Unveiling, Dedication For SEAL Hero Michael’s Anniversary

Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael Murphy


 

By Ray O’Hanlon


It will be fifteen years on June 28 since Lieutenant Michael Murphy gave his life for his comrades and his country.


And the Navy SEAL who was awarded a posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor is being remembered today at a special installation, unveiling and dedication of a large scale Navy SEAL Trident at the museum on Long Island which honors Michael’s life and legacy.

Sign up to The Irish Echo Newsletter

Sign up today to get daily, up-to-date news and views from Irish America.


Michael was honored posthumously by the Echo in the paper's inaugural 40 Under 40 Awards ceremony.

The 15th anniversary of Michael’s heroism is also the fifteenth anniversary of Operation Red Wings, in which 19 Navy SEALs and Army Night Stalkers were killed in Afghanistan.Their story was depicted in the book and film “Lone Survivor.”


The enormous golden Trident is 17 feet by 8 feet in size, and will be mounted on the museum’s façade, overlooking the Avenue of Heroes, said a release.


Michael’s Gold Star Parents, Daniel J. Murphy, chairman, Lt. Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum, and Maureen Murphy, other members of the Murphy family and museum board of directors members, as well as friends and supporters of the museum - which is in West Sayville on Long Island - are attending.



The release noted that on June 28, 2005, Long Island native Lt. Michael P. Murphy and 18 Navy SEALS and Army Night Stalkers were killed in action in Afghanistan. For his intrepidity, LT Murphy was posthumously awarded the nation’s highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. The museum is marking this month’s 15th Anniversary with the installation and dedication of the SEAL Trident, which will complete the building’s exterior.


Stated the release: “The SEAL Trident is the most recognizable emblem of this elite Navy branch. It is comprised of four objects that symbolize a SEAL’s domains - Sea, Air and Land: an anchor, eagle, trident and pistol. The anchor signifies the Navy. The eagle represents the air. Its right talon clutches a trident, symbolic of Neptune, God of the Sea, and its left talon clutches a flintlock pistol, signifying land warfare and a state of constant readiness.


And it continued: “The Lt. Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum is designed to educate the public on the history and missions of America’s Special Operators and this elite branch of the Navy. The only museum of its kind on the East Coast and just the second in the USA, it is named in honor of LT Michael Murphy, the Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient killed in Afghanistan during Operation Red Wings in 2005.


“The museum will feature exhibits that commemorate all United States Naval Special Warfare Operators who have served and sacrificed for our country. Through exhibits, films, videos, historical accounts, and opportunities to interact with the SEAL community, visitors will learn about the ideals that govern our Special Operators and be inspired by an experience that establishes personal and emotional connections to them. Ultimately, the museum will convey an appreciation of what it means to put service above self, and the meaning - and the price - of freedom.”


The facility will also serve as the new home of the Lt. Michael Murphy Division of the United States Naval Sea Cadets Corps, a national youth leadership development program that promotes interest and skill in naval disciplines through leadership and technical programs modeled after the Navy’s professional development system. The museum is a national, not-for-profit 501(c)3 charitable foundation. Final completion of the museum is expected in 2021. For more information, go to www.MurphSealMuseum.org.


 

 

Donate