Posted on 06/25/2007 7:09:03 AM PDT by RDTF
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 should die. Luttrell says Murphy told him, "Marcus, I'll go with you. Call it."
Luttrell voted to free them, which he now deeply regrets because he believes the goatherds quickly ratted them out to the Taliban. (A Navy source told the Daily News that was never proven.)
Murphy's father, Dan, is angry at the suggestion his son would approve of killing civilians.
"It was the total antithesis of every bone in his body," he said.
When the controversy erupted this month with the book's release, Sens. Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer and Rep. Tim Bishop (R-L.I.) called to console the elder Murphy.
New School President Bob Kerrey said Luttrell's claim is plausible - a good officer would likely defer to a SEAL with more combat experience such as Luttrell.
"He made the command decision after consulting with his men," said Kerrey, one of three SEALs given the Medal of Honor. Vote or not, Murphy let the goatherds go and it "doesn't diminish his heroism," Kerrey said.
Some in special operations fear the flap will cost Murphy the nation's highest honor, and Kerrey agreed it could mire the nomination in military politics.
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
ping
In over 16 years of military service, I never saw a vote.
Not one.
Very bad form.
A very similar situation occurred in ODS back in 1991.
A Special Forces team was living out of holes, observing Iraqi movements, when a young girl found them.
The team leader had to decide wether to kill the girl with his suppressed M9 pistol, or let her go.
He let her go and she ratted them out.
Our soldiers have a very difficult time killing non-combatants and I’m proud of that. The Taliban would have no qualms of killing any man, woman or child.
My father was a frequently decorated hero of World War II, winning two Bronze Stars and a Silver Star. He told me that there were times when US forces conducting secret operations in the Philippines were discovered by Philippino civilians and had to kill quite a few of them to guarantee their own survival and that of other American troops who were depending on them. He did not do so himself but, like his comrades, he regarded it as one of the sad necessities of war, one of the reasons Sherman was right in saying that “War is hell.”
Please thank your father for his service.
It’s a terrible thing that we ask of our soldiers.
My father is resting at Arlington now, but he knew we honored his service. He left behind a journal of his adventures. He didn’t win his medals for taking lives but for saving them, and as far as I know was not part of any slaughter of civilians.
I spent 24 years in the Air Force. I took part in, and held, several polls to determine what the troops wanted or felt they needed. None of them were votes.
That said, my brother, who is Navy, said one of his captains took a “vote” on which liberty port his ship’s sailors would prefer to visit. According to my brother, the captain’s replacement was waiting for them at the dock when they pulled into the port.
Really bad form, really, REALLY bad idea.
The decision not to kill someone who might rat you out is a result of the PC movement in today’s society. Soldiers are more afraid of lawyers and agenda driven media than they are of the enemy, and as a result, often make bad decisions that cost them their lives.
We will never win another war unless our troops are relieved of this PC stuff. They fear lawyers more than the enemy.
so true
It was far different, as realted to me, in WW2 days.
My elderly sources tell me that enemy pows, and sometimes civilians routinely collided with a 45ball to the back of the skull if it might have led to a compromised mission.
My best buddy was also an expert with piano wire justice. He said the actual count was unknown, but he said it was certainly more than a dozen.
Yep, I know what you mean. I took orders and gave them at times, but we never voted.
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