American Valor Quarterly Issue 10 - Summer 2013 | Page 16

Lt. Michael P. Murphy Award
For Valor in Afghanistan
Lt. Michael P. Murphy, fondly referred to by friends and family as “Murph,” was born May 7, 1976 in Smithtown, N.Y. and grew
up in the New York City commuter town of Patchogue, N.Y. on Long Island. He graduated from Patchogue-Medford High
School in 1994. Murphy was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy on Dec. 13, 2000, and began Basic Underwater
Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, Calif., in January 2001, graduating with Class 236. BUD/S is a six-month
training course and the first step to becoming a Navy SEAL.
In early 2005, Murphy was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 as assistant officer in charge of ALFA Platoon and
deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. On June 28, 2005, Lt. Murphy was the officer-in-charge
of a four-man SEAL element in support of Operation Red Wing tasked with finding key anti-coalition militia commander
near Asadabad, Afghanistan. Shortly after inserting into the objective area, the SEALs were spotted by three goat herders who
were initially detained and then released. It is believed the goat herders immediately reported the SEALs’ presence to Taliban
fighters. During a fierce gun battle, Murphy exposed himselt to enemy fire in order to gain a better position from which to
transmit a call to get help for his men. He would be mortally wounded in the battle, and become the first recipient of the
Medal of Honor for valor in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Previous Recipients:

2011 - Sergeant First Class Leroy Petry 2010 - Staff Sergeant Dillon Behr

Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta
Michael P. Murphy was the first recipient of the Medal of Honor for valor in Afghanistan,
presented posthumously on October 23, 2007. Salvatore A. Giunta would become the first
living recipient of the Medal of Honor for valor in Afghanistan when he was presented the
Medal on November 16, 2010, for actions that took place on October 25, 2007 - two days
after Lt. Murphy received our nation’s highest military award.
To commemorate this very special recognition of two stories of valor that embody that of
the generation that has served in Afghanistan, we print Staff Sergeant Giunta’s official
Medal of Honor citation below:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded, in the name of Congress, the Medal
of Honor to
Specialist Salvatore A.Giunta
United States Army
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:
Specialist Salvatore A. Giunta distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of
duty in action with an armed enemy in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, on October 25, 2007. While conducting a patrol as team leader with
Company B, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment, Specialist Giunta and his team were navigating through harsh terrain when they
were ambushed by a well-armed and well-coordinated insurgent force. While under heavy enemy fire, Specialist Giunta immediately sprinted
towards cover and engaged the enemy. Seeing that his squad leader had fallen and believing that he had been injured, Specialist Giunta exposed
himself to withering enemy fire and raced towards his squad leader, helped him to cover, and administered medical aid. While administering first
aid, enemy fire struck Specialist Giunta’s body armor and his secondary weapon. Without regard to the ongoing fire, Specialist Giunta engaged
the enemy before prepping and throwing grenades, using the explosions for cover in order to conceal his position. Attempting to reach
additional wounded fellow soldiers who were separated from the squad, Specialist Giunta and his team encountered a barrage of enemy fire that
forced them to the ground. The team continued forward and upon reaching the wounded soldiers, Specialist Giunta realized that another soldier
was still separated from the element. Specialist Giunta then advanced forward on his own initiative. As he crested the top of a hill, he observed
two insurgents carrying away an American soldier. He immediately engaged the enemy, killing one and wounding the other. Upon reaching the
wounded soldier, he began to provide medical aid, as his squad caught up and provided security. Specialist Giunta’s unwavering courage,
selflessness, and decisive leadership while under extreme enemy fire were integral to his platoon’s ability to defeat an enemy ambush and recover
a fellow American soldier from the enemy. Specialist Salvatore A. Giunta’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of
duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Company B, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d
Infantry Regiment, and the United States Army.
As the first living representative of the courage, dedication, valor, and honor embodied by Michael P. Murphy, there can be no more fitting recipient of the award
named in his honor than Staff Sergeant Salvatore A. Giunta.