Meet Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy

He was posthumously awarded with the Medal of Honor by the President today. Via AP:

WASHINGTON – President Bush publicly honored a fallen Navy SEAL Monday by presenting his grieving parents with the Medal of Honor β€” and privately honored their sacrifice by wearing a dog tag they’d given him moments before.

The president posthumously awarded the nation’s highest military honor for valor to Lt. Michael Murphy of Patchogue, N.Y. β€” the first given for combat in Afghanistan.

Before the emotional White House ceremony, Murphy’s parents Dan and Maureen Murphy met with Bush and gave him a gold dog tag in tribute to their son.

“What we were most touched by was that the president immediately put that on underneath his shirt, and when he made the presentation of the Medal of Honor, he wore that against his chest,” said the father.

After the ceremony, Dan Murphy said, Bush told the family: “I was inspired by having Michael next to my chest.”

The father, who fought back tears during the ceremony, said they were “deeply moved” by Bush’s gesture.

“It was very emotional on everybody’s part,” said Maureen Murphy.

Bush presided over a solemn ceremony honoring their son’s battlefield decision to expose himself to deadly enemy fire in order to make a desperate call for help for his elite combat team.

Here’s video of the WH ceremony honoring Lt. Murphy:

(h/t: Gaius at BCB)

To find out more about him, read this post at Blackfive’s blog.

Lt. Michael Murphy is another brave American hero who we will never, ever forget.

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