May 18, 2007 -
....another in an occasional series of reports about gamers who gave their all:As reported by the Lynchburg News & Advance, Christopher Murphy, 21, was killed in Iraq on Saturday along with three fellow soldiers. Three other soldiers were abducted by insurgents and remain missing. According to his obituary:
Christopher Edward Murphy had a generous spirit... would give away his treasured video games and systems to friends... Even since he was a young boy playing every strategy-based video game he could find, Chris had wanted to join the military.
“You want to talk about our house sounding like a war zone,” Rosemary reminisced of Christopher having a group of friends over to play Halo 2, a warfare video game.
“He was pretty shaken by everything he was witnessing,” she said. “He was on his 13th helmet and his ninth tank when he came back. He didn’t want to go back to Iraq this last time.”
GP: Rest in peace, Christopher.
Comments
And as a future USMC Lieutenant i say to Christopher R.I.P and bless your sacrifice to the notion of freedom and peace.
'He didn’t want to go back to Iraq this last time'
If only he didn't have to...
@bman
I don't want to get involved but:
'terrorists kill everyone who isn’t Islamic'
Are you assuming all terrorists are Islamic?...
Christopher Murphy, I did not know you. But I feel a kinship despite that. Like me, you were an American and a gamer. Though we may have held different ideals and played different games, I believe we all wanted the same thing. A happy life and a good home. I may never be able to join the military, but I salute your courage and know that you are in a better place today. I hope your family can over-come whatever hardships this may inflict on them. Rest In Peace.
The intraweb shields many an asshole behind its binary codeing. Theres not much you can do about it. Just dont talk back and they wont have much to say.
I'm sorry to hear the loss of this soldier. I just got back from a funeral myself today, and i still feel pretty upset, so i can only imagine what this family is going through.
We just have to go with the flow.
War criminals? Yah let's just have no war and we can all be friends. Except for the part where the terrorists kill everyone who isn't Islamic. Whether you know it or not. America is saving everyone's asses. I live in England, and I'm smart enough to know that what America is doing the right thing.
So one soldier rapes a woman. It's sad but millions of soldiers have come and gone in their service in Iraq. 99.9% do an awesome job.
This is a GAME POLITICS place, and a soldier that was a gamer has just died. Stop with the petty arguments. I life is a life. If everyone here were truly gamers then we would know this line "Soldiers are only tools for political gain." Metal Gear anyone? Just like a programmer leads a life of programming a soldier leads a life of war regardless of his own beliefs, thoughts, or political stance, when the head guy says something needs to be done, they do it.
What I am saying is that you need to leave your personal feelings behind on the war or what you think a soldier is, or what some random group of soldiers are doing to your country and see here a man that like ourselves had a family, had friends, and had games to play, and now no longer has them.
R.I.P. - For what its worth, you did you job and paid the ultimate price for it, and through it all, (by the testimony of those who knew you) you were a decent person, contrary to how the world sees us. Have fun on that console in the sky.
......... monster..... Fred Phelps would be proud of you...
I hate to break it to you but not every U.S. soldier commits the crimes you have mentioned. Nazis on the other hand really did murder unarmed people (note how it says murdered and not killed, meaning it was not an accident, and they did not mistake them for someone else), war crimes however do happen . . . in EVERY war imaginable. If you really think the guys they are fighting are completely innocent; if you really think that the terrorists they fight aren't already subduing the population with violence and death then you are either totally oblivious to what really goes on or you are a complete idiot.
In fact based off your name and what you said why not join the iraqi coalition and fight off the "evil doers" why don't you go and try to free Iraq from violence with carbombs like they do, go off and join the civil war . . .
Sorry, I was typing that at the time you posted. ^^; But I just had to get that off my chest.
How dare you say that the soldiers are criminals? How dare you, as kurisu7885 said, hate the many for the actions of a few? How DARE you say that all soldiers serving in Iraq belong in Hell?
Yes, some are committing atrocities such as rape and murder.
Yes, some believe what they're doing is right.
Yes, the American government is full of corrupt warmongers.
Yes, the American media is a sensationalist propaganda machine.
No, the majority of soldiers don't mean to do evil. They receive orders to kill insurgents, so when their superiors say "These guys are insurgents," then... well, you can guess.
And FYI, there are soldiers who ARE refusing to go to Iraq, and they are even fleeing to other countries like Canada to stay out of it. It may be that they just want to save their own skins, yes, but at least they aren't going.
I'm American (and proud of it) and I don't support the war. I don't support the current government. I also don't support shallow, obstinate, asinine racists who get off on spreading hatred. Because then... well, you're not much better than the "Americans" you hate so much, are you?
Instead they subdue the population with death and murder, they are guilty as hell.
Nothing really different to being a Nazi card carrying soldier really.
Oh my own country, my own Prime Minister is a war criminal, and badly what you like about the queen and i'll agree.
This soldier just got into hell early !
To disrespect the loss of even a single life is beneath contemptible, and those of you who've done so should be ashamed.
USA Hater: You think we're terrible do you? Take a long hard look at the Nazi Regime in Germany, the Japanese invasion of China, The rise of Communism in Russia, and September 11. Horror and Atrocity are fact the world over. Don't you DARE accuse any one country of anything until you take a hard look at your own country's History.
Be silent. This isn't about the Iraq War, about the supposed family we gamers may or may not be tied to, or your personal critique.This was a gesture on behalf of GP to a man who died. If you haven't got the self-discipline to keep your wagging tounge still in respect for the deceased, then take your infantile whining elsewhere. The rest of us have the presence of mind to be moved by the death of a HUMAN BEING.
To Christopher:
It may be a trifle blasphemous to offer a prayer with the Name I've chosen, so I'll wish that you rest in peace.
As for the guy who asked why GP should post about one soldier? Well, for one, its GPs prerogative to do so if they wish.
There is also the fact that, although some have expressed this not to be true for them personally, for some of us gamers, we see the members of this culture as a community. Especially since we all have to deal with the politicians who would have us held accountable for every death or criminal act in the US and other countries...
I salute the gamer, and have well wishes for his family. RIP
Hate the many for the actions of the few, great way to put yourself above.
Oh .... i'm not American, maybe you should read foreign news then you will find out something else totally different is happening.
But like I say, I support troop action in Afganistan, its a totally different story.
These people that are "cannon fodder" protection the freedoms we live by. Your blatant disrespect for our troops sickens me. Whether you support the war of not, please support the people who put their necks out on the line for your unpatriotic opinions.
God Bless America. RIP.
In between their war crimes, they got just deserts. Just as I hope terrorist Al-Kiddy scum do also.
However I do support soldiers in Afganistan.
@silver well posted
ps:to others that know I don't morn the loss of soldiers,they made the decision to become cannon fodder and im quite sure they knew the eventual consequences of their choice.
From now till the end of my days I dedicate every game I play to your memory. I may have not known you, and I think that is a tragedy, but all gamers are linked by what we love to do. Be a peace and remember that in heaven there is no lag.
Hmm, guess that's not the case. I suppose the people with common sense were right.
I think there are 2 ways to look at this. Yes it is true that just because he has on occasions picked up a controller doesn't single him out for any greater mourning than any other soldier. The other way to look at it is that on occasions it is good to personalise and look at those who died in detail so that rather than being statistics, they are considered as the people with lives, friends and family that they actually are.
I see both sides, and no I don't think we should shy away from the discussion just because people have died. That is the same mentality that the US and UK governments used to try and quieten those against the war after the W.M.D.'s were not found. By all means it should be discussed, just as long as those in service are respected and, where appropriate, paid tribute to.
And how is just posting RIP constructive??
While it's true that many soldiers are dieing, game politics can only stay within the boundaries of gaming and politics, and Christopher falls in those categories.
May he rest in peace.
Your comments are not needed. If you have nothing constructive to post, post nothing.
RIP Chris.
That said, may he find peace with all of those who are dying violent deaths.
Why should I? Gamers are just other people you play games with. To be part of an "extended family" there'd need to be some kind of kinship and bonding between the gamers, and as far as I can tell, there is very little kinship between various gamer groups.
While I can understand that for the people who knew that dead soldier, it is a sad event, this doesn't concern me, nor should it concern any other gamer that did not know him.
May you find comfort in your passing, R.I.P.
Not saying that i don't semi care about death but really short end glorifying and saying goodbye doesn't do anyone aside from those that were close to him any good.
War will be war.
As well Terminator their are armored units the US military uses that are called tanks that are far less armred then the Abrams. Might have been a bradly or some thing. don't know.
13th helmet... Sh*t, those things must save a lot of lives.
I offer a 21-D-Pad Salute to your sacrifice, Christopher.
You know, buddy, the big man upstairs has access to Halo 7 beta ... Bungie won't release the final version up there yet, though. Even God doesn't have THAT much pull.
(Personal note: I used humor to help my family cope with the loss of my grandfather just over a month ago. The Halo 7 line was a weak attempt at humor here, and I meant no disrespect.)
There are other things that playing computer games and thinking of the war in Iraq as a computer game might not reveal. For example, the U.S. supported Saddam for years, and now many of Saddam's police and military generals now work for the U.S. Not only have there been no WMDs found or strong links between Saddam and Osama, there's even the fact that the U.S. may have invaded Iraq only to secure its oil fields.
The situation is even more complex than that. After the Iran-Iraq war ended in stalemate, the U.S. started selling arms to Iran. During the same time, it was financing Afghan freedom fighters from which we now have the Taliban, which the U.S. did not mind for several years until it realized that there may be oil in the Afghan-Kazakhstan area, too.
More soldiers are now being asked to take extended tours, and many of them are complaining. The U.S. is now short on soldiers and is considering policies ranging from inviting immigrants to enlist in exchange for fast-tracking citizenship and the draft (which most will not support). All this is taking place with a President that has very low approval ratings, a weakening dollar, and a debt-ridden economy.
We have to think twice before we argue that soldiers are dying for a cause, i.e., for freedom, peace, or democracy, or that "America is saving everyone's asses." The U.S. government itself, through declassified materials presented in www.nsarchive.org, is already contradicting such points.
And as a future US Navy Officer (I dont go to boot for quite a while), Rest In Peace, brother Christopher. Thank you for what you have done for all those dreaming of living in the freedoms we fight for today. Rest easy on the great big NES in the sky.
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