A postscript to the previous article:

(What follows appears in the comments section of the previous posting. Coming from someone who actually knew LTC Patrick Murphy, however slightly, it is a much more fitting tribute than anything I could have said on the basis of online research. Since blog visitors don't always look at comments on a posting, I feel that this deserves wider attention.

Thank you, Jeff, for the insight.)

Possum,
If it helps you on this day, I knew Pat Murphy. He wasn't a friend in the usual sense of the word, more of a work friend.

He was indeed married, to a girl of SE Asian descent, although I never met her and can't remember her name.

Murph was a reserve officer, and what some would call a brilliant mathematician. What he did for the Pentagon was not something he was allowed to talk about. When he wasn't serving his country, he worked for Alberto-Culver in Melrose Park, Il. I am a contract programmer for them, and met him in the course of my job. Murph was using his abilities to organize and improve the efficiency of the production environment, although he was clearly working well below his abilities.

What I noticed immediately about Pat Murphy was that he was a natural leader of men. He was liked by everyone he worked with, and inspired those around him to do things a little bit better. He always had a smile on his face, and was an optimist who would love to talk about his plans for the future. He loved the Navy, as far as I could tell, and was proud of what he did for his country, although it frustrated him that he couldn't discuss it. He lived for mathematics and could talk endlessly about the subject. That's when you realized the size of his intellect.

Pat would disappear for his stints at the Pentagon without notice, but we were always glad to see him when he returned. I'm sorry I never got a chance to say goodbye, and his being gone left an empty hole in a lot of people's lives. He was that kind of guy, and I still catch myself looking for him when I visit the plant. He is missed.

Hope this helps. If you have any follow up questions, and it's within my ability to help, I'd be glad to. Unfortunately, I never became a personal friend, so I don't know a lot about his family life. Just know that he was a really good guy.

Jeff

(In case no one noticed, if you run your cursor down the names on the list in the previous article, you'll find a link that will take you to a memorial site where you can learn a bit more about each individual, and pay your respects if you so desire. The personal information is somewhat sparse, but it'll still break your hearts all over again.)