07/21/2026
THE RADIO COULD NOT REACH HEADQUARTERS FROM BEHIND COVER.
SO LT. MICHAEL MURPHY STEPPED INTO THE OPEN.
On June 28, 2005, a four-man Navy SEAL reconnaissance team was surrounded in the mountains of Afghanistan.
Between 30 and 40 enemy fighters attacked from superior positions. All four Americans were wounded. Their primary communicator was mortally injured, and the steep terrain blocked repeated attempts to contact headquarters.
Without that call, immediate assistance might never come.
Lt. Michael P. Murphy understood that the radio needed a clear signal. He also understood that reaching one required leaving the protection of the mountain.
Murphy fought his way into open ground.
Exposed to direct enemy fire, he established contact with headquarters, transmitted his team’s location and requested immediate support. He maintained the call even as enemy fire struck around him and wounded him.
Only after sending the necessary information did Murphy return to cover. He continued leading and fighting beside his teammates until he was mortally wounded.
He was 29 years old.
Michael Murphy did not step into the open because he believed the bullets would miss him. He stepped forward because three wounded teammates were depending on the message only he could send.
A radio call may last less than a minute.
This one required a man to surrender his protection, expose himself to the enemy and give everything for his team.
Lt. Michael P. Murphy
United States Navy SEAL
Medal of Honor recipient