Michael P. Murphy
A Navy SEAL who sacrificed his life on a mountain in Afghanistan, exposing himself to enemy fire to call for help for his trapped team.
1976–2005 (age 29)·United States Navy Medal of Honor recipient·Birthday: May 7·Generation X
Biography
Michael P. Murphy lived a life of intense purpose, shaped by a deep sense of justice and patriotism. From Patchogue, New York, he was an accomplished student and athlete who chose the supreme challenge of becoming a Navy SEAL. Lieutenant Murphy led a four-man reconnaissance team, SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1, on a mission in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan in 2005. When their position was compromised by a much larger Taliban force, a fierce firefight ensued. With his team members wounded and communications failing, Murphy understood the only chance for rescue was to get a clear signal. He moved into open ground, knowing full well the consequence, to transmit a call for help. He was shot during the act, but completed the call. Only one member of his team survived, rescued because of that transmission. Murphy's conscious choice to give his life for his men became a modern parable of valor.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Michael was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Michael Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Michael's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2005Died at 29
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
Key Achievements
- Awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions during Operation Red Wings in June 2005.
- Was the first sailor to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War.
- Graduated from Penn State University with degrees in political science and psychology.
- Successfully completed the notoriously demanding U.S. Navy SEAL training (BUD/S).
Did You Know?
The 2013 film 'Lone Survivor' depicts the events of Operation Red Wings and Murphy's role.
A U.S. Navy destroyer, the USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112), was named in his honor.
He was an avid reader, with a particular interest in history and biographies of historical leaders.
Murphy was a certified lifeguard and worked as a lifeguard at the Brookhaven town beach.
“My guys are taking fire. I'm going to get them.”
