On May 7, 2011, I had the privilege of attending the christening of a new naval destroyer, the USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112). The ship was named after the son of a local attorney whom I have known for years, and we were extremely honored that he invited our family to attend the christening of the ship at the Bath Iron Works (BIW) in Bath, Maine.
Michael was a U.S. Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan in 2005 during an operation that was part of the global war on terror. He was subsequently awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor, as a result of his actions on that day.
Lt. Michael P. Murphy, USN and his team of Navy SEALs were ambushed by Taliban guerrillas during a reconnaisance mission in the mountains of Afghanistan in June 2005. Michael and his team were all wounded, and the communications officer, who had been shot directly in the hand, was unable to establish communications to call for help. Michael deliberately went out into the open so that he could get a cell phone signal to call the base to send in reinforcements to rescue his team. While making the call, Michael was shot directly in the back, but continued the call anyway, not moving from his exposed position until he received confirmation that help was on its way. Only then did he return to cover to continue the fight. Only one member of Michael's team survived the battle.*
Although I had heard and read about it before, the day reminded me once again of Michael's story, his courage, and the courage of the others who serve in the armed forces on our behalf. It was particularly moving after the events of the previous weekend, carried out by other Navy SEALs, who ended the long search for Osama bin Laden.
There were many things that impressed me about the day on Saturday, but one that stood out for me immediately was the dedication, commitment and purpose of the workers at the Bath Iron Works and their obvious passion for the work they were doing. It was impossible to miss, as there was a big sign that workers must pass every day upon entering BIW through the employee parking lot:
They were reminded every single day of what they were doing, and why it mattered. I can't imagine passing this sign and being reminded of the courage exhibited not just by Michael, but by all of our men and women in the Armed Forces and not being inspired to do the best work I could possibly do that day to honor not only those who have died serving our country, but those who would serve on this very ship in the future.
The passion, pride and purpose exhibited by Bath Iron Works and its workers inspired me, and reminded me that those "three Ps" are a huge part of what makes any endeavor or business successful. (The BIW motto is, "Bath Built is Best Built"). Reading the story of Michael Murphy once again reinforced that message: he was passionate about being a Navy SEAL, serving his country, doing what was right, and above all, looking out for his team, even if it meant giving up his life.
Michael Murphy's passion, pride and commitment to purpose was extraordinary;it is what set him apart as an excellent leader and it is why he received the Medal of Honor. Although we cannot all exhibit that level of extraordinary service, we CAN take this away from him and from the workers at BIW: passion, pride and purpose make an impression - and they make the work worth doing.
Find your passion, pride and purpose.
*(If you want to learn more about Michael Murphy and Operation Red Wings, I highly recommend Gary Williams' book, SEAL of Honor, as well as Lone Survivor, the eyewitness account of operation Red Wings, by Marcus Luttrell, the SEAL who survived the encounter.)
Comments