The keel for a US Guided Missile Destroyer named for Navy Seal Micheal Murphy was laid at Bath Iron Works on June 18th. USS Micheal Murphy will be the 62nd ship of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. She is named for Medal of Honor recipient Michael P. Murphy. Her contract was awarded on 13 September 2002 to the Bath Iron Works and VADM John Morgan, the first commanding officer of Arleigh Burke, made the first cut of steel. Micheal’s mother, Maureen Murphy, is the ship’s sponsor. She helped to weld his name onto the keel.
From Global Security:
BATH, Maine (NNS) — More than 50 Sailors, civilians and family members gathered June 18 at the General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works shipyard to authenticate the keel of a U.S. Navy destroyer named for a Navy SEAL killed during Operation Enduring Freedom.
The keel authentication ceremony was designed to mark the beginning of construction of the future USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112), a destroyer named in honor of Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005.
“There are no words,” said Maureen Murphy, mother of Murphy. “I still can’t get it through my head that a U.S. Navy ship is going to be named after my son. He would be honored. I hope to have a good rapport with the crew of the Michael Murphy. On the ship, it’s going to be like one big family, and I would like to have a good relationship with the crew.”
Ceremony guests of honor included Murphy’s mother; father, Dan; and brother, John, who confirmed the destroyer’s keel, the large beam around which the hull of a ship is constructed, was laid “straight and true.” Ceremony attendees also included nearly 20 Navy SEALS.
The Murphy family signed a steel plate during the ceremony, which will later be affixed to the hull of the ship.
“We love everyone involved with the Michael Murphy,” said Dan Murphy, father of Lt. Michael Murphy. “They have no idea how much they have touched us.”
Cmdr. David Price, program manager, supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair said the vessel will serve as a testament to Murphy’s character.
“This ship will transform from just plates of steel, miles of piping and cables and electronics, to a ship and crew, operating as one, imbued with the spirit of her namesake, and her sponsor,” said Price.
“As the 62nd ship of the class, I believe DDG 112 will be the finest destroyer yet delivered,” said Capt. Pete Lyle, DDG 51 class program manager within the Navy’s Program Executive Office. “There couldn’t be a more fitting tribute to Lt. Murphy’s sacrifice.”
DDG 51 class ships are multi-mission combatants designed to operate in multi-threat air, surface and subsurface threat environments. These destroyers are equipped with the Navy’s Aegis Combat System, the world’s foremost integrated naval weapon system, and provide outstanding combat capability and survivability characteristics while minimizing procurement and lifetime support costs due to the program’s maturity.
May God Bless and keep Lt. Murphy, and watch over his namesake ship and all who sail on her.
AW1 Tim's Blog 
It’s been a while since we named a Surface Combatant after someone eminently deserving. It’d be an honor to serve aboard her… Hell, by the time I get back to Sea Duty, she just might be getting ready to commission.
Yup. I’d try and finagle my way back in too, just to serve aboard her.
Finally non-political, tradition-honouring, fightig name for a fighting ship. I hope wherever this brave SEAL spirit roams, he is glad to see it,
Me to, Pavel, me too.
Yeah, you said it, Ewok 🙂
I remeber reading, many years ago, in a copy of PROCEEDINGS, in an issue devoted to foriegn Merchies, whene one of the Merchie Skippers said that it was always nice to be in the company of a ship painted Haze Gray, as nothing bad would happen to you while she was around. I think USS MICHEAL MURPHY will carry that tradition on, in order to honer her namesake.
Nice catch.
No finer ships than those that are “Bath built.” (Proud to have served on an old Gearing DD built there!)
No finer a name to carry on one than Michael Murphy.
Aside from the carriers and a few subs, ships of this class may be the last true warships we build for a very long time.
Build them well, take good care of them, man them properly to do that, and train the crews well. We may need to use these ships for a very long time.
John,
I agree. Every morning I can look out my front window and see BIW’s ways across the street. I have the great good fortune to be able to watch these ships being assembled, then put in the water for final fitting.
As they say “Bath Built is Best Built”.
May she and her crew always bring Honor to her namesake. Well done, Navy!
Great to see a real hero honored this way.
I went to Viet Nam on the Henry B Wilson, DDG-7. I’m sure the crew of the Murphy will carry on the great tradition started by those first DDG’s. There is a project on going to preserve the Charles Adams, DDG-2, the first of the operational DDG’s, in Jacksonville FL, as a museum, and monument to the DDG tradition.
Timothy,
yes, there was, a few years back, an attempt to bring Adams up to Bath, Maine, since that’s where she was built. Sadly, the organizers couldn’t get enough supporters to sign on, although a lot of us did and helped where we could.
I hope she gets preserved somewhere. She ought to be.