Honorary Flag Ceremony Across All Ten Suffolk Towns for USS Michael Murphy
County Executive Steve Bellone joined local Veterans, County Legislators and members of the community this morning for an honorary Flag Ceremony, travelling across ten towns. Each ceremony took place at significant landmarks, honoring our Veterans on Long Island. The American flag that was raised and lowered at each landmark, will be presented to the Captain of the USS Michael Murphy by Bellone when he visits Pearl Harbor during the 75th Anniversary commemoration. The flag, which will have flown over landmarks in all 10 Suffolk County towns, will be presented to the Captain of the USS Michael Murphy as a gift of the people of Suffolk County in honor of all our veterans.
Patchogue native and US Hero, Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy was killed in the line of duty on June 28, 2005, in Afghanistan (Operation Redwing). Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery and sacrifice of his own life to transmit a call to get help for his men during a brutal firefight. In 2011, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, named in his honor, was launched in 2011 and is now based at Pearl Harbor.
The Flag began its honorary tour of Suffolk County Landmarks at dawn, around 6:30 AM this morning, where it was raised in Babylon at the American Legion Hall. From there it continued to fly over Pinelawn National Cemetery, East Northport Fire Department and the beautiful Memorial at Armed Forces Plaza in Hauppauge. Suffolk County Legislators Leslie Kennedy, Lou D’Amaro, Steve Stern, Sarah Anker and Monica R. Martinez paid homage to the Flag at the Dennison Building in Hauppauge shortly after. The rain didn’t stop the ceremonies from taking place at the Centereach VFW, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Hall in Farmingville, Patchogue-Medford High School or at Calverton National Cemetery, where Lieutenant Michael Murphy rests eternally. Ceremonies will continue on this afternoon at Greenport Veterans Memorial Park, Shelter Island American Legion Hall, Jordan Haerter Memorial Bridge in Sag Harbor and the Patchogue Post Office. The final flag ceremony will conclude at MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, where the annual Run Around the Lake in Murphy’s honor takes place each year.