"He’s just a humble, good guy. He really took care of his people," said Hendricks.

In early 2005, Murphy was deployed to Afghanistan.

He was killed that June when the Taliban surrounded his platoon.

Murphy exposed himself to enemy fire to send a signal for help.

He died that day, along with 17 others.

"It's a homecoming for him. He's going back to where he was stationed and where he served," said Hendricks.

As the crew of the USS Michael Murphy settles in to their new home, his story is on their minds, while a homecoming is in their hearts.

"A lot of aloha around. A lot of aloha. It's good to be home," said sailor Reggie Flores, who is from Waipahu.

"He always wanted for me to be at the pier waiting for him and I'm so excited I got to do that this time," said his beaming girlfriend Leslie Ann Mendoza.

"You look just like him! 42 years ago, I was up there and he was down here, so we've come full circle," said Raymond Navarro, pointing to the deck of the ship.