He holds an enduring sense of gratitude.
Almost two decades after Colonel Rich Phillips faced a life-threatening ordeal with Somali pirates off the East African coast, he remains thankful to his rescuers: the U.S. military.
“I didn’t really want to get out of there,” Phillips, now 70, reflected from his cramped lifeboat during the traumatic days of 2009 when Somali pirates overran his cargo ship, the Maersk Alabama.
“I owe a little seal—just my life.”
Captain Phillips, who inspired the 2013 film of the same name featuring Tom Hanks, is scheduled to give the “VIP” speech at the annual gala for the Michael P. Murphy Naval Seal Museum at Ohaka Castle in Huntington on Thursday.
This prestigious event honors Murphy, a Patchogue native who was killed during the famous 2005 “Lone Survivor” mission in Afghanistan.
Phillips described his decision to speak at the gala as a quick one after being contacted by Murphy’s parents, Maureen and Dan. “What do you want me to do? Yeah, I’ll be there,” he explained. “Then she mentioned it was a gala and I’d need a tuxedo—but I was all in without second thoughts.”
Now retired, Phillips has actively supported various military causes since his return to the U.S. He still holds the Navy’s elite team in high regard, especially since they eliminated the pirates who had held him captive.
“I’m in touch with a group of eight to ten people,” referring to those who saved him on that fateful Easter Sunday.
“Every Easter, I send a message of gratitude about what awaits in the 17 years I wouldn’t have had if they weren’t around… I call them the Titans.”
He enjoys attending SEAL events because they offer a glimpse into a tightly-knit community. “From families to fighters, you see how they live and act,” he commented. “That’s something I wish we had in the civilian world.”
Retired Navy SEAL and author Marcus Luttrell, also connected to the “Lone Survivor” mission, will be at the Long Island event as well. “It’s great to see him,” Phillips noted.
Phillips mentioned that he doesn’t carry the shadows of 2009 with him, instead pondering, “Why should I dwell on the bad?” He acknowledged that everyone faces crises, whether small or life-altering. “It’s really about how well you’re handling it,” he said.
He appreciates how his experiences were portrayed in the film, particularly noting the Oscar winner’s accurate New England accent. Nevertheless, there were some who felt Hollywood took creative liberties, especially regarding his connection with the youngest pirate, who was depicted as more sympathetic than he remembered.
Indeed, while Phillips did warn the young man, “You’re going to have a hard time around these people,” that was about the extent of his empathy.
“By the end of my four and a half days in the lifeboat, I realized he was unstable—sitting across from me, cleaning his AK, and laughing,” Phillips recounted. He added that just two days before the rescue, the pirates began mock executions, distancing himself from any notion of developing Stockholm syndrome.
“I didn’t expect to escape, but I wasn’t going to plead,” he stated. “I wanted to appear strong, to show them that I was an adversary, not just a passenger.”
“Fortunately, I didn’t have to do much. I just sat there, and the Navy Seals handled the rest.”
