Navy SEAL Killed in Ambush Receives Highest Honor
President Bush awarded the medal of honor Monday to Lt. Michael Murphy, a Navy SEAL who died in a firefight in Afghanistan.
It's the first time the nation's highest military decoration has been awarded for combat in that country.
Murphy was born and raised on Long Island in New York and entered the Navy after graduating from Penn State University.
He rose to the rank of lieutenant and led a team into the rugged mountains of Afghanistan in 2005 in search of terrorist leaders.
The president presented the medal to Murphy's parents in the East Room of the White House.
Related NPR Stories
Marine Receives Posthumous Medal of Honor Jan. 11, 2007
A Former Navy SEAL Questions Rules of War Aug. 13, 2007
Bush Presents First Medal of Honor for Iraq Combat April 4, 2005