[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 27264]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      LIEUTENANT MICHAEL MURPHY WILL POSTHUMOUSLY BE AWARDED THE 
                      CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR

  (Mrs. DRAKE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. DRAKE. Madam Speaker, on October 22, the President will 
posthumously award our Nation's top military honor to the first Navy 
SEAL since the Vietnam War.
  In June of 2005, Lieutenant Michael Murphy of Patchogue, New York, 
led a team of four SEALs on an intelligence-gathering mission in the 
mountains of Afghanistan when Taliban supporters revealed the team's 
position. A heavy firefight ensued, and the team, cut off from all 
reinforcements and outnumbered 50 to 1, fought valiantly to preserve 
each other's lives. Faced with certain death, Lieutenant Murphy 
deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire in order to gain a clear 
signal which would communicate with rescue forces. He risked his own 
life to save the lives of his men.
  Madam Speaker, as the proud representative of both Naval Amphibious 
Base Little Creek and Dam Neck Fleet Combat Training Center, my heart 
goes out to the family of the first Navy SEAL to earn the Congressional 
Medal of Honor in the global war on terror.
  Lieutenant Murphy was a true American hero and will live on as an 
inspiration for all who serve within the ranks of the most elite 
special operations forces in the world.

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