Almost one week after Penn State students took to the streets to celebrate an act of extreme heroism by a group of Navy SEALs, Penn State will have a connection to a different type of celebration dedicated to a SEAL of their own.

Penn State alumnus Lt. Michael Murphy, a SEAL who was killed in action, will be recognized on Saturday when a US Navy destroyer will be named the USS Michael Murphy in his honor. Murphy was a 1998 graduate of Penn State and, according to Penn State Live, is the only Penn State alumnus to ever receive the Medal of Honor, the highest award that can be given to an individual in the United States armed forces.

Here’s more on Murphy and Saturday’s dedication from The Associated Press:

Murphy, who was 29 when he died, graduated from Pennsylvania State University and was accepted to multiple law schools, but decided he could do more for his country as one of the Navy’s elite SEALS — special forces trained to fight on sea, air and land — the same forces that killed Osama bin Laden this week in Pakistan.

Heightened security will be in effect as Murphy’s mother, Maureen, christens the ship by smashing a bottle of champagne against the bow of the 510-foot-long warship as Murphy’s father, brother and others watch.

Murphy’s name will be a familiar one to future Penn Staters, as the “Lt. Michael P. Murphy and Penn State Veterans Plaza” was chosen as the class gift by the Penn State Class of 2011. You can learn more about his military accomplishments by visiting his page on the Medal of Honor website.