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The internet and the country were in an uproar as news of the destruction of a memorial dedicated to Lt. Michael Murphy was destroyed passed through every form of media available. The memorial honored Lt. Michael Murphy who many of you know risked his life, and ultimately gave it in hopes that his team would make it out of the deadly ambush alive. Only one man made it out. Marcus Luttrell.As news of the destruction of the memorial made its way across America, thousands were outraged and rightly so. Lt. Murphy knew that once he exposed himself to the hail of gunfire that he would not live. His actions were the epitome of selflessness and love for his fellow Americans. And now a memorial honoring those actions lie in ruin.Quickly the person responsible was arrested. It was a 14-year-old boy from Long Island. While many were outraged, the lone survivor from that fateful mission had these words of wisdom to say.
"I’m sure I felt just like you did…when you get a hold of the guy, make sure you give me a call, so I can come down and hang out with him for a while, but then I heard it was a 14-year-old boy, and um, I made a lot of mistakes when I was 14. I think we all did. Sometimes when we’re coming into our own, becoming a man, you’re confused.”[caption id="attachment_18191" align="alignnone" width="750"]
The Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell speaks on the first day of the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH, USA. Photo by Dennis van TineSipa USA[/caption]
Luttrell went on to explain that the proper way to deal with this young man is to teach him to be better. Luttrell who, more than most had the right to be angry and lash out, wanted to teach the young man what kind of man Lt. Murphy was. He wanted this young man to grow from his mistakes. Saying
“We all make mistakes and we push past them. That’s how we become the man that we’re bound a destined to be.”
Not every situation can be handled like this. Sometimes a more severe penalty must be enacted, but we're proud that Marcus Luttrell responded the way he did. It shows a level of grace, and wisdom that we should all strive to have.
