On June 28, 2005, four Navy SEALs were deep behind enemy lines, 10,000 feet above sea level east of Asadabad in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan. These men were trying to track down Ahmad Shah – a terrorist who led a guerrilla group called the "Mountain Tigers" under the assumed name Muhammad Ismail. A group of goat herders happened upon their position and reported the location to Taliban fighters.

Soon the four SEALs fought for their lives in a fierce battle with more than 50 Taliban. Each of the men sustained serious injuries as they tried to run down the mountain to escape the advancing foe. Lt. Michael Murphy desperately tried to make contact with support but was inhibited by the terrain. With disregard for his on life, Murphy courageously moved into the open, away from cover, to send a transmission in hope of saving the lives of his men.

Under constant enemy fire, Murphy contacted the Special Operations Forces Quick Reaction Force at Bagram Air Base and requested assistance. During the exchange he was shot in the back and dropped the transmitter. He quickly retrieved the device and continued to fire at the oncoming enemy as he calmly relayed his unit’s location and the size of the enemy force. Although he was severely wounded, he returned to his position with his men and continued to fight.

After the two-hour long firefight, roughly 35 Taliban fighters and three of the four SEALs, including Murphy, were dead. The fourth SEAL, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell, spent three days on the run from the Taliban. Luttrell suffered a bullet wound to one leg, shrapnel embedded in both legs, three cracked vertebrae and severe dehydration. Miraculously, he traveled seven miles on foot and met with local Afghanis who carried him to a village and harbored him from the Taliban until U.S. forces rescued him.

According to the official citation, “by his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit and inspirational devotion to his men in the face of certain death, Lt. Murphy was able to relay the position of his unit, an act that ultimately led to the rescue of Luttrell and the recovery of the remains of the three who were killed in the battle.”

Lt. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for valor on Oct. 22, 2007

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