U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Brandon Sodergren of Waldoboro hugs his girlfriend, Amanda Sullivan of Durham, before heading getting on the bus May 5 when Marine reservists departed from Topsham for the start of a year-long deployment to Afghanistan.They travel first to California for several months of training and are expected to return in May 2012.

The U.S. Navy destroyer Michael Murphy was christened on Saturday, May 7, at Bath Iron Works. The 509-foot ship is named for Lt. Michael Murphy, whose bravery under fire in Afghanistan in June 2005 led to his posthumous receipt of the Medal of Honor. It was christened by his mother, Maureen Murphy, of New York.

Maureen Murphy christens the ship named for her late son. The ceremony included speeches by Gov. Paul LePage, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, and U.S. Reps. Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree.

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