Navy Seal Museum To Open In Sayville, In Honor Of LI Lieutenant

WEST SAYVILLE, NY — A new museum and training facility dedicated to the NAVY Seals will soon be opening its doors for the first time.

The Lt. Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum, which is located at 50 West Avenue, will hold a special ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, in honor of the 17th anniversary of Operation Red Wings, "the worst single-day U.S. Forces death toll since Operation Enduring Freedom began nearly six years ago."

According to a representative, more than 1,000 people — including former president George Bush (via video), VIP military, politicians and celebrities — are confirmed to attend the event.

The museum is named after Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL, of Patchogue, who took the ultimate sacrifice in Operation Red Wings.

On June 28, 2005, a four-man Navy SEAL team was conducting a reconnaissance mission deep behind enemy lines east of Asadabad in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan, the museum's website said.

The men —Lt. Michael P. Murphy, gunner’s mate 2nd Class, Danny Dietz, sonar technician 2nd class, Matthew Axelson and hospital corpsman 2nd class Marcus Luttrell — were scouting Admad Shah, a terrorist who grew up in the adjacent mountains just to the south.

Under the assumed name Muhammad Ismail, Shah led a guerrilla group known to locals as the “Mountain Tigers” that had aligned with the Taliban and other militant groups close to the Pakistani border. The SEAL mission was compromised when the team was spotted by local nationals, who presumably reported its presence and location to the Taliban, the website said.

A fierce firefight erupted between the four SEALs and a much larger enemy force of more than 50 anti-coalition militia. The militia launched a well-organized, three-sided attack on the SEALs, and forced the team into a ravine.

"Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds himself, Murphy is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates," the website said.

Murphy’s “undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit, and inspirational devotion to his men in the face of certain death” was the impetus behind Murphy being able to relay the position of his unit, an act that ultimately led to the rescue of Luttrell and the recovery of the remains of the three who were killed in the battle.

The museum will be the second Navy SEAL Museum in the country that will commemorate, reflect, and ensure a continuing memory of honor to all United States Naval special warfare perators. The space will also be used as a training facility for Naval Sea cadet corps.