In June 2005, Lt. Michael P. Murphy gave the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of his country and will be presented the U.S. Navy Medal of Honor, the nation's highest honor, awarded posthumously.
Too often we get busy with our daily lives, petty disagreements, and selfish indulgences -- forgetting that there are brave American men fighting and dying across the globe in the defense of the liberty and freedom we take for granted.
Earlier I heard Marcus Luttrell - a man who's life was saved by Murphy's courage and the only survivor of his SEAL team - tell a radio audience that people going about their daily lives was evidence the he and others are doing their job.
A soldier's sacrifice is for our political freedom. His job.
Christ's sacrifice is for our eternal freedom. His job.
I know I have been convicted that, as a Christian, I should be doing more to support our troops as they battle the evil forces of Islam. I am a Gulf War veteran, so I have decided to join the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) to help support our young men fighting and coming home, many times broken in spirit and body.
But, there is more we can all do (and encourage our children to do)...
Please remember to pray for our armed forces daily, that God's blessing would be upon them, and that God's will would be fulfilled hurriedly in the destruction of His enemies. Also pray for the destruction of Islam, so that all of Abraham's children might one day be redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
No Greater Joy Ministries has a nice program for soldiers and their families.
Campus Crusade for Christ has a Military Ministry.
One nice way to show your support, that your homeschooled kids can participate in, is by writing letters to soldiers. It is a real blessing that might make the difference in a hero's life.
Here is the story of just one hero, U.S. Navy SEAL, Lt. Michael P. Murphy:
The White House announced Oct. 11 that the family of U.S. Navy SEAL, Lt. Michael P. Murphy will be presented the U.S. Navy Medal of Honor, awarded posthumously, during a ceremony at the White House Oct. 22.
The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States.
Murphy’s father, Daniel, will accept the award on behalf of his son. Murphy will receive the award for his extraordinary, selfless heroism and steadfast courage while leading a four-man, special reconnaissance mission deep behind enemy lines east of Asadabad in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan June 27 to 28, 2005.
“We are thrilled by the President’s announcement today, especially because there is now a public recognition of what we knew all along about Michael’s loyalty, devotion and sacrifice to his friends, family, country, and especially his SEAL teammates,” the Murphy family said in a statement. “The honor is not just about Michael, it is about his teammates and those who lost their lives that same day.”
Murphy was the officer-in-charge of the SEAL element, which was tasked with locating a high- level Taliban militia leader to provide intelligence for a follow-on mission to capture or destroy the local leadership and disrupt enemy activity. However local Taliban sympathizers discovered the SEAL unit and immediately revealed their position to Taliban fighters. The element was besieged on a mountaintop by scores of enemy fighters. The firefight that ensued pushed the element farther into enemy territory and left all four SEALs wounded.
The SEALs fought the enemy fearlessly despite being at a tactical disadvantage and outnumbered more than four to one. Understanding the gravity of the situation and his responsibility to his men, Murphy, already wounded, deliberately and unhesitatingly moved from cover into the open where he took and returned fire while transmitting a call for help for his beleaguered teammates. Shot through the back while radioing for help, Murphy completed his transmission while returning fire. The call ultimately led to the rescue of one severely wounded team member, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell, and the recovery of the remains of Murphy and Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny Dietz and Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew Axelson.
Eight more SEALs and eight Army “Nightstalker” special operations personnel comprising the initial reinforcement also lost their lives when their helicopter was shot down before they could engage the enemy. The entire battle, the culmination of Operation Redwing, resulted in the worst single day loss of life for Naval Special Warfare personnel since World War II.
The sole surviving SEAL, Marcus Luttrell, wrote a book about the battle after he departed the Navy this summer. In his book Luttrell credited all three of his teammates for their heroism, including Murphy’s sacrificial act that eventually led to his rescue.
Murphy will be inducted into the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon during a ceremony scheduled Oct. 23. His name will be engraved beside the names of some 3,400 other service members who have also been awarded the nation’s highest honor.