Fallen Navy SEAL’s dad describes son’s legacy

Former Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Daniel Murphy stood before a group of teary-eyed retired and active police officers in Farmingdale Thursday, proudly announcing that his son’s legacy has grown.

Murphy’s son, Michael, of Patchogue, was a Navy SEAL killed in action in 2005. He died calling for help to save his team after being attacked by Taliban soldiers while climbing down an Afghanistan mountainside. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions, and the Navy will be christening a destroyer in his name next month. Daniel Murphy said that although he misses his son greatly, he is comforted by something his son said while in SEAL training.

“He told me, ‘I’m not looking to get myself killed, but should it happen, know I was doing something good, something that I love,’” he said at the event, held at Stuart Thomas Manor in Farmingdale. “I’d rather that than him, alive, sitting behind a desk, hating life.”

Murphy established a foundation in his son’s honor that awards college scholarships to teens of military parents who are abroad or have been injured during their service.

This year, Murphy said the foundation supplied five scholarships, two of which will be awarded to Patchogue-Medford High School students.

Murphy was accompanied by Gary Williams, a good friend of his and the author of “SEAL of Honor,” a biography of Michael Murphy’s life. The book, which hit shelves two years ago, is being released in a paperback edition. William recounted his writing process, which entailed living with Daniel Murphy for five months and obtaining service records from the Navy.

“Michael was destined to be a SEAL,” he told the crowd.

Pictured: Lt. Michael Murphy