SEAL of Honor

by Gary Williams

  H-Gear

  H-gear was a canvas utility belt used to carry a light load of personal infantry gear. It was supported by a padded pair of nylon suspenders, and had to be set up in a prescribed manner: four ammunition pouches in front, two on either side of the front-buckle catch; a canteen hung just behind each hip; and a personal first-aid kit in the small of the back. The only piece of equipment with optional placement was the combat knife, which was usually placed opposite the rappelling line. All buckles and metal surfaces were painted flat black or covered with olive-colored tape to prevent them from making noise or reflecting light.

  Timed Evolutions

  The timed PT evolutions of Second Phase were no longer good enough and again lowered. Almost all of the conditioning runs in Third Phase were done with full rucksacks and H-gear. A fully loaded rucksack might weigh forty pounds, not including other equipment on the H-gear. The O-course time was lowered to an even ten minutes; the four-mile beach run in long pants and boots to thirty minutes. In addition, the trainees had to complete a two-mile ocean swim with fins in seventy-five minutes, and successfully complete a fourteen-mile run with a fully loaded rucksack.

  Weapons Training

  Week one of Third Phase consisted of learning the basics of using a compass, reading a map, and walking a line of bearing using a pace count to measure distance. Week one also introduced field weapons, beginning with weapons safety and becoming familiar with the SEAL arsenal.

  Monday of week two sent the students to NSW’s Mountain Warfare Training Facility at La Posta, California. At an elevation of three thousand feet, this training center, located on thirteen hundred acres, includes a five-thousand-meter mountain-endurance training course for a timed land-navigation checkout evolution. The facility continues today to play a vital role in the training of NSW forces because the terrain closely resembles the environments found in Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

  During their field training, Michael and the other students were introduced to the SEAL’s primary weapon, the M4 rifle, weapons training, and shooting qualifications. The training facility has a state-of-the-art shooting range that includes metal silhouettes at distances of fifty to one hundred meters. The trainees learned that smooth is fast. Speed comes from learning a correct, smooth technique. Firing two shots in rapid succession at each target, they were graded on both time and accuracy. NSW and all U.S. Special Forces use a modified M4, specifically the M4A1, a fully automatic variation of the basic M4 carbine. The M4A1 is a gas-operated, aircooled, magazine-fed, selective fire, shoulder-fired weapon with a telescoping stock that provides greater maneuverability in close quarters and combat-extended range with lethal capability. It has an effective range of about five hundred to six hundred meters. The USSOCOM modification is a SOPMOD Block I Kit that features a rail interface system (RIS), a special hand guard, a shortened quick-detachable M203 grenade launcher, a leaf sight, a sound suppressor, a backup rear sight and a visible laser-infrared designator, reflex sights, and a night-vision sight.

  “Gentlemen, This Changes Everything”

  At about 5:45 Pacific time on the morning of September 11, 2001, Ensign Michael Murphy and his BUD/S classmates were conducting a morning PT session before continuing their reconnaissance training. One of the instructors suddenly called them into the classroom. There, two large television screens suspended in the corners at the front of the room displayed the carnage and devastation occurring on the other side of their country. For the next ninety minutes the men all sat in disbelief as both towers of the World Trade Center collapsed, the Pentagon was attacked, and a fourth plane was reported down in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

  As Ensign Murphy watched the events unfold so close to his home, he was concerned for his best friends, Jimmie and Owen O’Callaghan, both now serving as New York City policemen. He knew that they would be at the World Trade Center, along with their uncle, who was a member of the New York City Fire Department. As his thoughts of home moved like a video screen through his mind, he stared at the television. The images of the towers collapsing and the resulting deaths of thousands of his fellow New Yorkers was seared into every neuron of his brain.

  Newly commissioned Ensign Michael P. Murphy receiving his first salute upon graduating from Officer Candidate School on December 13, 2000. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  Graduation picture of BUD/S Class 236. Ensign Michael Murphy is on the far left in the top row. (U.S. Navy)

  This is where the fight took place. The image also shows where Murphy, Dietz, and Axelson fell along with Lutrell’s route of escape. (Photo courtesy of Ensign Christopher Reed)

  Taken on June 18, 2005, as he prepares for yet another mission, this is one of the bestknown pictures of Lieutenant Michael Murphy. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  The ramp ceremony at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, on July 5, 2005. The flag-draped military cases are carrying the remains of Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy (front) and Petty Officer Third Class Danny Dietz (rear). (Courtesy of Ben Sauers)

  Sixteen fire trucks from various Long Island fire departments formed an arch that suspended eight 30’ x 30’ flags as Michael’s funeral procession entered Calverton National Cemetery on July 13, 2005. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy’s headstone at Calverton National Cemetery, located in Section 67, site 3710. (Photo by the author)

  The reverse side of Michael’s headstone, noting his Silver Star and Purple Heart, along with his SEAL Trident. (Photo by the author)

  Sign welcoming visitors to Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Park overlooking Lake Ronkonkoma, where Michael served as a lifeguard and beach manager for several years. (Photo by the author)

  Dedication of the Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Park on May 7, 2006. The monument was donated by the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Standing in the back row are Rear Admiral Joseph Maguire and Michael’s father, Daniel J. Murphy. In the front row are Michael’s younger brother, John, and his mother, Maureen Murphy. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  Lieutenant Murphy’s parents with Congressman Timothy Bishop and Rear Admiral Joseph Maguire at the Lake Ronkonkoma park’s dedication on May 7, 2006. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  Sailor’s Cross dedicated to the memory of Lieutenant Michael Murphy, located in front of the American Legion Post in Patchogue, New York. (Photo by the author)

  Dan Murphy prays at the grave of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chris Scherkenbach, the helicopter pilot from the 160th SOAR who lost his life on June 28, 2005, during the Murphys’ visit to Arlington National Cemetery on October 21, 2007, the day before Lieutenant Murphy received the Medal of Honor. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  Lieutenant Mike McGreevy’s widow, Laura, and daughter, Molly, accompanied the Murphys on their visit to Arlington National Cemetery. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  Escorted by a Navy honor guard, the family of Lieutenant Michael Murphy places wreaths at the graves of those lost in Operation Red Wings interred at Arlington National Cemetery. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  Lieutenant Michael Murphy’s parents being escorted by a Navy and Army honor guard during the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  Lieutenant Michael Murphy’s parents standing at the Tomb of the Unknowns. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  Maureen Murphy holds the Medal of Honor presented to her and Dan by President Bush. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  Michael’s parents stand with President Bush as a military aide reads the Medal of Honor citation. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  A Navy honor guard stands at the display table in the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes during Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy’s induction ceremony on October 23, 2007. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  The program for the induction ceremony in the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  The Murphys being interviewed by members of the medi
a following the Hall of Heroes induction ceremony. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  The parents of Lieutenant Michael Murphy stand with Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter during the Medal of Honor Flag ceremony at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., on October 23, 2007. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  A U.S. Navy honor guard prepares to fold Michael’s Medal of Honor Flag. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  Admiral Gary Roughead, the chief of naval operations, presents Lieutenant Michael Murphy’s Medal of Honor Flag to his mother, Maureen. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  Dan Murphy prays at the grave of Lieutenant Commander Erik Kristensen at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Maryland, on October 24, 2007. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  Four-foot-diameter granite marker located in the Serenity Plaza, Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Park, Lake Ronkonkoma, New York. (Courtesy of the Murphy family)

  Rear Admiral Edward Kristensen, USN (ret.), and Suzanne Kristensen visit the grave of Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy at Calverton National Cemetery on October 31, 2008. (Photo by the author)

  On November 1, 2008, Michael Murphy’s parents visit the New York City Fire Department station “adopted” by their son. (Photo by the author)

  The reflection of Michael Murphy’s mother in the large display honoring him at FDNY Engine Co. 54, Ladder Co. 43—“El Barrio’s Bravest.” Michael’s funeral prayer card is in the upper left corner, and the actual station patch worn by him on June 28, 2005, is under his picture, as is his SEAL Trident. (Photo by the author)

  Oil portrait of Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy painted by New York artist Gerald Slater and presented to the family on May 7, 2008. Replica prints now hang in several places around the country that have been named in honor of Lieutenant Murphy. (Courtesy of Gerald Slater)

  Every muscle in his body tightened; his teeth clenched, and his jaws began to ache from the tension. The rock-hard muscles of his physically fine-tuned body became clearly defined. To Michael Murphy, this was personal.

  The instructor walked toward the front of the classroom while he muted the sound with his remote control. The sudden silence mentally snapped Michael to attention. As the instructor reached the front center of the classroom, he turned sharply, facing the class. Without looking behind him, he pointed to one of the television screens and in a low stern voice stated, “Gentlemen, this changes everything. We’re going to war!” But Ensign Michael Murphy was not going to war—he was already there.

  After several more minutes of discussion, the class assembled back outside to complete their PT before going on to reconnaissance training. As the PT repetitions were being counted, the men’s voices were louder and crisper. Ben Sauers noticed a visible change in Michael: “Michael always had a smile on his face, was intense but very easygoing; after 9/11 something changed in him. You could see it. While he was still very personable and went out of his way to help anyone and everyone, his intensity changed. It’s like he became quieter. To those who didn’t know him, they would have noticed nothing out of the ordinary, but having been with him since his rollback, I could see it. He internalized 9/11.”

  Top Gun and Beyond

  With the resolve of the class having changed, the men’s last day at La Posta began with familiarization shooting without scores to get ready for the Top Gun competition, a single-elimination tournament with members going one-on-one on the range. Each member contributed $10 for the Top Gun Trophy, a KA-BAR knife engraved with the class number.

  Each shooter possessed an M4, ten rounds, and an extra magazine. On command the trainees dropped to a kneeling position and fired rounds at the target at twenty-five meters, then shifted to a prone position and fired at the target at fifty meters. They could fire as many rounds as they liked, and the first shooter with a hit on each target was the winner and progressed on to face another opponent.

  After La Posta, the students of Class 236 traveled to Camp Pendleton, California, the U.S. Marine Corps’ 125,000-acre facility, where the students utilized the Edison Range, one of the most complete shooting-range training facilities anywhere. There they continued to hone their shooting skills using the entire SEAL arsenal, but with special emphasis on their M4A1.

  The next two weeks found them back at the NSW Center for demolitions training. A SEAL must be very familiar with a variety of military and other types of demolitions, and must be able to safely detonate explosives both on land and at sea. While the basics of priming both electrical and nonelectrical demolition charges were covered at Coronado, the majority of demolition training was conducted during four weeks of field training on San Clemente Island.

  San Clemente Island

  Michael and his class loaded their equipment into a McDonnell Douglas C-9 for the short flight to the “Rock,” San Clemente Island. Upon arrival they unloaded their weapons and personal gear into an old white bus for the two-mile drive to the training facility.

  San Clemente Island is the southernmost of the Channel Islands off California. Officially uninhabited, the twenty-one-mile-long island hosts an active sonar base, a simulated embassy, and a rocket-test facility. Known for its high winds, dangerous terrain covered with scrub grass, ice plants, and prickly pear and golden snake cactus, it is the home of the Camp Al Huey SEAL training facility, located just north of the runways of the Naval Auxiliary landing field. Built in 1989, Camp Al Huey was named after a Vietnam-era master chief petty officer who had dedicated many years to both the SEAL teams and the training of SEALs. It is a complete training facility containing barracks, chow hall, armory, weapons-cleaning stations, classrooms, shooting, demolition, and hand grenade ranges, and an O-course.

  During their last four weeks of Third Phase training, the students began to work seven days a week from 6 AM to 8 PM without a break, until their BUD/S graduation.

  Flight Training

  One of the more lighthearted but extremely challenging exercises performed by Michael’s class was “flight training.” Flight training for BUD/S candidates involved the frequent running up and down of the steep hills of San Clemente while carrying a large heavy wooden pallet over their heads. With the very strong winds coming off the Pacific, it was more than a challenge for the SEAL candidates to maintain their balance and footing. It was not uncommon for the winds to lift them off the ground, which slowed their “flight” time. As in every training evolution, there was a precise procedure to flight training, including a prearranged “flight pattern” and “maneuvers,” as well as proper “landing instructions.” Failure to follow instructions resulted in another “flight.”

  Chow PT

  In life, nothing is free. The same is true in BUD/S. At Camp Al Huey, to earn breakfast, the trainees had to perform maximum push-ups and sit-ups in two-minute timed intervals with full H-gear and full canteens. Before lunch they completed a two-hundred-meter run up a steep hill to “Frog Rock”; this was also made in full H-gear with full canteens, and it had to be completed in ninety seconds. The price for their evening meal was fifteen pull-ups and fifteen dips—also with full H-gear and canteens.

  Land-Warfare Skills

  Having familiarized themselves with the SEAL weapons arsenal earlier at the Naval Special Warfare’s Mountain Warfare Training Facility, Michael and the other students learned combat shooting techniques with both the M4A1 and the SIG SAUER pistol. Combat shooting involved fast and accurate shooting as well as changing magazines while continuing to get rounds on target. The trainees then progressed to immediate-action drills (IADs), which taught the men how to break contact in a firefight or quickly assault an enemy position. During these drills they learned how the leapfrog maneuver, in which one element of the combat unit moved while the other provided covering fire. This meant that someone off to a trainee’s side and behind him was firing at a target in front of him. Class 236 first walked through the IADs, then ran through them at full speed, both in daylight and then at night. Other land-warfare skills learned were ambushes, structure searches, ha
ndling of prisoners, reconnaissance techniques, and raid planning—again, each skill was taught in the classroom and then practiced in the field, both in daylight and at night. The trainees learned the skill of holding one’s breath and diving twenty feet to place demolitions on obstacles submerged off the island’s coast. Using the hydrographic reconnaissance skills learned in First Phase, the class conducted a simulated night-combat beach reconnaissance, prepared a hydrographic chart, and returned the following night to place the charges and blow them up.

  Class 236’s final field training exercise (FTX) problem was conducted over a five-day period. First, the men were divided into squads, upon which each squad entered a period of isolation to begin mission planning. Each squad then conducted four consecutive night operations utilizing the skills they learned during the previous six months at BUD/S.

  These separate and exhausting exercises made it a sobering but exciting time for Michael and his classmates, because they saw their months of training begin to gel and pay off. They knew these skills would be utilized in the months and years ahead.