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~ Hall of Heroes ~
Marcus Luttrell
Info from here. |
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| With all the publicity about the movie Lone Survivor, I wanted to know more about the hero behind it. "Hero" is certainly an appropriate description. Here is his story, from Wikipedia. |
.jpg) Marcus Luttrell (born November 7, 1975) is a former United States Navy SEAL, who received the Navy Cross for his actions in June 2005 facing Taliban fighters during Operation Red Wings. During his eight-year career in the United States Navy, Luttrell reached the rank of Petty Officer First Class.
Luttrell was born in Houston, Texas on November 7, 1975. He began training for the U.S. Navy SEALs at the age of fourteen, with former U.S. Army soldier Billy Shelton, who lived near Luttrell's home. He trained every day with his twin brother, Morgan, and others who aspired to join the U.S. Navy. Shelton trained them using various weight and endurance exercises. After high school, Luttrell attended Sam Houston State University, where he joined the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.Luttrell enlisted in the United States Navy in March 1999. After graduating bootcamp and Hospital Corpsman A-school, he transferred to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) Class 226; however, due to a fractured femur he suffered on the O-course, he graduated with Class 228 on April 21, 2000. A book entitled "The Warrior Elite: The Forging of SEAL Class 228" by Dick Couch describes the training of Class 228, and names Luttrell as one of the graduates of that class. After completing BUD/S, he attended Army jump school and SEAL Qualification Training. He was then sent to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, for SOCM (Special Operations Combat Medic Course) an additional six months of advanced training in conventional and unconventional medical skills, ranging from diagnosis and treatment of many conditions to advanced emergency medicine and battlefield life support. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2005 with SEAL Team Ten. Prior to Afghanistan, Luttrell had been part of SDV-1. After Operation Red Wings he transferred to SEAL Team Five and deployed to Ramadi during Operation Iraqi Freedom conducting various operations there.
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| Operation Red Wings 
Late in the night of June 27, 2005, two MH-47 Special Operations Aircraft of the Army Special Operations Command's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) (SOAR(A)) approached Sawtalo Sar. As one of the aircraft performed a number of "decoy drops" to confuse any possible enemy on the ground as to the specific purpose of helicopters, the other inserted, via fastrope, a four-man Navy SEAL reconnaissance and surveillance team in a saddle between Sawtalo Sar and Gatigal Sar, a peak just to the south of Sawtalo Sar. The insert point was roughly one and one half miles from the nearest Named Area of Interest. The team members were team leader Navy Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy of SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 (SDVT-1), based out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Gunner's Mate Second Class Class Danny Dietz from SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2 (SDVT-2), based out of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Sonar Technician Second Class Matthew Axelson from SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 (SDVT-1); and Hospital Corpsman First Class Marcus Luttrell, of SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 (SDVT-1). After moving to a pre-determined, covered overwatch position, from which the SEALs could observe the Named Areas of Interest, the team was discovered by local goat herders. After determining that they were civilians, and not combatants, Lieutenant Murphy asked Luttrell to "make the call". Luttrell fearing U.S. media backlash and following the rules of engagement, released them. Regretting their decision, the team relocated to a less desirable observation point. Within two hours of letting the goat herders go, the SEAL Reconnaissance and Surveillance team was ambushed by Ahmad Shah's men. The ambush was intense, coming from three sides, and included fire from PK machine guns, AK-47s, RPG-7s, and 82mm mortars. The ambush team forced the SEAL team into the northeast gulch of Sawtalo Sar, on the Shuryek Valley side of Sawtalo Sar. The SEALs made a number of attempts to contact their combat operations center with a PRC-148 MBITR (Multi Band Inter/Intra Team Radio) and then with an Iridium Satellite Phone. The team could not establish consistent communication, however, other than for a period long enough to indicate that they were under attack. Three of the four team members were killed, and Luttrell, being the only survivor, was left unconscious with a number of fractures, a broken back, numerous shrapnel wounds, and later a gunshot. He would soon regain consciousness and evade the pursuing enemy, with the help of local Pashtun villagers, who would eventually send an emissary to the nearest U.S. base to secure his safe release, and ultimately save his life. The target of Operation Red Wings, Mohammad Ismail alias Ahmad Shah, survived the American operation but was killed during a firefight with Pakistani police commandos in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in April 2008. |
Luttrell returned to the U.S. the following year, and co-authored the New York Times bestseller Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10. A film version starring Mark Wahlberg was released on December 25, 2013.
Luttrell separated from the Navy in 2007, and was subsequently granted a temporary medical retirement through the Board for the Correction of Naval Records in 2009. In 2008, Marcus spoke at the Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting.
His latest book, co-authored with James D. Hornfischer, Service: A Navy SEAL at War, was released in May, 2012, by Little, Brown and Company
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| DASY As part of Luttrell's recuperation he was given a yellow Labrador puppy. He named the dog DASY. Each letter of the name "DASY" represents one  of the members of his team—Danny Dietz, Matthew "Axe" Axelson,Southern boy (Marcus), and Michael "Yankee" Murphy. She was given to him in recovery to help him through rehabilitation.
On April 1, 2009, four men approached Luttrell's property and killed DASY with a .357 Magnum revolver at approximately 1 A.M. Luttrell proceeded to chase the individuals through four counties in his truck armed with two 9 mm Berettas—until Onalaska Police apprehended the individuals. Upon arrest, the suspects verbally threatened Luttrell's life and taunted him. Alfonso Hernandez was arrested on-scene for driving without a valid driver's license and later charged with animal cruelty. Michael Edmonds turned himself in on April 7, was booked, and posted bond on the same charge. The other two individuals were not indicted. The males are also suspects in the killings of other neighborhood dogs. On November 29, 2011, Marcus posted on his Facebook Page that "Court date on Thursday for DASY's killer's I'll keep y'all posted on what happens. It's only been almost 3 years glad it's finally here" and again on December 1, 2011, saying they were found guilty.
On March 7, 2012, Alfonso Hernandez was given the maximum sentence of two years in a state jail for the felony charge of animal cruelty and fined $1,000. After his guilty plea and testimony against Hernandez, Michael John Edmonds was sentenced to five years probation and fined $1,000 for the same offense. At the sentencing, Luttrell testified that he was “still pretty upset” about the killing of DASY and that he felt both defendants should have gotten the maximum sentence.
Lone Survivor Foundation In 2010, Luttrell established the Lone Survivor Foundation. Headquartered in Houston, Texas the foundation's mission is to "...restore, empower, and renew hope for our wounded warriors and their families through health, wellness, and therapeutic support." The vision is to "...provide exceptional therapeutic, outdoor, and unique opportunities that optimize recovery and healing of affected American wounded service members and their families."
Marcus Luttrell and The Lone Survivor Foundation have partnered with The Boot Campaign to help show tangible appreciation of America’s active duty military, raise awareness of the challenges they face upon return, and support the transition home |
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