A Navy SEAL Museum and U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps training facility named after Medal of Honor recipient and Patchogue-Medford High School graduate Lt. Michael Murphy is being planned for county land in West Sayville.
State Senator Tom Croci made the announcement at a press event Thursday at the West Sayville Country Club at Charles R. Dominy County Park.
The new facility will be built next to the Long Island Maritime Museum.
The has senator secured $400,00 in state funding for the museum, with additional construction, maintenance and operation costs being the responsibility of the LT. Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum Foundation, he said.
“I am so very proud that this community will be the home of the first Navy SEAL museum in the northeast, paying tribute to a local hero and a true patriot, LT. Michael Murphy,” Croci said in a statement.
The museum will honor the elite SEALs for their contribution to national security, Croci explained, with additional opportunities to train Sea Cadets by using a portion of the museum as a training facility.
There are only two other SEAL museum ins the country, Croci noted.
The other Navy SEAL museums in Fort Pierce, Fla., and Coronado, Calif.
“The Murphy family is thrilled with the first ever Navy SEAL Museum in the Northeast named after our son, Michael,” said Dan Murphy, of Wading River.
He also recognized Croci, a former Islip Town supervisor and Navy commander who worked closely with the SEAL teams in Afghanistan, for his efforts.
The county was also involved in coordinating the efforts.
“Our hometown hero, Lt. Michael Murphy, made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting our country and our freedom,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “His legacy continues to embody the American spirit, and I am extremely proud that his memory will live on through generations of Suffolk County residents through this Navy SEAL museum.”
Murphy, a 1994 graduate of Patchogue-Medford, was killed leading a team of Navy SEALs in Afghanistan in 2005.
He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2007.
The museum is expected to cost between $3 million and $4 million, said Christine Geed, a spokesperson for Croci.
Citing Dan Murphy, Geed said finding the additional funding does not appear to pose a challenge for the foundation.
“They have multiple sources and fundraising opportunities to handle the costs for construction, materials, etc.” she said. “Once they break ground they are expecting an 18- to 24-month project window.
The $400,000 is a NYS Senate & Municipal Facilities Capital Program Grant and is specifically earmarked for the museum and training center in West Sayville.
Top: The artist renderings and architectural elevations show a glass-walled building to be located at the north east side of the park, next to the Long Island Maritime Museum.
