A project of this magnitude cannot be accomplished by a single individual; while my name may appear on the cover, there are literally hundreds of individuals who made this effort possible. While many are named below, there are those critical individuals who provided firsthand accounts of much of the operational details whose names cannot be revealed due to the secretive or classified nature of their work. They know who they are. Anytime you begin to thank people, you run the risk of unintentionally omitting someone; therefore, I ask for their forgiveness.
First and foremost, I would like to thank my parents, Richard and Charlene Williams, who instilled the virtues of hard work, patience, and persistence, as well as a near-sacred respect for our military personnel and veterans. To my wife, Tracy, and my children, Aaron, Lisa, Bryan, David, Daniel, and Stephen, and grandchildren, Chantress and Caden, thank you for allowing me time and freedom to both research and write this story and, most important, for keeping me grounded. Your sacrifices are no less important or appreciated. I hope my efforts make you as proud of me as I am of each of you. A special thank you to my stepson Stephen, our resident computer expert, for easing my frequent frustrations with a few keystrokes or a click of the mouse.
The following individuals contributed in varying degrees to the success of this book. Whatever level of detail about and insight into the man Michael Murphy was that I may have brought to these pages would not have been possible without their contributions and support. They are the true authors.
Family of Lieutenant Michael Murphy: Father Dan, mother Maureen and brother John . . . it is very evident why and how Michael became the man he was. Thank you for your service, sacrifice, and willingness to share the most painful of life’s events with me and the world.
Operation Red Wings: The families of Petty Officer Matthew Axelson, Petty Officer Danny Dietz, Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell, Senior Chief Dan Healy, Lieutenant Commander Erik Kristensen, Petty Officer James Suh, Petty Officer Shane Patton, Petty Officer Jeffrey Taylor, Petty Officer Jeffrey Lucas, Major Stephen Reich, Lieutenant Michael McGreevy, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chris Scherkenbach, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Cory Goodnature, Master Sergeant James W. “Tre” Ponder, Sergeant First Class Marcus Muralles, Staff Sergeant Shamus Goare, and Sergeant Kip Jacoby.
United States Navy: Vice Admiral Eric Olson, Rear Admiral Joseph D. Kernan, Rear Admiral Edward Kristensen (ret.) and Mrs. Suzanne Kristensen, Lieutenant Jeff Widenhofer, Lieutenant Commander Tamsen Reese, and Lieutenant Leslie Lykins.
Naval Special Warfare: Rear Admiral Edward Winters III, Rear Admiral Garry J. Bonelli, Captain Larry Lasky (ret.), Commander Gregory Geisen, Commander Todd DeGhetto, Commander Chad Muse, Lieutenant Commander Michael Martin (ret.), Lieutenant Andy Haffele (ret.), Lieutenant Nathan Potter, Ensign Chris Reed, and former Gunner’s Mate First Class Luke Barker. To all those individuals who must remain anonymous as they continue to defend freedom around the world, thank you, gentlemen, and Godspeed.
United States Army, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment: Kimberly Tiscone, Major Myron Bradley, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chad Easter, and those heroic individuals who must remain anonymous as they continue to defend freedom around the world. Again, thank you, and Godspeed.
Michael Murphy’s closest friends: The O’Callaghan family—Owen, Jimmie, Kerri, and Sean—Jimmy Emmerich, and Jay Keenan. Everyone should have the honor of friends like you.
Other individuals were invaluable in this effort. They include Captain Andrew “Drew” Bisset (ret.), who was the first to sign on in this effort back on May 7, 2008, and served as an excellent mentor and technical expert working tirelessly to bring me up to speed on the Navy and the SEALs in very short order. I want to extend a very special thank you to Captain Kent Paro. His tireless efforts in reviewing this manuscript and his near-photographic recall of details contributed immensely to the clarity of this work. Most appreciated was his demonstrated patience of Job when it came to working with me, a nonmilitary individual who possessed only the utmost respect for those in uniform and the deep desire to learn. Thank you seems so inadequate.
Roger Froehlich, a staunch advocate for those who wear this nation’s uniforms, was and remains willing to do anything to advance this project; his belief, encouragement, and facility in putting me in contact with the right people at the right time saved time and frustration. At a time when he is increasingly consumed with family concerns, he remains a source of encouragement and strength.
I would also like to thank former secretary of the navy Donald C. Winter, Vice Admiral Joseph Maguire, and Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations, whose staff provided support and encouragement that was extremely helpful in keeping this entire project within the Navy family, as well as Rick Russell and the staff at the Naval Institute Press, who demonstrated great patience while ushering an unknown author through the sometimes intimidating waters of the publishing world. Finally, a special thank you to legendary Hollywood actor Jon Voight for his tireless advocacy of and undying respect for our nation’s veterans and his words of encouragement and support.