Much water has passed beneath his transom since LCDR Patrick “Murph” Murphy, USCG (Ret) was born in Carmel, California and raised in Coronado. He comes from a long family tradition of service: his grandfather, Patrick, served 36 years in the Navy, his other grandfather, Oscar Stanton, served in the Army, his father, Donald Murphy, served 27 years in both the Navy and Army, and his brother, James, served in the Army.
Recognized as Coronado High’s 1974 Athlete of the Year, Murph was an ocean lifeguard, three-time participant in the Alcatraz “Sharkfest,” and many other distance swimming events. He accepted a full athletic scholarship to the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, graduating in 1978. Murph enlisted in the Coast Guard and commissioned an ensign in 1980. His 20-year career included eight years of sea service aboard Coast Guard high and medium endurance cutters, icebreakers, and patrol craft. A certified permanent cutterman and marine engineer, he also holds a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential.
Murph’s shipboard service included fishery patrols in the Bering Sea, law enforcement, and immigration interdiction in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, maritime drug busts, icebreaker design and sea trials, and the Exxon Valdez cleanup. He also ensured security and safety during the 1988 America’s Cup off San Diego. However, his service came at a steep price. Years at sea, extensive motor lifeboat evaluations, an injury suffered during a fishery boarding, and a genetic disease that caused spinal fusion, ultimately resulted in 100% veteran’s disability…