Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy 5K Benefit Run/Walk

Sunday 9/21/08 9am at Bethpage State Park, Nassau County NY (Long Island) there will be a 5K Benefit Run/Walk in Murph's Honor and Memory.

Honorary Co-Chairs are Daniel and Maureen Murphy (his parents) and Congressman Peter King.

Cash prizes will be awarded for the top overall finishers in all age categories. Registration is only $20. See the registration form attached.

New Island Hospital in Bethpage is expanding and will be creating a new NAVY LT. MICHAEL P. MURPHY EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. All proceeds will be going to purchase new emergency medical equipment and supplies. New Island Hospital's ED delivers rapid fire life-saving care to nearly 40,000 patients a year. Murph himself always took on the role as protector, as a SEAL, and in earlier days as a dedicated lifeguard, and ALWAYS as a big brother.

Registration forms and information are available at www.newislandhospital.org

Top Overall Male and Female$100 Cash Prize
Top Overall Masters Male and Female
$100 Cash Prize
Overall Male and Female- NIH Employee
Overall Male and Female - NIH Physician

Awards presented to the first three male and female finishers in the following age categories:
Accurately measured 3.1 MileCross Country Course

ENTRY FEE
$20 Individual Runner/WalkerParking Fee $6 per car
Complimentary Gift Bags Raffles

RACE DAY CHECK-IN
7:30 a.m.—8:45 a.m.
Race and Walk Start: 9:00 a.m.
(Rain or Shine)

Lt. Michael P. Murphy died to save his fellow SEALs.

Michael P. Murphy, a Patchogue NY native, graduated from Penn State University, with Honors, and instead of attending Law School, took a 180° turn and joined the Navy SEALs. He was 29 when killed in a fierce firefight in mountainous terrain along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. He led a four-man special reconnaissance unit that was secreted into the Hindu Kush mountains along the border in June 2005. The unit was reported to be trailing a high-ranking terror leader near 10,000-foot peaks when they were ambushed and overrun by scores of insurgent fighters. A troop transport helicopter (160th SOAR) that sped to their rescue with eight Navy SEALs and eight Army commandos aboard crashed after being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. All aboard were killed.

A single member of Murphy’s team managed to elude capture, and eventually was reunited with U.S. forces. The lone survivor said that Murphy was repeatedly shot when he climbed to higher ground and into the open to send an electronic call for help. Fatally wounded, Murphy completed the call, then continued fighting. It is this action that is believed to be at the heart of his being awarded the Medal of Honor (posthumously) 10/21/07.

Other medals awarded to Michael are the Silver Star, Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and Afghanistan Campaign Medal

Read the book, The Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell

H/T: LongIslandGirl