s Bravest” patch he wore at the end, hisSEAL trident, and a marker that reads: “To themen of Engine Co 53, Ladder Co 43 fromSDVT-1 in memory of our fallen teammateand brother LT Michael P Murphy. Murphwore this patch on every operation includingthe one in which he fell.”

At least 20 of El Barrio’s Bravest plannedto attend the May 7 christening at Bath IronWorks in Maine of the USS Michael Murphy.“Murph honored us, and we’re going to con-tinue to honor him,” Evans says of a man henever met, but now feels he knows like abrother. For O’Callaghan, Murphy’s close palfrom lifeguarding days in suburban LongIsland, the christening is yet another momentto remember a friend, a guy who treatedAfghanistan the way the men of E53-L43 treata burning building, or a crumbling tower: You do what you have to do.

So when the USS Michael Murphy iswelcomed to the Navy fleet, the Murphyfamily will add the “El Barrio's Bravest”firehouse patch to the mast box of theship. The flame of Michael Murphy, and the men of E53/L43, burns bright.

The home of ElBarrio’s Bravestin New York’sSpanish Harlem is now a haven for SEALs.

photo: Courtesy of El Barrio’s Bravest


The gravestone has settled into God’sgood earth, out there on the Atlanticcoast, peaceful and pristine, far

removed from wartime. The stone at theCalverton National Cemetery honors NavyLt. Michael P. Murphy, the first SEAL sincethe Vietnam War to receive the Medal ofHonor. Murphy’s memorial rests near thesmall Long Island town of Patchogue wherehe grew up, on the outskirts of New York

City, and several thousand miles from theAfghan mountains where he died six yearsago this summer in an operation to appre-hend a high-ranking enemy militant. In his Long Island town, Murphy still isremembered as the fun-loving kid whoplayed ice hockey, read everything in sightas a Penn State college student includingWar and Peace, and chose the SEALs overlaw school. Now, Murphy, as he rests at

Calverton, also is known as the hero ofHindu Kush. The night of June 28, 2005, was clear whenguerrillas, probably from the Taliban, firedon Murphy’s team in Afghanistan’s treacher-ous Hindu Kush mountain range, a subsetof the Himalayans, near the Pakistan border.The guerrillas, 50 to 100 of them, dependingon the report, killed Murphy and his SEALteam members, Matt Axelson and Danny

Dietz. A fourth SEAL with them, HospitalCorpsman 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell, sur-vived. As the three lay dying, and Luttrellunconscious, an MH-47 Chinook lightlyarmored helicopter tried to rescue them, butwas shot down by the same guerrillas. Eightother SEALs, and eight Army NightStalkers, died. More SEALs died on that daythan in any other SEAL operation in history.

Murphy made international headlines,

posthumously being awarded the Medal ofHonor. The other three on Murphy’s teamreceived the second-highest honor, the NavyCross. Their story has been told countlesstimes, in the press including Murphy’shometown paper,Newsday, in Luttrell’sbook, Lone Survivor,and on innumerableInternet sites. Part of Luttrell’saccount tells of howMurphy exposed him-self to fire, heading foran open area awayfrom jagged cliffs so hecould radio for help: “(Murphy) walked toopen ground. He walked until he was moreor less in the center, gunfire all around him,and he sat on a small rock and began punch-ing the numbers to HQ. ... I could hear himtalking. ‘My men are taking heavy fire --we’re getting picked apart. My guys aredying out here -- we need help.’ ... And rightthen Mikey took a bullet straight in the back.I saw the blood spurt from his chest. Heslumped forward, dropping his phone and

Michael Murphy and the

Men of Operation Red Wings

Murphy’s “objective was clear: to make onelast valiant (effort) to save his .... teammates.”

photo: U.S. Navy

By Tom Breen

U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter

The Mission


his rifle. But then he braced himself, grabbedthem [phone and rifle] ... sat upright again,and once more put the phone to his ear.”Dying, Murphy said on the phone, ‘Rogerthat, Sir, thank you,’ and continued toengage the enemy.” Murphy’s “objectivewas clear: to make one last valiant (effort) tosave his .... teammates.” Luttrell survivedafter being knocked unconscious, and wasfound later by friendly villagers.

Murphy’s actions -- phone and rifle inhand, blood spurting -- now are engraved inSEAL lore, a lasting metaphor for the valorand loyalty to one another that definesSpecial Operations. Indeed, out there alongthe jagged cliffs of the Hindu Kush, Murphyand his team took on a mythic veneer. If itwere another time in American history, dur-ing World War I or II, their valor would belocked into the American psyche, right upthere with Audie Murphy from World WarII, connected to Michael by spirit if notblood, and Alvin York from World War I. Yet military heroes in our current world

seem to fade, recognized for a short whileand then cast aside, if not forgotten.Perhaps, however, as times passes, the Sagaof Red Wings will occupy its proper place inmilitary lore.

The story of Murphy’s uncompromisingbravery, as told by Luttrell, and the valor ofthe other SEALs and the Army NightStalkers, is a story that never grows old.Like any tale of war, it is overpowering in itssimplicity, yet ferocious in its retelling. It isabout four men on a reconnaissance mission,doing what they believed in, three of themon the ground dying, and about another 16warriors in a helicopter, rushing into help,only to be shot down and killed. OnlyLuttrell lived to tell the tale.

Operation Red Wings' goal on that 28thday of June in 2005 was to slay aTaliban leader in his mid-30s, Ahmad

Shah, who had possible ties to Osama BinLaden. Murphy and the other members ofhis SEAL team left their base in NorthernAfghanistan in the still of the night, heading

for the border with Pakistan to carry out themission. The Navy since has said that Shah,the target of their mission, led a guerrillagroup called the Mountain Tigers, whichexisted in a shadowy world of death andintrigue in and around the border. (For therecord, Special Operations spokesmen areunsure of the precise origin of the “RedWings” name, although some speculate itwas tied to a sports team.)

After penetrating behind enemy lines,approximately 10,000 feet up in the HinduKush, the four SEALs found their coverblown after meeting up with two adults anda boy, either shepherds or local villagers. InLone Survivor, Luttrell tells of how he,Murphy, Axelson and Dietz debatedwhether to kill the three before ultimatelydeciding to release them.

About an hour after the outsiders depart-ed, an enemy force of about 50 men attackedthe four-member SEAL team from threesides. The four, all wounded, leapt down themountain’s sides, jumping as much as 30feet, the Navy said later. Less than an hour

Murphy’s battle-hardened SEAL teamposes together in this undated photo fromAfghanistan. photo: U.S. Navy

“Out there along the jagged cliffs of theHindu Kush, Murphy and his team

took on a mythic veneer.”

The Mission

“The story of Murphy’s uncompromising bravery ... is a story that never grows old.”


Murphy peers over hisshoulder duringa mountaintop mission inAfghanistan.

Photo: U.S. Navy


into the battle, Murphy raced into the open,aware he could not make his distress callfrom the terrain where they had soughtcover, and soon took the bullet in the back.Despite his wounds, Murphy was able to gethelp from the Special Operations QuickReaction Force at Afghanistan’s Bagram AirBase, which dispatched the MH-47 Chinookhelicopter carrying the eight SEALs andeight Army Night Stalkers prepared toextract Murphy and the others from thefight that dragged through the hills andcliffs of the Hindu Kush. By the time it wasover, after fierce fighting that lasted at leasttwo hours, Murphy, Dietz and Axelson laydead on the ground, and the Chinook also

had fallen to enemyfire, carrying the 16SEALs and NightStalkers to their deaths. Military spokesmenlater said the MH-47,designed to swoop inand leave quickly dur-ing rescue efforts, hadbeen accompanied byheavily armored Armyattack helicopters. Themilitary said the“heavy weight” of theattack helicoptersslowed the formation,prompting the MH-47to race ahead, puttingitself at risk in order to

attempt to carry away Murphy and the oth-ers.

After the deaths of Murphy, Dietz, Axelsonand the 16 men aboard the MH-47, Luttrellstruggled to survive on his own. As many as35 guerrillas, probably Taliban, also died,according to subsequent military reports.

Sent sprawling over a ridge after beingknocked unconscious by a rocket-propelledgrenade, Luttrell had a bullet wound in oneleg, shrapnel burrowing into both legs, andwas suffering from dehydration, he recalledlater in Lone Survivor. Still, he managed tocrawl away from the carnage, evading

enemy guerrillas and walking several milesbefore friendly villagers took him in, pro-tected him from Taliban enemy forces, andeventually transported a note to a Marineoutpost, resulting in Luttrell’s rescue on July2, 2005.

If not for Luttrell’s book, written withPatrick Robinson, the story of the eventsthat day in the Hindu Kush might nothave reached the public with such force.Luttrell also fully addresses the moraldilemma the SEAL team faced that day:Release the outsiders, or kill them? Luttrellnever will know if the outsiders ran to theTaliban, but the firefight started a shorttime later.

As for Luttrell, he soon learned abouthumanity at its best, when villagersincluding a man identifying himself as a

doctor risked their own lives to save him.“There was something about him,” Luttrellwrites of the villager describing himself asa doctor. “By now, I’d seen a whole lot ofTaliban warriors, and he looked nothinglike any of them. There was no arrogance,no hatred in his eyes.”

With the six-year anniversary ofthe American deaths in theHindu Kush upon us, the award-

ing of another Medal of Honor to anotherSEAL, for bravery in Iraq in 2006, and theMay 7 christening of the DDG-112, the USSMichael Murphy, the missions and make-up of the elite Navy unit are starting toattract more interest among the Americanpublic. For recruiters trying to beef upelite SEAL units, this is good news.

Established by President Kennedy in1963, the SEALs (for Sea, Air and Land)describe themselves as “a small, elite mar-itime military force” conducting uncon-ventional warfare, and carrying out “thetypes of clandestine, small-unit, high-impact missions that large forces withhigh-profile platforms (such as ships,tanks, jets and submarines) cannot.”SEALs also “conduct essential on-the-ground Special Reconnaissance of criticaltargets for imminent strikes by larger con-ventional forces.” When you read a description such as that,of what SEALs do, it sounds so sterile, so matter of fact. It does not talk about thefirefight in the Hindu Kush, about Murphystanding in the open seeking help for hismen, after a bullet hits him, and of the 16 SEALs and Night Stalkers aboard the MH-47 who broke from their formation to sacrifice themselves to retrieve the embattled SEALs on the ground. It alsodoes not talk about the tears still beingshed at the resting places of Murphy(Section 67, Grave 3710, CalvertonNational Cemetery on Long Island) andthe others, or about bravery and loyaltythat in many ways is incomprehensible.

Fellow soldiers at Hunter ArmyAirfield, Ga., erected a memorial to the eight fallen ArmyNight Stalkers killed trying torescue the SEAL team.

photo: U.S. Army

The Mission

The Men of Red Wings


SEALs on the Ground Lt. Michael P. Murphy, 29,Patchogue, N.Y.

Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class Matthew G. Axelson, 29,Cupertino, Calif.

Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz,Littleton, Colo.

SEALs Aboard theHelicopter Chief Fire Controlman Jacques J. Fontan, 36,New Orleans, La.

Senior Chief Information Systems TechnicianDaniel R. Healy, 36, Exeter, N.H.

Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. Kristensen, 33,San Diego, Calif.

Electronics Technician 1st Class Jeffery A.Lucas, 33,Corbett, Ore.

Lt. Michael M. McGreevy Jr., 30,Portville, N.Y.

Machinist Mate 2nd Class Eric S. Patton, 22,Boulder City, Nev.

Quartermaster 2nd Class James Suh, 28,Deerfield Beach, Fla.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Jeffrey S. Taylor, 30,Midway, Va.

Army Night StalkersAboard the Helicopter Staff Sgt. Shamus O. Goare, 29,Danville, Ohio

Chief Warrant Officer Corey J. Goodnature, 35,Clarks Grove, Minn.

Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby, 21,Pompano Beach, Fla.

Sgt. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles, 33,Shelbyville, Ind.

Master Sgt. James W. Ponder III, 36,Franklin, Tenn.

Maj. Stephen C. Reich, 34,Washington Depot, Conn.

Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell, 31,Stafford, Va.

Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach, 40,Jacksonville, Fla.

In Honor of

Murphy Axelson Dietz

In Memorium

Prints of artist GeraldSlater’s portrait of Lt. Michael P. Murphyare on display atfacilities around thecountry renamed inMurphy’s honor.www.slaterart.com


Citation


U.S. Navy illustration of the USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112).Peter K. Hsu



Over at Bath Iron Works (BIW), on thebanks of the Kennebec River inMaine, about 5,800 workers continue

to do what the company has done since1884: build ships, including many of theU.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke DDG 51 Classguided-missile destroyers. Season after sea-son, the work at BIW (now part of GeneralDynamics) proceeds on schedule, with nas-cent destroyers taking shape daily. Says the

company’s aptly named president, DuganShipway, “... We have come to know everystiffener, penetration, cableway, piece ofequipment and compartment of theseships.”

Beyond the cableways and compartmentsof the Arleigh Burkes, the BIW family alsohas come to know the emotional storiesbehind the naming of each of the ships, ofthe inspirational forces that send a vessel to

sea, of ships such as the USS Michael P.Murphy, which has become an enduringsymbol of the Navy’s sacrifice in the war inAfghanistan.

Known initially as DDG-112 at BIW’s 70-acre plant, the ship would not assume itsformal name until its christening on May 7,2011. Even so, most people already werecalling it the USS Michael Murphy in honorof a courageous young SEAL who died dur-

ing a search for a high-ranking Talibaninsurgent. If only Murphy could be up inMaine to see his ship move toward thehigh seas, inch by inch.

It was during the early summer of 2005that Murphy, a 29-year-old lieutenant lead-ing a four-man SEAL team in search of theTaliban operative, died in the Hindu Kushmountain range near Afghanistan’s borderwith Pakistan. Standing in the open for bet-

ter radio reception, struck by enemy firewhile seeking help, the Long Island nativedied attempting to defend his men. Murphy,two other team members on the ground and16 SEAL and Army Night Stalkers aboard arescue helicopter shot down by insurgents

The Building of the USS Michael Murphy:

Riding the HIGH Seas Forever

“... We have come to know every stiffener, penetration, cableway, piece of equipment

and compartment of these ships.”

By Tom Breen

SEAL team members Lt. Michael Murphy, Petty OfficerMarcus Luttrell, Petty Officer 2ndClass James Suh, Senior ChiefPetty Officer Dan Healy and PettyOfficer 2nd Class Matt Axelsonduring some down time.

photo: Courtesy of the Murphy Family

Construction


The USS Michael Murphywas assembled piece-by-piece at Bath Iron Works in Bath,Maine. BIW, now part of General DynamicsMarine Systems, has beenbuilding ships for morethan 120 years.

photo: Courtesy General Dynamics MarineSystems, Bath Iron Works The Murphy will be the 62nd Arleigh Burke-class

ship built by the Navy, with 34 constructed atBath and the others at the Northrop Grumman

Ship Systems shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss.

died in Operation Red Wings. Only oneteam member on the ground survived afterfinding refuge with friendly villagers.

Murphy received the Medal of Honor, the

military’s highest award for valor in combat,the others received bravery citations of oneform or another, and Hollywood was craft-ing a movie about the men of Red Wings.

The Maine location for the construction ofthe USS Michael Murphy is especiallyappropriate because New England is theregion that inspired the poet Robert Frost to

write of the choices facing everyone, of“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, andsorry I could not travel both” in his famouspoem, “The Road Not Taken.”

Murphy, like other members of the volun-tary force, had plenty of choices beforeselecting the military. After graduating withdegrees in psychology and political sciencefrom Pennsylvania State University, Murphyjoined the SEALs. In the end, the roads hechose led to the mountains of Afghanistan,to the hallowed ground where he rests at theCalverton National Cemetery on LongIsland, and to the 124-year-old Bath IronWorks in Maine, where his destroyer wouldmake its eventual trip along the KennebecRiver to the Gulf of Maine in the AtlanticOcean, and to points beyond.

The idea to name the $1.2 billion ship onbehalf of Murphy came from Navy brass,congressional supporters, the public, and

Once the Murphy leaves for the sea, the ArleighBurke line itself is expected to continue for

several more years, with as many as nine new ships expected to be built.

photo: Mass Comm. Specialist 2nd Class Kevin S. O'Brien

Construction


Facilities at BIW’s main plant include a 750-foot drydock, three shipways, threewharves, an outfittingpier, four level-luffingcranes, and covered facilities for pre-outfitand assembly.


Construction of the 9,200-ton DDG-112 began in September 2007

with the first cut of steel.


Operation Red Wings families. His mother,Maureen, is the ship’s sponsor. Navy destroyersoften are named after heroes, statesmen and leg-endary officers. Some other Arleigh Burkes includethe USS John PaulJones, USS John S. McCain, USSRoosevelt, USSWinston Churchilland USS Halsey.

The Murphy willbe the 62nd ArleighBurke class ship builtby the Navy, with 34 constructed at Bath and theothers at the Northrop Grumman Ship Systemsshipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. Named in honor ofthe service’s fabled World War II officer, the 510-foot

Arleigh Burkes, with their Aegis combat systemsand phased-array radar, simultaneously can con-front submarines, warships and aircraft when calledupon. Bath built the first of the Arleigh Burkes,

which the Navy commissioned in 1991.The ship has a maxi-mum beam of 66.5feet, a crew size of 323including 23 officers,and can exceed speedsof 30 knots.

Once the Murphyleaves for the sea, the Arleigh Burke line itself isexpected to continue for several more years, with as many as nine new ships expected to be built. The Navy’s goal is to reach a total force of 313 ships,

From left to right,Scott Kay, DDG-112project manager forBIW; Capt. MichaelClarke, Bath FireDepartment; DanMurphy, MichaelMurphy’s father; and David Peabody, publisher of DEFENSESTANDARD, the day of the keel ceremony.

photo: Courtesy General DynamicsMarine Systems, Bath Iron Works

Navy destroyers often are namedafter heroes, statesmen and

legendary officers such as WinstonChurchill and John Paul Jones.

Construction


Soon the USSMichael Murphywill join the fleetand ride the high seas like the USS Ramage (DDG-61), a sister ArleighBurke-class destroyer.

photo: U.S. Navy

including the Arleigh Burkes, in the next few years, a number that “represents theacceptable risk in meeting the security demands of the 21st century,” says Navyspokesman Lt. Clay Doss.

During the May 7, 2008, ceremony on Long Island announcing the ship’s name,then-Navy Secretary Donald P. Winter said, “Michael Murphy’s name, which willbe forever synonymous with astonishing courage under fire, will now be associatedwith one of the U.S. Navy’s most technologically advanced, most powerful andmost capable warships.”

The ceremony unfolded not far from a granite memorial bearing the names of themen of Red Wings, erected by the townspeople of Patchogue, where Murphy grew

Bath built the first of the 510-footArleigh Burke destroyers, which the

Navy commissioned in 1991.

Then-Navy Secretary Donald C. Winterannounced the ship’s name May 7,2008, in Long Island.

photo: U.S. Navy


up. As a boy, Murphy often “protected”other children from bullies, says his mother,Maureen. “[He said] Mom, you always thinkthere is always good in everybody, andthat’s true, but there are some people thatmake other people’s lives miserable, andthey need to be dealt with.” As a Navy offi-cer, he took on the role of protector on hislast day of life in the Hindu Kush.

Before the ship named in honor of theyoung SEAL heads to sea, probably some-time this year, it faces “rigorous” daily con-struction work, says BIW spokesman JimDeMartini. The work is being carried out bythe 5,800-person work force at BIW’s mainshipyard in Bath, and at satellite plants inBrunswick about 8 miles to the west.

DeMartini says the building of the 9,200-ton ship began in September 2007 “when thefirst plate was cut at the company’s steelfabrication plant” at a satellite facility.Construction of the ship’s structure, and the“outfit and installation of combat systems

and electronic components” continued overthe next 18 months, largely within the com-pany’s 15,600-square-meter assembly andpre-outfit building, and then inside its 4,200-square-meter Pre-Outfit II building.

“Within these buildings, and the compa-ny’s newly inaugurated 6,200-square-meterUltra Hall, ship structure and outfit willcome together to form individual ship mod-ules, some weighing well over 1,500 tons,”he said early in the ship-building process.

Modules are transported onto the compa-ny’s Land Level Transfer Facility beforelaunching into the Kennebec River, whereEnglish settlers built the first seagoing shiplaunched on the continent more than 400years ago. Once the destroyer is in thewater, “final installation of remaining com-

ponents and integration, test and evalua-tion of all ship systems will occur in prepa-ration for sea trials and final acceptance ofthe ship by the Navy in 2011,” DeMartinisays.

Elsewhere, Lockheed Martin buildsAegis, and most of the radar systems comefrom Raytheon; these systems are con-structed at locations around the country.

In the end, what makes the ArleighBurke class a trailblazing ship for theNavy, as the Michael Murphy growsstronger and more powerful by the day,was the initial decision in the 1980s tobuild the class entirely of steel rather thanconstructing a steel hull and aluminumsuperstructure, as with previous ships.

Amid the ongoing work on theMurphy, one clear irony emerges,that the new destroyer’s sophisti-

cated, lethal weapons system is a universeremoved from the basic guns and grenades

carried by Murphy and his three SEALteam members on that day in Afghanistan.Without the benefit of super-modern tech-nology, Murphy and his men held off anestimated 50 insurgents the old-fashionedway, with guts and glory.

Murphy, ever the wise guy, might evenlaunch a joke or two about the lethality ofhis namesake ship’s Aegis missiles com-pared with what he had on the ground thatday in Afghanistan. He soon would turnserious, however, his mother has said,humbled and even embarrassed at themere thought a U.S. Navy ship would taketo the high seas carrying his name, thename of a Long Island kid who traveled sofar from home, to such a strange, danger-ous place, to the mountains of Afghanistan.

As it navigates its way after its launch,the destroyer will bear a plaque carryingMurphy’s name, his mother’s namebecause she is the sponsor, and a tribute toall the men of Red Wings. To be sure, onecannot think about him without thinkingof the other men on the ground, and of theMH-47 helicopter sweeping in for a rescueattempt before it crashed in flames afterbeing struck by insurgent gunfire.

In the end, a ship, any Navy man orwoman will tell you, is far more than astructure made of steel and weapon sys-tems, and far more than the living crewthat inhabits it at a particular time in histo-ry. It also is about the spirits that floatabove the seas, under the stars, in choppywaters, and calm ones. It is about peoplelike Mike Murphy and the men of RedWings, and so many more.

So, up in Maine, the men of Red Wingsstand guard, overseeing the building oftheir ship, waiting for their journey downRobert Frost’s metaphorical road, waitingto ride the high seas forever aboard theUSS Michael Murphy.

photo: Courtesy of the Murphy Family

Murphy

Construction

In the end, the roads Murphy chose led to themountains of Afghanistan and the hallowed

ground where he rests.


BATH, Maine -- Deep gasps were theonly sound as the small group touringthe legendary Bath Iron Works ship-

building facility entered the cavernous UltraHall. Above them, towering nearly four sto-ries high, the name of their son, brother,

grandson and friend, Michael Murphy, wasemblazoned on the massive, 800-ton hull ofwhat soon will become a U.S. Navy guidedmissile destroyer.

Murphy’s family knew, of course, thatthe name would be there. They were at theshipbuilding facility in June for the keel

authentication ceremony for the ship namedafter Murphy to forever recognize the sacri-fice of the Medal of Honor recipient, whodied June 28, 2005, during a covert recon-naissance mission that turned into the mostintense and decorated battle in Naval

Special Warfare history.But still. The sheer astonishment and emo-

tional impact of seeing the Navy SEAL’sname across the hull of that ship was some-thing none of his family members expected,even after meeting former President GeorgeW. Bush in the sobering, October 2007 Medalof Honor ceremony at the White House.

His parents, Dan and Maureen Murphy,and his brother John embraced. Maureen’ssister, Eileen, who had been Michael’s god-mother, joined the embrace, their sobs andsniffles breaking the silence. Scott Kay, BathIron Works’ guided missile destroyer projectmanager and the tour guide for the day, tookthe opportunity to gather himself as the fam-ily embraced. He had conducted numeroustours for the families of ships’ namesakes,but the task had never become any easier or

less emotional for him. Construction on the $170 million guided

missile destroyer known then only as DDG-112 began with the first cut of steel on Sept.7, 2007. In the dedication ceremony May 7,2008, Navy Secretary Donald C. Winterdeclared, “Michael Murphy’s name, whichwill be forever synonymous with astonishingcourage under fire, will now be associatedwith one of the U.S. Navy’s most technologi-cally advanced, most powerful and mostcapable warships.”

In addition to launching guided missiles,many of the destroyers are equipped to carryout antisubmarine, anti-air and antisurfaceoperations. Their hull classification symbol isDDG. The ship now known as DDG-112Michael Murphy will keep that name untilthe christening May 7, 2011, on what wouldhave been Murphy’s 35th birthday.

A ship consists of two basic elements:structure, which serves as the skeleton, andoutfit, comprising all of the systems, compo-nents and equipment that enable it to per-form as designed.

Raw materials for both structure and out-fit were fabricated into various pieces, sec-tions and assemblies at off-site manufactur-ing facilities, and then shipped to Bath IronWorks (BIW) for the second stage of con-struction known as main structural assemblyand pre-outfit 1.

Fabricated in an inverted position for ease


The Building of the USS Michael Murphy:

The ship known as DDG-112 Michael Murphychanges names at the christening May 7, 2011, onwhat would have been Murphy’s 35th birthday.

By Gary Williams


Keel laying of the Murphy

The KeelAuthentication

Construction


Hull modulesfor the DDG-112 were fabricatedupside-down, thenright-sided andjoined to form thehull seen here atthe keel-authenti-cation ceremony.

photo: Mass Comm. Specialist2nd Class Kevin S. O'Brien

“ Michael Murphy’s name, which will beforever synonymous with astonishing

courage under fire, will now be associatedwith one of the U.S. Navy’s most techno-

logically advanced ... warships.”

of construction, modules were right-sidedand joined together into larger sectionsforming the ship’s hull. The third stage, pre-outfit 2, involved joining individual outfit-ted sections to create even larger modules.Additional outfit materials including mainengines, generators, pumps, electronic con-soles, ventilation ductwork and cable wereinstalled in the Ultra Hall.

The June 18th keel-authentication ceremo-ny was the first of what will be several emo-tional ceremonies that will bring the ship tolife. During the ceremony, BIW workershelped Dan and Maureen Murphy weldtheir initials in a steel plate that will becomepart of the ship. The initials of all 19 of

those killed in Operation Red Wings alsowill be welded into the keel plate as a last-ing tribute to their service and sacrifice.After the official ceremony and tour of thebuildings containing the modules of theship, the group paid their respects to anoth-

er American Medal of Honor recipient bytouring the USS Jason Dunham, DDG 109,structurally identical to DDG-112 and alsounder construction.

The all-steel Arleigh Burke-class guidedmissile destroyer is the only one designedaround the Aegis Combat System, SPY-1Dmultifunction phased-array radar, Aegis bal-listic missile defense system, and a collectiveprotection system, also making it the firstclass of U.S. warship built with an integrat-ed nuclear, biological and chemical warfareair-filtration system. Aegis, the Greek wordfor shield, is a highly integrated radar andmissile system that relies on a separate sonarsystem to track underwater threats such as

mines, torpedoes and submarines, and cansimultaneously follow land, air and subsur-face threats and attacks. The Aegis ballisticmissile defense BMD adds a “sword” to theAegis “shield” by providing a forwarddeployable, mobile capability to detect,

track and destroy ballistic missiles of allranges.

Within days after the ceremony, theultra-units were transported using multipleself-propelled mobile transporters to theLand-Level Transfer Facility (LLTF) and setin place on one of the building shipways.There, Ultra Units and other ship moduleswill be joined together on the LLTF to forma near-finished product, with 80 percent ofconstruction completed in preparation forlaunch or christening.

After the christening by MaureenMurphy, the ship’s sponsor, the USSMichael Murphy will be transferred fromthe LLTF onto a floating dry dock along theKennebec River. The dry dock will beflooded, allowing the ship to float off andmaneuver alongside the pier, a 24-hourprocess. Then the ship completion, testingand activation stage will commence, workthat can only be done with the ship afloat.During the latter part of this stage the Navywill assume possession and proceed withnearly six months of rigorous sea trials andtesting.

The commissioning ceremony is tenta-tively scheduled for June 28, 2012, in NewYork Harbor.

The USS Michael Murphy will be theseventh destroyer and 40th Navy shipnamed in honor of a Medal of Honor recipi-ent. Although its fleet assignment has yet tobe determined, the destroyer and its 23 offi-cers and 250 enlisted personnel likely willbe home-ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii,home of Murphy’s unit, SEAL DeliveryVehicle Team-1.

While the keel-authentication ceremonywas emotional, the family rememberedthe comforting words from Winter at thededication ceremony two years earlier:“Every sailor who crosses the brow, everysailor who hears the officer of the deckannounce the arrival of the commandingofficer, and every sailor who enters a foreign land representing our great nationwill do so as an honored member of USS Michael Murphy.”

The initials of the 19 men killed in Operation Red Wings will join those ofMichael Murphy’s father, mother and brother on the keel plate.

photo: by Mass Comm. Specialist 2nd Class Kevin S. O'Brien


Construction


Maureen Murphy, left,and Edwin Bard inscribethe signatures of Lt.Michael Murphy's family on an iron plate during a dedication ceremony for Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) MichaelMurphy (DDG-112).

The June 18, 2010, keel-authentication ceremony was the first of what will be several

emotional ceremonies that bring the ship to life.



It started for Michael Patrick Murphy asfar back as Little League, maybe before, thisintense feeling of team unity. His motherremembers the game when he hit a walkoffhome run, swamped by his pals, hailed as a

hero, and all he could think of was makingsure “his teammates knew they ‘all had wonthe game.’” Perhaps, then, when seeking anexplanation of Murphy’s enduring legacy

and unwavering courage in the unforgivingmountains of a foreign land, one need go nofurther than a baseball game way back inthe small Long Island town of Patchogue,when a smiling Little Leaguer who hit a

home run deflected attention from himselfto his teammates.

Murphy is a military hero, of course, theselfless Navy SEAL lieutenant and Medal of Honor recipient who on June 28, 2005,sacrificed himself for his men. Yet his story,as his parents Dan and Maureen point out,goes far beyond his actions in Afghanistan,beyond the Medal of Honor, and beyond hisenduring legacy as a military icon. It goes tohis core character, the person he was as achild and as an adult.

Character does not equate with perfection:No one is perfect. Rather, character is abouta sense of honor and duty, whether on theLittle League field, or in the no-man’s landof a faraway combat zone. It is about remem-bering we are all running this marathon oflife together, a core value Michael Murphytook with him to his grave. He believed

doing for others “was a life well-lived,” hisfather says often. That is why his sonbecame a lifeguard, a tutor, and eventually aSEAL.

As the Navy christens the USS MichaelMurphy on May 7 at Bath Iron Works alongthe Maine coast, it salutes a legacy of com-mitment to others that drives the militaryethos, not always successfully but success-fully enough. “Mike is what every Americancan be proud of,” then-Rear Adm. Joseph D.Kernan, commander of the Naval SpecialWarfare Command at the time, said in 2008at the renaming of a post office in Murphy’shonor in Patchogue, not far from the SEAL’sfinal resting place at the Calverton NationalCemetery. A memento distributed at the

A “Life Well-Lived”:

The Enduring Legacy of Lt.Michael Murphy

By Tom Breen

“Character is about a sense of honor and duty, whether on the Little League field or in the no-man’s

land of a far-away combat zone.”

Second-grade school picture of Michael on Long Island, N.Y.


Michael and his fiance HeatherDuggan horseback riding.

L acyegheT


naming ceremony quoted Murphy’s favoritephrase, “Adversity builds Character.” Itwas adversity that Murphy embraced.

With honors for the slain SEAL continu-ing to grow, Murphy’s story bears repeatingbecause of what it says not only about himbut about the American ethos in general,and about the reasons Murphy’s legacyburns bright. In the end, Americans moreoften than not try hard to do the right thing,to attempt to serve others more than them-selves.

Born in Smithtown, N.Y., on May 7,1976, Murphy later moved to Patchogue,where he spent his childhood and teen-ageyears, endearing himself to friends becauseof his core beliefs about the way peopleshould be treated. In remarks delivered tothe class of 2011 at their son’s alma mater,Penn State University, in early April thisyear, his parents Dan and Maureen empha-sized the caring-for-others traits and valueshe carried with him into the SEALs, toAfghanistan and now to his role as theguiding spirit for a new Navy destroyer.

As much as Murphy nurtured and sup-ported friends, he also harbored a ferociousfighting spirit, probably growing out of hisIrish-American roots. So it was, on a sum-mer day in 2005, hard by the Pakistani bor-der, he turned destroyer as well as protec-tor, killing countless Taliban fighters as helay dying. Only fellow SEAL MarcusLuttrell survived the attack, which claimedMurphy and his SEAL teammates DannyDietz and Matthew Axelson. It also claimedanother eight SEALs and eight ArmyNight Stalkers, shot down in their MH-47Chinook helicopter by enemy fire as theyrushed to rescue Murphy’s embattled team.

Now, six years later, the image of theSEAL team leader leaving the protection ofa rock formation to secure a better radio sig-nal to try to save his team is the Murphyeveryone knew even as a child. He wasstanding in the open, at risk to himself, forothers. Luttrell, in a book detailing his ownescape, describes Murphy as a SEAL ofunparalleled courage.

Murphy joined the Navy before 9/11, but

the terrorist attack fired up his spirit oncehe entered combat. One of his close friendsfrom Long Island, Owen O’Callaghan, whobecame a fireman and then a policeman,lost a fire-fighting uncle in 9/11. Murphywore a patch from O'Callaghan's firehouseinto battle to honor those heroes.

The bond between the Murphy clan andPenn State also is particularly strong. It wasat Penn State in the 1990s that Murphycame of age, mapping out career plans andfalling in love with Heather Duggan, aclassmate. They planned to marry after hisexpected return home to the states in thefall of 2005. At Penn State, Murphy earneddegrees in political science and psychologyand was accepted by several law schools.Instead, he joined the Navy, in part as a wayto carry forward his own father’s militarylegacy. Murphy’s dad, a former prosecutoron Long Island and now a judicial chief lawassociate at the New York State SupremeCourt, is partially disabled from combatwounds received in Vietnam. By becominga Navy SEAL, his father recalled last year inan interview with the New York Post, "Hecould have the greatest impact for thegood.”

In Afghanistan on the day he died, it wasMurphy, wearing his cherished FDNY

patch, who fiercelyembraced the role ofsafeguarding others, a role he always rel-ished. But he was notalone. "As much asMichael fought anddied for his men,Michael's men fought and died for him,"Dan Murphy says. "They are all heroes andas a father, I will always honor these menas my heroes."

Dan Murphy and his family, includingpoliceman-to-be son John, 25, also aregrateful for the devotion from Penn Statefaculty and students. For instance, the 2011 class of 2,656 seniors has pledgedmore than $240,000 to build a plaza honoring Murphy and other veterans. The truth is many of them likely never will join the military. Rather, it is the very idea of Michael Murphy – a fellowgraduate of unparalleled courage and areally good guy – that draws them to him.

As the years flow by, this legacy ofcourage and decency is his, and ours, alegacy kept alive by those who knew him,and those who didn’t, and by those whohonor him daily.

How could anyone not want to be like Mike?

Cmdr. Thomas Shultz,left, commander of the USS Michael Murphy(DDG-112), speaks with Michael Murphy’sfather, Dan Murphy, and Navy Secretary Ray Mabus.

photo: U.S. Navy

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USSMichael MurphyDDG-112Christening Publication

USSMichael MurphyDDG-112

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DDG-112 Commissioning Publication