Former SEAL Marcus Luttrell with Joe Rogan … The Real Life Story of ‘Lone Survivor'

[Beetlegeuse]

After this I asked myself the question that I usually only utter after reading a Medal of Honor citation. Where the hell do we find men like this?

Marcus Luttrell with Joe Rogan is intense… The Real Life Story of ‘Lone Survivor’



Marcus Luttrell with Joe Rogan

Luttrell describes in detail one of the most remarkable stories of military survival of all time. Drinking blood to stay hydrated, threatening to blow himself up rather than be taken prisoner, coming face to face with the Taliban.

The story was the subject of a 2013 movie starring Mark Wahlberg as Luttrell

In 2005, Afghanistan, Taliban leader Ahmad Shah is responsible for killing over twenty United States Marines, as well as villagers and refugees who were aiding American forces. In response to these killings, a United States Navy SEALs unit is ordered to conduct a counter-insurgent mission to capture Shah. As part of the mission, a four-man SEAL reconnaissance and surveillance team is given the task of locating Shah. The four SEALs include team leader Michael Murphy, Marksmen and medic Marcus Luttrell, Matthew Axelson and Danny Dietz.

The team is inserted into the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, where they make a trek through the mountains where they begin to encounter communications problems. Unfortunately, the SEALs are accidentally discovered by local goat herders, whom the SEALs detain. Knowing that if they release them, the herders will likely alert the Taliban to their presence, the team is split about whether to kill the herders or not. After a brief debate, the team chooses to release them and abort the mission. On their way up the mountain, they are attacked by Taliban forces. Although the SEALs kill several Taliban gunmen, they are heavily outnumbered and at a disadvantage. The men also sustain various wounds during the firefight, which are exacerbated when they jump off the edge of a ridge and into a large ravine.

Despite their injuries, the SEALs make a defensive retreat through the steep woods. Dietz begins to lose consciousness and shouts questions to Luttrell, unwittingly revealing the team’s position. Murphy and Axelson jump off another ridge to lead the escape while Luttrell tries to carry Dietz down the mountain, but Dietz is shot again; the impact forces Luttrell to lose his grip and fall off the cliff. A fatally wounded Dietz remains at the top of the cliff and dies. Murphy attempts to climb back up the cliff to get a phone signal to call for support via satellite phone with Axelson and Luttrell providing cover fire. When he finally reaches higher ground, Murphy is able to alert his unit of his team’s predicament and request assistance before he is killed.

In response to Murphy’s distress call, a quick reaction force made up of fellow SEALs boards Chinook helicopters and heads toward the location without gunship escort. When they arrive, the Taliban shoot down one of the helicopters, killing all eight Navy SEALs and eight Special Operations aviators aboard, including Commander Kristensen, while the second helicopter is forced back. Luttrell and Axelson are left to fend for themselves again. Axelson is killed while attacking several approaching insurgents. When Luttrell is discovered by the Taliban, one of the insurgents fires a rocket-propelled grenade, and its impact throws him to the bottom of a rock crevice where he is able to hide from the Taliban and eventually escape.

Luttrell stumbles upon a small body of water where a local Pashtun villager, Mohammad Gulab, discovers him. Gulab takes Luttrell into his care, returning to his village, where he attempts to hide Luttrell in his home. Gulab then sends a man to the nearest American base to alert them to Luttrell’s location. Taliban fighters arrive at the village to execute Luttrell, but Gulab and the villagers intervene, threatening to kill the fighters if they harm Luttrell. The fighters leave, but later return to punish the villagers for protecting Luttrell. Gulab and his villagers are initially able to fend off the attackers but are nearly overrun before American forces arrive and defeat the advancing Taliban. After thanking the villagers who had saved him, Luttrell is evacuated. He almost succumbs to his injuries but is revived in time.

Images of the real Luttrell, Gulab and the fallen service members killed during the mission are shown during a four-minute montage, and an epilogue reveals that the Pashtun villagers agreed to help Luttrell as part of a traditional code of honor known as the Pashtunwali.

[wango]

Great book; unfrickin believable what they / he went through.

[almostgone]

After this I asked myself the question that I usually only utter after reading a Medal of Honor citation. Where the hell do we find men like this?

Marcus Luttrell with Joe Rogan is intense… The Real Life Story of ‘Lone Survivor’



Marcus Luttrell with Joe Rogan

Luttrell describes in detail one of the most remarkable stories of military survival of all time. Drinking blood to stay hydrated, threatening to blow himself up rather than be taken prisoner, coming face to face with the Taliban.

The story was the subject of a 2013 movie starring Mark Wahlberg as Luttrell

In 2005, Afghanistan, Taliban leader Ahmad Shah is responsible for killing over twenty United States Marines, as well as villagers and refugees who were aiding American forces. In response to these killings, a United States Navy SEALs unit is ordered to conduct a counter-insurgent mission to capture Shah. As part of the mission, a four-man SEAL reconnaissance and surveillance team is given the task of locating Shah. The four SEALs include team leader Michael Murphy, Marksmen and medic Marcus Luttrell, Matthew Axelson and Danny Dietz.

The team is inserted into the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, where they make a trek through the mountains where they begin to encounter communications problems. Unfortunately, the SEALs are accidentally discovered by local goat herders, whom the SEALs detain. Knowing that if they release them, the herders will likely alert the Taliban to their presence, the team is split about whether to kill the herders or not. After a brief debate, the team chooses to release them and abort the mission. On their way up the mountain, they are attacked by Taliban forces. Although the SEALs kill several Taliban gunmen, they are heavily outnumbered and at a disadvantage. The men also sustain various wounds during the firefight, which are exacerbated when they jump off the edge of a ridge and into a large ravine.

Despite their injuries, the SEALs make a defensive retreat through the steep woods. Dietz begins to lose consciousness and shouts questions to Luttrell, unwittingly revealing the team’s position. Murphy and Axelson jump off another ridge to lead the escape while Luttrell tries to carry Dietz down the mountain, but Dietz is shot again; the impact forces Luttrell to lose his grip and fall off the cliff. A fatally wounded Dietz remains at the top of the cliff and dies. Murphy attempts to climb back up the cliff to get a phone signal to call for support via satellite phone with Axelson and Luttrell providing cover fire. When he finally reaches higher ground, Murphy is able to alert his unit of his team’s predicament and request assistance before he is killed.

In response to Murphy’s distress call, a quick reaction force made up of fellow SEALs boards Chinook helicopters and heads toward the location without gunship escort. When they arrive, the Taliban shoot down one of the helicopters, killing all eight Navy SEALs and eight Special Operations aviators aboard, including Commander Kristensen, while the second helicopter is forced back. Luttrell and Axelson are left to fend for themselves again. Axelson is killed while attacking several approaching insurgents. When Luttrell is discovered by the Taliban, one of the insurgents fires a rocket-propelled grenade, and its impact throws him to the bottom of a rock crevice where he is able to hide from the Taliban and eventually escape.

Luttrell stumbles upon a small body of water where a local Pashtun villager, Mohammad Gulab, discovers him. Gulab takes Luttrell into his care, returning to his village, where he attempts to hide Luttrell in his home. Gulab then sends a man to the nearest American base to alert them to Luttrell’s location. Taliban fighters arrive at the village to execute Luttrell, but Gulab and the villagers intervene, threatening to kill the fighters if they harm Luttrell. The fighters leave, but later return to punish the villagers for protecting Luttrell. Gulab and his villagers are initially able to fend off the attackers but are nearly overrun before American forces arrive and defeat the advancing Taliban. After thanking the villagers who had saved him, Luttrell is evacuated. He almost succumbs to his injuries but is revived in time.

Images of the real Luttrell, Gulab and the fallen service members killed during the mission are shown during a four-minute montage, and an epilogue reveals that the Pashtun villagers agreed to help Luttrell as part of a traditional code of honor known as the Pashtunwali.

I especially liked the pic at the end of the movie of PO1 Luttrell and the Pashtun villager that provided so much aid.