THE SILVER STAR, OFFICIALLY THE SILVER STAR MEDAL, IS THE UNITED STATES THIRD HIGHEST MILITARY DECORATION FOR VALOR THAT CAN BE AWARDED TO ANY PERSON SERVING IN ANY CAPACITY WITH THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES. THE MEDAL IS AWARDED FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION AGAINST AN ENEMY OF THE UNITED STATES.

THE PURPLE HEART IS A UNITED STATES MILITARY DECORATION AWARDED IN THE NAME OF THE PRESIDENT TO THOSE WOUNDED OR KILLED, WHILE SERVING, ON OR AFTER APRIL 5, 1917, WITH THE U.S. MILITARY. WITH ITS FORERUNNER, THE BADGE OF MILITARY MERIT, WHICH TOOK THE FORM OF A HEART MADE OF PURPLE CLOTH, THE PURPLE HEART IS THE OLDEST MILITARY AWARD STILL GIVEN TO U.S. MILITARY MEMBERS; THE ONLY EARLIER AWARD BEING THE OBSOLETE FIDELITY MEDALLION. THE NATIONAL PURPLE HEART HALL OF HONOR IS LOCATED IN NEW WINDSOR, NEW YORK.

THE MEDAL OF HONOR WAS CREATED IN 1861, EARLY IN THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, TO GIVE RECOGNITION TO MEN WHO DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES "CONSPICUOUSLY BY GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY" IN COMBAT WITH AN ENEMY OF THE UNITED STATES.[6] THERE HAVE BEEN 3,469 MEDALS OF HONOR AWARDED TO THE NATION'S SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AIRMEN, MARINES, AND COAST GUARDSMEN SINCE THE DECORATION'S CREATION, WITH MORE THAN HALF OF THEM PRESENTED FOR ACTIONS DURING THE FOUR YEARS OF THE CIVIL WAR.[4]

LIEUTENANT MICHAEL P. MURPHY UNITED STATES NAVY FOR SERVICE AS SET FORTH IN THE FOLLOWING CITATION: FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT THE RISK OF HIS LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY AS THE LEADER OF A SPECIAL RECONNAISSANCE ELEMENT WITH NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE TASK UNIT AFGHANISTAN ON 27 AND 28 JUNE 2005. WHILE LEADING A MISSION TO LOCATE A HIGH-LEVEL ANTI-COALITION MILITIA LEADER, LIEUTENANT MURPHY DEMONSTRATED EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN THE FACE OF GRAVE DANGER IN THE VICINITY OF ASADABAD, KONAR PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN. ON 28 JUNE 2005, OPERATING IN AN EXTREMELY RUGGED ENEMY-CONTROLLED AREA, LIEUTENANT MURPHY’S TEAM WAS DISCOVERED BY ANTI-COALITION MILITIA SYMPATHIZERS, WHO REVEALED THEIR POSITION TO TALIBAN FIGHTERS. AS A RESULT, BETWEEN 30 AND 40 ENEMY FIGHTERS BESIEGED HIS FOUR-MEMBER TEAM. DEMONSTRATING EXCEPTIONAL RESOLVE, LIEUTENANT MURPHY VALIANTLY LED HIS MEN IN ENGAGING THE LARGE ENEMY FORCE. THE ENSUING FIERCE FIREFIGHT RESULTED IN NUMEROUS ENEMY CASUALTIES, AS WELL AS THE WOUNDING OF ALL FOUR MEMBERS OF THE TEAM. IGNORING HIS OWN WOUNDS AND DEMONSTRATING EXCEPTIONAL COMPOSURE, LIEUTENANT MURPHY CONTINUED TO LEAD AND ENCOURAGE HIS MEN. WHEN THE PRIMARY COMMUNICATOR FELL MORTALLY WOUNDED, LIEUTENANT MURPHY REPEATEDLY ATTEMPTED TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE FOR HIS BELEAGUERED TEAMMATES. REALIZING THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF COMMUNICATING IN THE EXTREME TERRAIN, AND IN THE FACE OF ALMOST CERTAIN DEATH, HE FOUGHT HIS WAY INTO OPEN TERRAIN TO GAIN A BETTER POSITION TO TRANSMIT A CALL. THIS DELIBERATE, HEROIC ACT DEPRIVED HIM OF COVER, EXPOSING HIM TO DIRECT ENEMY FIRE. FINALLY ACHIEVING CONTACT WITH HIS HEADQUARTERS, LIEUTENANT MURPHY MAINTAINED HIS EXPOSED POSITION WHILE HE PROVIDED HIS LOCATION AND REQUESTED IMMEDIATE SUPPORT FOR HIS TEAM. IN HIS FINAL ACT OF BRAVERY, HE CONTINUED TO ENGAGE THE ENEMY UNTIL HE WAS MORTALLY WOUNDED, GALLANTLY GIVING HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY AND FOR THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM. BY HIS SELFLESS LEADERSHIP, COURAGEOUS ACTIONS, AND EXTRAORDINARY DEVOTION TO DUTY, LIEUTENANT MURPHY REFLECTED GREAT CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND UPHELD THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE. SIGNED GEORGE W. BUSH

NEVER FORGET -06.28.06-NEVER QUIT

GUN SALUTES ARE THE FIRING OF CANNONS OR FIREARMS AS A MILITARY HONOR. THE CUSTOM STEMS FROM NAVAL TRADITION, WHERE A WARSHIP WOULD FIRE ITS CANNONS HARMLESSLY OUT TO SEA, UNTIL ALL AMMUNITION WAS SPENT, TO SHOW THAT IT WAS DISARMED, SIGNIFYING THE LACK OF HOSTILE INTENT. AS NAVAL CUSTOMS EVOLVED, 21 GUNS CAME TO BE FIRED FOR HEADS OF STATE, WITH THE NUMBER DECREASING WITH THE RANK OF THE RECIPIENT OF THE HONOR. WHILE THE 21-GUN SALUTE IS THE MOST COMMONLY RECOGNIZED, THE NUMBER OF ROUNDS FIRED IN ANY GIVEN SALUTE WILL VARY DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS. CIRCUMSTANCES AFFECTING THESE VARIATIONS INCLUDE THE PARTICULAR OCCASION AND, IN THE CASE OF MILITARY AND STATE FUNERALS, THE BRANCH OF SERVICE, AND RANK (OR OFFICE) OF THE PERSON TO WHOM HONORS ARE BEING RENDERED.

OUR FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM IN IRAQ ENDED IN 2011

7 OCTOBER 2001–PRESENT (13 YEARS, 4 WEEKS AND 1 DAY) OUR ONGOING FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM

MY BROTHER IS IN THE U.S. NAVY IN A NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE UNIT CALLED SWXX

SWCC STANDS FOR SPECIAL WARFARE COMBATANT-CRAFT CREWMEN

SWCC IS A PART OF THE U.S. NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE PROGRAM

MY DAD DEPLOYED

(IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE) #1 CAUSE OF DEATH OF AMERICAN TROOPS

MY DAD RECIEVED THE EXPERT INFANTRY BADGE IN 1999 AFTER TRAINING YEARS AND YEARS INTENSLEY ANSD PERFORMING BRAVELY IN COMBAT