USS Michael Murphy named for Medal of Honor recipient

Navy ship dedicated to fallen SEAL
From Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt, CNN
May 8, 2011 1:48 p.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
USS Michael Murphy named for Medal of Honor recipient
Murphy, a Navy SEAL lieutenant, was killed in 2005 in Afghanistan
His namesake destroyer was christened by his mother at a shipyard in Maine

Bath, Maine (CNN) -- Under clear, blue skies, a ship dedicated to fallen Medal of Honor recipient and Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy was christened Saturday by his mother, Maureen, at Bath Iron Works shipyard in Maine.

"I feel not only Michael's presence, but that ship embodies the spirits of Michael and his teammates," Murphy's father, Daniel, told CNN.

Following tradition, Murphy's mother cracked a bottle of champagne against the hull of the USS Michael Murphy.

"Happy Birthday, son!" Murphy's mom said on what would have been her son's 35th birthday. His life was cut short in the mountains of Afghanistan in 2005.

Dr. Josh Appel, an Air Force Reserve flight surgeon, helped retrieve Murphy's body after a firefight that claimed the lives of 18 other troops, including 2 SEALs from Murphy's team.
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Navy ship dedicated to fallen SEAL