The President's
remarks on presenting the Medal of Honor posthumously to Lt. Michael P. Murphy, Navy Seal. I'm touched that his parents taught him how a Christian deals with bullies:
Michael Murphy was blessed with a powerful sense of right and wrong. This sense came from devoted parents who taught him to love his neighbor -- and defend those who could not defend themselves. Well, Michael took these lessons to heart. One day in school, he got into a scuffle sticking up for a student with a disability. It's the only time his parents ever got a phone call from the principal -- and they couldn't have been prouder.
His dad won a Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam, too, so the family knew things like this happen:
While conducting surveillance on a mountain ridge in Afghanistan, he and three fellow SEALs were surrounded by a much larger enemy force. Their only escape was down the side of a mountain -- and the SEALs launched a valiant counterattack while cascading from cliff to cliff. But as the enemy closed in, Michael recognized that the survival of his men depended on calling back to the base for reinforcements. With complete disregard for his own life, he moved into a clearing where his phone would get reception. He made the call, and Michael then fell under heavy fire. Yet his grace and upbringing never deserted him. Though severely wounded, he said "thank you" before hanging up, and returned to the fight -- before losing his life.
The
lone survivor of that episode (and also Lt. Murphy's personal friend) has written a book about it. I heard him interviewed about it some time ago, and it was the most riveting thing I ever heard. The Prez quotes him:
Mikey was the best officer I ever knew, an iron-souled warrior of colossal and almost unbelievable courage in the face of the enemy.
Video
here.
