Vandalism arrest of a monument in honor of MS recipient Michael Murphy

Police arrested a 14-year-old boy and charged him with vandalism on Friday after a memorial to a Navy SEAL soldier and the Honor Medal was found smashed in pieces on a lake on Long Island. pay to replace the stone, inscribed with the image of Lt. Michael P. Murphy and his medal of honor, Governor Andrew Cuomo said earlier in the day. Suffolk County police said Friday in a Facebook post that the miner was arrested at 3 am in his Ronkonkoma home and charged with second-degree criminal mischief, following an investigation into the charges. damage. in a park named for the SEAL fell to Lake Ronkonkoma, where Murphy worked as a lifeguard.

A police station earlier on Thursday included a photo showing broken polished circular granite stone in addition to a dozen pieces.

He said in a statement that he was "dismayed and disgusted" by vandalism, promising that the state would fund the replacement entirely.

"I hope this will bring comfort to his family and his community," said the governor. "The people of this state and nation owe a debt of gratitude to Lieutenant Murphy, and I thank him personally for his service."

Marcus Luttrell, a former member of the Navy SEAL, wrote with Murphy about his heroism. Lone Survivor, "also donated money for a replacement, said Murphy's father, Murphy Murphy, who received the governor's call about a replacement stone on Friday.

The original monument builder said that the Luttrell granite disk also offered to offer a reward equivalent to $ 2,500 that the police had offered through Crime Stoppers to obtain information leading to arrest.

"Only a coward would do it," Luttrell "More than 3,000 people commented on Luttrell's message Friday afternoon, many expressing outrage or the desire to help fundraising for a new plaque [19659002] Michael Murphy, 29, from Patchogue, New York State, was killed in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, at the end of June 2005 at the end of June. of Operation Red Wings

.The SEAL team, injured All four, Murphy ignored his own wounds and fought "facing almost certain death" to get a better position to call for help, according to his Medal of Honor quote. He has been exposed to direct enemy fire while maintaining his position to communicate his location and a request for support, continuing to engage the enemy until he is fatally wounded.

He was the first member of the Navy to receive the highest military distinction since the Vietnam War, and his sacrifice was widely honored with memorials and tributes. Many veterans and others have taken to perform one of his favorite workouts, dubbed "Murph", every memorial day.

His family runs a stock market foundation in his name and in 2011 his mother christened the US class destroyer Arleigh Burke USS Michael Murphy on what would have been the 35th anniversary of the SEAL

The Scholarship Foundation "Studies was collecting donations for a replacement monument," said Kim Niehaus in an email to Stars and Stripes. Niehaus said, "The bestowal of support has been overwhelming," said Daniel Murphy, who said donations came from all over the world. country to renovate the monument that had been built behind the old lifeguard post of his son. The young Murphy also swam the 1.5-mile length of the lake during his training to become a SEAL

"This has some meaning," his father told the site, known as Serenity Plaza.

But the memorial is not just honoring his son, who "was a team player from the first day." The many memorials are "never about Michael," he says.

The ship named in his honor, for example, "bears the spirit of the 19" Americans killed in the Red Wings operation – the keel plate is inscribed with all of their initials, and two inflatable boats Hard-hull aboard have been nicknamed "Ax" and "Dietz" for teammates killed Michael Murphy, 2nd class sailors Matthew Axelson and Danny Dietz.

At Ronkonkoma Lake, an 8 foot black granite wall is inscribed with the names of the 18 other Americans killed in the operation, including eight other SEALs and eight crew members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment who were on a helicopter that was shot down while he was coming to help Murphy's team.

After the discovery of damage to the central stone, dozens of residents gathered at the lakefront, including a group of veterans, News12 in the Bronx, New York, reports: "It's not the same. There are no words to express the indignation of the veterans "George Stondell, Commanding New York AMVETS Department

Michael Murphy's mother was crying early Friday when she called her father to tell him that the damage was taking place had been inflicted "as if they had still killed Michael." 19659002] Before the word of the arrest was made public, Daniel Murphy said that he would be surprised if the vandalism was personally aimed at his son He was probably a kid "who was stupid," he said.

The 14-year-old boy was scheduled to appear in family court at a later date, police said.

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