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Commentary On Monday I was doing my usual channel-surfing and I was fortunate enough to come across a very special event. George Bush was awarding a posthumous Medal of Honor to the family of U.S. Army Private First Class Ross Andrew McGinnis. The 19 year-old McGinnis was on patrol in northeastern Baghdad. McGinnis was behind a .50 caliber machine gun which sat atop a Humvee carrying four of his fellow soldiers inside. An insurgent hurled a fragment grenade at the vehicle. The explosive device fell through the gun port and landed among McGinnis' fellow soldiers who prepared themselves for the...

The Story of PFC Ross A. McGinnis 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (attached to 2nd BCT, 2ID) Parents: Tom and Romayne McGinnis Siblings: Becky Gorman and Katie McGinnis Hometown: Knox, Pennsylvania Enlisted: Delayed Entry Program June 14, 2004 at the Pittsburgh MEPS. Completed initial entry training at Fort Benning, Georgia Assignments: 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment (Schweinfurt, Germany) Deployments: Operation Iraqi Freedom Spc. McGinnis’ dedication to duty and love for his fellow Soldiers were embodied in a statement issued by his parents shortly after his death: “Ross did not...

The President spent the weekend in Washington on the Saturday gave the commencement address at Furman University in South Carolina. On Sunday attended church in the morning and in the evening Ford's Theatre Gala at the held at National Theatre in Washington as the Ford's Theater is currently closed for renovations. Today the President spoke at a ceremony at the White House before awarding the Medal of Honor posthumously to the parents of U.S. Army PFC Ross McGinnis, of Knox, Pennsylvania, who was killed in Iraq in 2006. Later the President participated in a meeting on the Economy and Tax...

9:50 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Welcome to the White House. A week ago on Memorial Day, the flag of the United States flew in half-staff in tribute to those who fell in service to our country. Today we pay special homage to one of those heroes: Private First Class Ross Andrew McGinnis of the U.S. Army. Private McGinnis died in a combat zone in Iraq on December the 4th, 2006 -- and for his heroism that day, he now receives the Medal of Honor. In a few moments, the military aide will read the citation, and the Medal...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ 2LT Stephen R. Gregg All info and photos from this website.             Saturday, February 05, 2005 By Ronald Leir Journal staff writer Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Stephen R. Gregg, of Bayonne, died at homeyesterday after a lengthy illness. He was 90. Hudson County Freeholder Barry Dugan, a friend...

Recipients of the Medal of Honor are the bravest of the brave, the truest of America’s heroes. Last Friday at the start of this “holiday” weekend, the White House announced the name of the newest Medal of Honor recipient - the fourth for service during the Iraq War. All four medals and one for service in Afghanistan have been awarded posthumously. To read the stories of these men - not just stories of their bravery and of how they died, but of how they lived - is to find convincing evidence that this nation has indeed produced yet another “greatest...

RFFM.org Also Honors All Who Paid the Ultimate Price to Defend Our Freedom An Interview With Doug Sterner, Creator of Home of Heroes web site Interview by Dan Gura, Contributing Editor Gura writes, "Today I offer something not on the lighter side, but one which will make you stand a little straighter, a little prouder to be an American." Do you know who Jason L. Dunham is? How about Paul Ray Smith? You should because they are two of America’s finest sons; they are heroes in the War on Terror. These days the press doesn’t seem to care very much...

The White House announced Friday that a Pennsylvania soldier who jumped on top of a grenade in Iraq and saved the lives of his comrades will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor. The nation's highest military honor will be given to 19-year-old Army Pfc. Ross McGinnis of Knox, Pa., on June 2. McGinnis "distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism," said White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto. McGinnis was perched in the gunner's hatch of a Humvee when a grenade sailed past him and into the truck where four other soldiers sat. He shouted a warning to the others, then jumped...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ SFC Paul Smith All info and photos from this website.             Paul Ray Smith was born on September 24, 1969, in El Paso, Texas. At the age of nine, his family moved to South Tampa, Florida, where he attended public schools. He enjoyed sports, liked cats, skateboarding, riding bicycles,...

5/7/2008 - SALT LAKE CITY (AFPN) -- Don't let the education office fool you; there are some people out there who have become commissioned officers without having their bachelor's degrees. Retired Col. Bernard Francis Fisher, a Medal of Honor recipient, received his diploma in fine arts from the University of Utah during a commissioning ceremony of nine second lieutenants from ROTC Det. 850 May 3, almost 57 years after he originally attended the university. Colonel Fisher received the diploma for his remarkable career in the Air Force, bravery in combat, numerous awards including the Medal of Honor and faithful service...

Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter announced on May 7 at a ceremony in Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y., the name of the newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will be USS Michael Murphy. Designated as DDG 112, the name honors Lt. Michael Murphy who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during Operation Red Wing, in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. "Michael Murphy's name which will be forever synonymous with astonishing courage under fire will now be associated with one of the U.S. Navy's most technologically advanced, most powerful and most capable warships," Winter said. Michael Murphy's...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~CPL Jason Dunham All info and photos from this website.             Jason Dunham (November 10, 1981 – April 22, 2004) was a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps who served with 4th Platoon, Company K, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment (3/7), I Marine Expeditionary Force, 1st Marine Division, during...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~LT Michael P Murphy All info and photos from this website.             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.Murphy grew...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~COL James E Swett All info and photos from this website.             Born on June 15, 1920 in Seattle, Washington, James E. Swett graduated from the San Mateo (California) High School and enrolled at the College of San Mateo in 1939. He earned a private pilot’s license, which amounted to...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ PO2 Michael A Monsoor All info and photos from this website.             PO2 Monsoor will be awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously on April 8, 2008.  Specialty: Navy SEAL   BUD/S Class: 250   SEAL Service: 5 years   Rank: Petty Officer Second Class   Age: 25   Home:...

SAN DIEGO — To his Navy SEAL buddies, Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor will always be known as "Mikey," a fun-loving 25-year-old guy who had "a little mischievous look on his face." It's a face they'll never forget. On Sept. 29, 2006, while on a mission in Ramadi, Iraq, Monsoor and other members of a Navy SEAL sniper team were within a moment of death. An insurgent had tossed a grenade into their hideout, hitting Monsoor in the chest before bouncing to the floor. In an instant, Monsoor was on the grenade, using his body to shield his...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~PFC Albert Earnest Schwab All info and photos from this website and this website.             Albert Schwab was just five days short of having one year in the Marine Corps the day he fearlessly walked into a blazing Japanese machine gun on Okinawa. He destroyed two guns that day and...

The President spent the weekend at his ranch where he met with Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark. Today his returned to the White House and participated in the meeting of National Association of Attorneys General in the Eisenhower Executive Office building. He also mt with the former commanding general of the Multinational Corps in Iraq, Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno in the Oval Office. The President also presented the Medal of Honor posthumously to family members of Master Sgt. Woodrow Wilson Keeble in the East Room. Pray for President Bush - Day - 2727 Enjoy your visit to...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ 1LT Kenneth Ambrose Walsh All info and photos from this website.             World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient  First Lieutenant Kenneth Ambrose Walsh, USMC   Kenneth A. Walsh was born in Brooklyn, New York, on 24 November 1916. Ken Walsh enlisted in the United States Marine Corps...

WASHINGTON - During the final allied offensive of the Korean War, Master Sgt. Woodrow Wilson Keeble risked his life to save his fellow Soldiers. Almost six decades after his gallant actions and 26 years after his death, Keeble will be the first full-blooded Sioux Indian to receive the Medal of Honor. The White House announced this morning that Keeble will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously in a ceremony scheduled for 2:30 p.m. March 3. Keeble is one of the most decorated Soldiers in North Dakota history. A veteran of World War II and the Korean War, he was born...

Inside the Vietnam War [TV-14 LSV Ratings N/A] Monday, February 18, 2008, at 08P Inside the Vietnam War takes you inside covert operations, gives you a seat at the military strategy table and lets you witness the emotional toll of war through the eyes of the soldiers and the pilots who undertook dozens of death-defying missions. Woven together with testimonials from more than 50 Vietnam veterans, archival audio and video footage, and never-before-seen photos, the special features the harrowing firsthand accounts of the brave men and women who lived through the war. 5 minute preview video...Battle at Ia Drang

Federal prosecutors say an additional charge is being filed against a Pomona water board member who allegedly lied about being a Medal of Honor recipient. Xavier Alvarez, one of seven elected members on the Claremont-based Three Valleys Municipal Water District board, allegedly made the claim during a public meeting last summer. The 49-year-old Alvarez, who now admits he never served in the military, was charged with a misdemeanor in September for violating the Stolen Valor Act of 2005. Federal prosecutor Craig Missakian says records of a second meeting show Alvarez making the medal claim while soliciting an endorsement when he...

Jefferson J. DeBlanc, a World War II fighter pilot who was awarded the Medal of Honor for shooting down five Japanese planes on a single day while running out of fuel, died Nov. 22 in Lafayette, La. He was 86 and lived St. Martinville, La.. The cause was complications of pneumonia, said his daughter, Barbara DeBlanc Romero. On Jan. 31, 1943, Mr. DeBlanc, then a lieutenant in the Marines, took off from Guadalcanal in his Wildcat fighter, leading a six-plane section of Marine Fighting Squadron 112. They were assigned to protect dive bombers and torpedo planes attacking Japanese ships off...

Jefferson J. DeBlanc, seated in the cockpit of a F4F Wildcat fighter plane, found ways to beat death for three years. But on Thanksgiving Day, DeBlanc, a Marine pilot in World War II's Pacific Theater, passed away from complications related to pneumonia. He was 86. So many World War II veterans have died recently that we don't often pause to pay them the honor they're due. DeBlanc may provide a chance to make up for it. DeBlanc wore the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor. DeBlanc, born in Lockport, enlisted in the Marines five months before Pearl Harbor....

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez Info and photos from this website.             As the medevac chopper landed the wounded were examined one by one. Staff Sergeant Benavidez could only hear what was going on around him. He had over thirty seven puncture wounds. His intestines were exposed. He could not see...

McLean, VA - On the heels of strong grassroots showings in Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Ft. Mill, Spartanburg and Greenville, Fred Thompson is officially announcing his statewide Campaign Chair, several regional leaders and 27 county chairs and co-chairs in 19 counties across the state. Congressman Gresham Barrett (SC-03) has been named Statewide Campaign Chair and will help lead Thompson's effort in South Carolina along with Thompson's Steering Committee, chaired by Major General James E. Livingston, USMC (Retired), and Regional Chairs. "Senator Thompson is a consistent conservative leader with a solid record in supporting life, fighting illegal immigration and defending the Second...

55 years later, he's still a hero For this week, Ronald E. Rosser is Elvis. He is Justin Timberlake. Rosser is one of only two surviving Medal of Honor recipients in Ohio. Generals and presidents salute him. Adults get tongue-tied in his presence. "This outstanding soldier's courageous and selfless devotion to duty is worthy of emulation by all men," reads his medal citation from the Korean War. He was 22 when he earned the medal as a member of a heavy mortar company in the Army's 2nd Infantry Division. On Jan. 12, 1952, he killed 13 of the enemy when...

A Hero Among US by: James F. Davis, November 09, 2007 The first Medal of Honor since 9/11 was recently awarded posthumously by the President to Michael Murphy. It saddens me that, of the major media, only one, Fox News, carried the ceremony live. This is the highest award for bravery in defending our country. Our people, especially our youth, need to know about the kind of person who risked his life so that the rest of us could live free. I discovered I had one such hero in my own family. After taking my uncle, Gerald F. Davis, to...

Mclean, VA - Today on the steps of the State House in Columbia, SC, surrounded by numerous veterans, Senator Fred Thompson was joined by Major General James Livingston and Lieutenant Colonel Joe Repya to launch Veterans for Fred Thompson. Major General James Livingston, a 33 year veteran of the United States Marine Corps, will serve as the National Co-Chair of Veterans for Fred Thompson. On May 2, 1968, while serving as the Commanding Officer, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, he distinguished himself above and beyond the call of duty in action against enemy forces and earned the Congressional Medal...

Friday, October 26, 2007 WASHINGTON -- Quick: Name a movie star, a noted celebrity, a great athlete and a radio or TV personality. When I posed these queries to some nice Americans this week, I got answers such as: "Russell Crowe," "Paris Hilton," "Britney Spears," "quarterback Tom Brady," "Curt Schilling of the Red Sox," "Tiger Woods" and "Rush Limbaugh." Now: Can you name a contemporary American hero? Only two of the dozen or so people I challenged came up with, "Navy SEAL Michael Murphy." That says a lot about what our mainstream media thinks is important. Last month, during a...

From the moment he read "Gates of Fire" until a fanatic's bullet slammed into his back, "Murph" lived the life. The book told the story of the battle of Thermopylae - about how a force of 300 Spartans was slaughtered for standing against 200,000 invading Persians. _______snip________ In that moment, under three dazzling chandeliers in the East Room of the White House, I suddenly wished that the beautiful ceremony had been held in the Los Angeles Coliseum. Not to make a spectacle, but just so every one of those Hollywood bums who spew out idiocy to demoralize our troops could...

In a White House ceremony today at 2:30 PM, President Bush will award a posthumous Medal of Honor to the family of Navy LT Michael P. Murphy.  For Operation Red Wing he led a 3-man SEAL recon team that was taken under fire by several dozen Taliban in June 2005.  When his commo man was wounded, Murphy had to expose himself to enemy fire to radio for a rescue chopper (shot down upon arrival; all aboard killed).  Though shot in the back while doing so, he completed that call and, multiply wounded, returned to the team, now engaged in a desperate battle.  Some 2 hours later, only one, Luttrell, remained alive.  There is...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2007 – President Bush today posthumously presented the Medal of Honor earned by Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL who sacrificed his life in an attempt to save fellow SEALs during a fierce battle with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. The Medal of Honor, accepted by Murphy’s parents, Maureen and Dan Murphy, during a White House ceremony, is the highest military decoration. Murphy’s is the first Medal of Honor awarded for service in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. “Today we add Lieutenant Michael Murphy’s name to the list of recipients who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” Bush said....

Navy SEAL honored posthumously....

CNN decided to not to break away from its almost non-stop coverage of the California wildfires as President Bush formally awarded a Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan the Medal of Honor, as its competitors Fox News and MSNBC aired the ceremony at the White House live. The Medal of Honor went to Lt. Michael Murphy of Patchogue, New York, who died in the line of duty in 2005 during operations against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Murphy received the first Medal of Honor awarded from Operation Enduring Freedom. President Bush made the decision to give Lt. Murphy the nationÂ’s highest military...

In June 2005, Lt. Michael P. Murphy and three fellow members of the Navy Seals were on a mission in the mountains of Afghanistan when they were pinned down by a swarm of enemy fighters. Trapped in a steep ravine, they were unable to get a radio signal to call for help.With the Americans suffering injuries, ammunition running low and roughly 100 Taliban fighters closing in, Lieutenant Murphy made a bold but fateful decision: He left the sheltering mountain rocks into an open area where he hoped to get a radio frequency. He managed to make contact with Bagram Air...

Family of Navy SEAL to Get Medal of Honor WASHINGTON — The first Medal of Honor awarded for combat in Afghanistan will be presented Monday to the family of a Navy SEAL from Long Island, N.Y, who gave his life to make a radio call for help for his team. President Bush is to present the nation's highest military honor for valor to the family of Lt. Michael Murphy of Patchogue, N.Y.

According to the Navy, Michael's "undaunted courage, his intrepid fighting spirit and inspirational devotion to his men in the face of certain death" ultimately led to the rescue of one fellow officer and the recovery of the remains of the other three. In 1998, Michael earned degrees from Penn State in political science and psychology, his father said. He graduated with honors and had his initial sights set on law school.

WASHINGTON — The Dalai Lama said he was "deeply touched" Wednesday by his receipt of the Congressional Gold Medal, which he received in an ornate ceremony under the U.S. Capitol dome -- but not before having a hearty laugh over his inability to speak perfect English. "It is a great honor for me to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. This ... will bring tremendous joy and encouragement to the Tibetan people, for whom I have a special responsibility," the Dalai Lama said, reading from his prepared remarks. The Dalai Lama was surrounded by top congressional leaders and President Bush Wednesday...

President Bush, raising Beijing's ire, presented the Dalai Lama on Wednesday with the U.S. Congress' highest civilian honor and urged Chinese leaders to welcome the monk to Beijing. The exiled spiritual head of Tibet's Buddhists by his side, Bush praised a man he called a "universal symbol of peace and tolerance, a shepherd of the faithful and a keeper of the flame for his people." "Americans cannot look to the plight of the religiously oppressed and close our eyes or turn away," Bush said at the U.S. Capitol building, where he personally handed the Dalai Lama the prestigious Congressional Gold...

--> Conservative thoughts on politics, war, law, bioethics, pop culture, and humor. Medal of Honor: LT Michael Murphy, USN By The Puddle Pirate (10:11 AM Oct 12, 2007) | 0 Comments | TrackBack URL | Blog reactions A Navy SEAL will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor on October 22. Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy is the third man to receive America's highest military award for valor in the War on Terror. U.S. Navy press release: Murphy was the officer-in-charge of the SEAL element, which was tasked with locating a high- level Taliban militia leader to provide intelligence for a follow-on...

<p>Nine years of shoe-leather reporting, nine years of doggedness, nine years of bucking an unhelpful bureaucracy took J. Robert Lunney to the deck of an aircraft carrier off the coast of Croatia.</p> <p>This is a Memorial Day tale, though the events occurred before the observance yesterday. It is a Memorial Day tale because it is about remembrance. And honor. And duty.</p>

Medal of Honor The President, in the name of Congress, has awarded more than 3,400 Medals of Honor to our nation's bravest Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen since the decoration's creation in 1861. For years, the citations highlighting these acts of bravery and heroism resided in dusty archives and only sporadically were printed. In 1973, the U.S. Senate ordered the citations compiled and printed as Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973). This book was later updated and reprinted in 1979. The breakdown of these is a duplicate...

The American people may have "Iraq fatigue," but that doesn't mean they've stopped paying attention. A few days ago, the Gallup/USA Today poll reported that, over the past four weeks, belief that the extra troops in Iraq were "making the situation better" rose to 31% from 22%. The percentage who say the new troops don't matter dropped to 41% from 51%. Somehow people have found their way to reports that Gen. Petraeus's counterinsurgency strategy is toting up gains on the ground. Here in the U.S., any such news a half-world away from the troops in Iraq will be processed immediately...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Medal Of Honor ~             The President, in the name of Congress, has awarded more than 3,400 Medals of Honor to our nation's bravest Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen since the decoration's creation in 1861. For years, the citations highlighting these acts of bravery and heroism resided in dusty archives and...

Critics say the medals system has been weakened by inconsistencies, including a failure to recognize service members’ most valiant actions with the Medal of Honor. Some blame politics, suggesting that a desire to highlight how well the war was going in its first weeks led military and government officials to play down acts of heroism performed during fierce fighting. Others say the nature of the war in Iraq has limited the kind of direct combat that leads to Medals of Honor. Inconsistencies in the medals system have surfaced in previous wars, too, though the current conflicts have called attention to...

Rear Admiral Eugene B. Fluckey (U.S. Navy, ret.), a wartime submarine commander credited with sinking 29 enemy ships, has passed on. He was 93. Adm. Fluckey was the recipient of the Medal of Honor and an amazing four Navy Crosses among other decorations. He also was an Eagle Scout. In a special statement earlier today, Admiral Mike Mullen, chief of Naval Operations (and Pres. Bush's nominee for the post of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff), said: [Adm. Fluckey] helped pioneer the idea of submarine support to special operations. In the summer of 1945, he launched a group of...

WASHINGTON - A new book offers chilling details about the valor and sacrifice of a Long Island Navy SEAL - but it could also hurt his chances for the Medal of Honor. Lt. Michael Murphy of Patchogue died leading three other frogmen on a secret Afghan recon mission on June 28, 2005. One of them, Marcus Luttrell, writes in "Lone Survivor" that the team was surprised by three Pashtun tribesmen, including a young boy, herding goats. Luttrell made the shocking claim that Murphy took a vote on whether to kill them to stay covert. One SEAL abstained. One said they...

HEROES... Do you know who Jason L. Dunham is? How about Paul Ray Smith? You should because they are two of America’s finest sons; they are heroes in the War on Terror. These days the press doesn’t seem to care very much about conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. No, they’re too busy whining every time some two bit terrorist thug sniffles, or mugging over Paris Hilton’s latest foibles to tell you about these real heroes. So I’ll tell you why you should know these two men. Corporal Dunham, U.S. Marine Corps, received the Medal...

Audie Murphy was killed on May 28th, 1971, along with six others, when the private plane he was a passenger in crashed in fog and rain into a mountain near Roanoke, Virginia. He was only forty six years old at the time of his death. Fittingly, he died on Memorial Day weekend. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, near the Amphitheatre, with full military honors. His gravesite is the second most visited one in Arlington, behind only the resting place of John F. Kennedy. Congressional Medal of Honor winners traditionally have their tombstones decorated with gold leaf, but Murphy...