9b8c0fdfb4cf2dc94c6e…

Screw the politicos, the JAGs and the media. Much precious and needless American blood is on their hands. It needn’t be that way and they are solely to blame.

How proud and serene those parents are for their son and all the Soldiers. This country still has the greatest people on Earth.

I cry for my country, with joy for what it still is, and with sadness of what is yet to come, if good doesn’t prevail.

God bless LT Murphy and the rest of our warriors.

DrMagnolias on October 17, 2007 at 7:39 PM

Indeed. God bless…

The brass and senior officers are a cancer in this fight. From the solitary confinement of the Haditha marines at Pendleton, to the ROE, to the lack of moral courage they show in sticking up for their troops to reporters, they’re a disaster.

PRCalDude on October 17, 2007 at 7:24 PM

Indeed they are, and it’s very difficult to see that changing any time soon–it infects the majority of the military culture. My husband is a Navy Captain who will never see Admiral because he has the courage his superior officers lack. And, there is such a demand for perfectionism, or rather, an odd notion of perfectionism, that really good officers are passed over for promotion, and quivering apple-polishers are promoted. Men (and women) with a true warrior spirit are in for a rough time. I love our country, I love our military, and I tremble for our future when I think that MBAs are running the show.

God bless LT Murphy and the rest of our warriors.

Typical careerist in the military, worrying more about how something looks than doing what it takes to win. You can bet it wasn’t a Marine general.

DrMagnolias on October 17, 2007 at 7:01 PM

The brass and senior officers are a cancer in this fight. From the solitary confinement of the Haditha marines at Pendleton, to the ROE, to the lack of moral courage they show in sticking up for their troops to reporters, they’re a disaster.

P.C. rules, soldiers die.

profitsbeard on October 17, 2007 at 9:51 AM

Indeed they do. PC and cheap sentimentality truly hamstring our military. My husband was with the SEALs in Afghanistan in 2002, when they were sometimes required to protect Hamid Karzai. An attempt was made on Karzai, and one of the SEALs was grazed by a bullet to his head–obviously, very lucky to survive. He wrapped his t-shirt around his head to stop the bleeding, and continued to focus on protecting Karzai. On of the higher-ups in the military saw a photo of him without his shirt and went ballistic over it, saying they looked like “cowboys” (I thought that was criticism only foreigners leveled at us). As a result, some sort of new regulation was put in place about removing their shirts. Typical careerist in the military, worrying more about how something looks than doing what it takes to win. You can bet it wasn’t a Marine general.

Collectively, we don’t owe Lt. Murhy and his parents our thanks; we owe them a profound apology.

EconomicNeocon on October 17, 2007 at 2:18 PM

Ouch.

It’s written as a flashback and, among other things, is a great tribute to Lt. Murphy and the other SEALs and servicemen who died.

Don’t be misled by the characterization in the media of Lt. Murphy’s decision to let the goatherders go. There’s not a chance he really believed they were innocent. He understood the rules of engagement and was responsible for administering them and performed his duty well — all the way to his grave. Luttrell’s account demonstrates that people like me and most Hot Air readers have no business dictating to our armed forces how they should go about fighting the war. Fact is, those mountains are a war zone and, while there are people living in the region, they allow our enemy to occupy it. Our president declared immediately after the twin towers fell that, “You’re either with us or you’re with the terrorists.” Sadly, those were merely words. If they knew they had the full support of our public behind them, those SEALs would probably be alive today and, in any event, I have no doubt they would have successfully accomplished their important and daring mission. Two plus years later our fading nation remains divided with legislators and seemingly serious contenders for commander in chief having more concern for our enemy than they have for our own men and women.

Collectively, we don’t owe Lt. Murhy and his parents our thanks; we owe them a profound apology.

Navy special ops since World War II.

That’s actually Naval Special Warfare.

Proof that there are indeed people in this world that are better than you or I.

Jezla on October 17, 2007 at 11:56 AM

Indeed.

Michael Murphy is worth an infinite number of the effete and elite. They don’t matter, not one whit; he matters.

The happy truth is that – although you rarely hear of it – there are far, far more men like Murphy than we know.

They are the story of America. They’re the truth. The liberals and the press and the protesters? They aren’t even real. They’re just an ugly mask trying to hide the beautiful truth, because some people don’t want us to see that truth.

Michael Murphy was real – is real – and he is far from alone. There is a vast army of millions standing behind him.

Ignore the rest and ignore anyone who says differently. They don’t matter.

I just received ‘Lone Survivor’ in the mail yesterday afternoon and I couldn’t put it down.

pistolero on October 17, 2007 at 10:08 AM

Good book. You should read “The Warrior Elite” after that. I talks about the BUD/S class Luttrell graduated with.

Proof that there are indeed people in this world that are better than you or I.

Jezla on October 17, 2007 at 11:56 AM

Amen.

This should have been the lead story whenthe story broke… last week.

What a shame that pressure has to come from other media outlets and the population in order for a story to get on the lamestream media.

Everyone of those men deserved the MoH and I’m sure Lt Murphy would be the first to agree. WE are so blessed that we have rough men willing to do battle on our behalf. God bless them all.

A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often….

He is a real man…I find myself not tolerating a shred less these days. I’m finding myself with more “cahones” than most men, and I yell them so.

Thanks for the constant reminders here that real men beyond my hubby & close friends still exist, AP. I need ‘em right now. They keep us uplifted.

I recommend for everyone to read Marcus Luttrell’s account in “Lone Survivor.”

Phil Byler on October 17, 2007 at 9:19 AM

I just heard him on a Levin podcast. The four SEALs, when their position was stumbled upon by the Afghan goat herders, had to decide whether to protect themselves by opening fire on the civilians or letting them go, knowing that they would be reported to the Taliban.

They voted to let them go after weighing the media and justice system they would face back home against the inevitable fight.

The fight did come, and it was these four brave SEALs who eventually ran out of ammunition against 100-150 Taliban armed with AKs and RPGs.

That’s right. They opted to save “innocent civilians” they knew would turn them in, and face their own death in combat rather than submit to the dishonest excoriation they knew would befall them, and by extension, the military and the administration, back home.

The Washington Post ran this extremely detailed story about the event.

Lieutenant Michael “Murph” Patrick Murphy. Let us repeat his name again and again.

smellthecoffee on October 17, 2007 at 10:20 AM

Thanks for the link, I will use it.
Also
OT: Please call your Senators about them pushing to pass the amnesty Dream Act late today or tomorrow.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid– 202/224-2158
Majority Whip Richard Durbin– 202/224-9447
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell– 202/224-3135
Minority Whip Trent Lott– 202/224-2708

I’ve created a short letter based on words from posts above:

JammieWearingFool on October 17, 2007 at 9:37 AM

Phil Byler on October 17, 2007 at 9:19 AM

Editor, the Times,

While The NBC News rightly did report on the award of the Medal of Honor to Lieutenant Michael Murphy, the New York Times the New York Times has not reported one word about it even though Lt. Murphy was from Long Island. Shame on the New York Times. Abu Ghraib merited 50+ cover stories. A genuine local hero? Bupkes. The Times claimed last week they would mention him at some point. Have they done so yet? We’re waiting.

Go thou and do likewise.