Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing
and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10

By Marcus Luttrell

I received this book as a Christmas gift from Carl, one of my running buddies. From discussions on several long runs, it’s become apparent that Carl and I share many of the same reading appetites. Once again, a selection recommended by Carl managed to exceeded my high expectations.

This book was co-written by Marcus Luttrell, the lone Seal Team 10 survivor of Operation Redwing. Operation Redwing occurred in Afghanistan . Navy Seal Team 10 was sent on a mission to identify the location and kill if possible Ben Sharmack (author’s alias, I’d guess actual name is classified), a Taliban tribal leader reputed to be in control of a up to 200 Taliban tribesmen. As the result of several decisions made by the team, four Navy Seal 10 Team members along with 13 Navy and Army personnel, sent on a aborted rescue mission, lost their lives. Marcus Luttrell was the sole survivor of the original team and this book is his story.

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10

By Marcus Luttrell

I received this book as a Christmas gift from Carl, one of my running buddies. From discussions on several long runs, it’s become apparent that Carl and I share many of the same reading appetites. Once again, a selection recommended by Carl managed to exceeded my high expectations.

This book was co-written by Marcus Luttrell, the lone Seal Team 10 survivor of Operation Redwing. Operation Redwing occurred in Afghanistan . Navy Seal Team 10 was sent on a mission to identify the location and kill if possible Ben Sharmack (author’s alias, I’d guess actual name is classified), a Taliban tribal leader reputed to be in control of a up to 200 Taliban tribesmen. As the result of several decisions made by the team, four Navy Seal 10 Team members along with 13 Navy and Army personnel, sent on a aborted rescue mission, lost their lives. Marcus Luttrell was the sole survivor of the original team and this book is his story.

The first portion of this book provided biographical details on Marcus’s upbringing. He was raised in Texas. Throughout the book, he continually emphasized the biological advantages associated with being a Texan. At times it was a bit overdone, but he was obviously proud of his heritage and this background info was relevant to understanding his personality and the decisions made during Operation Redwing.

The second portion of the book went into details concerning the process used to select and train Navy Seals. This part of the book helped me appreciate the selfless dedication to mind, body and team work necessary to be a Seal and more importantly, to be successful in the environment in which Seals operate. In the initial class there were 164 personnel who had met the minimum requirements to attend Seal School. 53 were washed out in the initial, indoctrination phase and only 21 of the original made it through “Hell Week” and the rest of their training. 87% of the “best-of-the-best” failed to complete this rigorous physical and psychological test.

Most of the rest of the book was spent on Luttrell’s recollection of the “Battle for Murphy’s Ridge.” Dan Healy, Danny Dietz, Mathew Axelson and Mike Murphy lost their lives. The lone survivor, Marcus Luttrell, managed to escape until he could be rescued. While the book covered the details of the battle, it emphasized the moral dilemma Seal 10 faced when they were discovered by 3 Afghan goat herders. They felt that if they released the herders, they’d tell the Taliban their location which would be an almost certain death warrant. On the other hand, killing the herders would be in violation of the Rules of Engagement and a direct violation of the Laws of Armed Conflict. When they tried to radio their HQs for direction, they could not communicate. Ultimately, Lt. Michael Murphy, the team chief, decided to release the goat herders. The book also covered the vigil held on the ranch owned by Marcus Luttrell’s parents in Texas when the Navy declared the team missing until his rescue. Finally, it covered the days he was sheltered from the Taliban by local villagers and is ultimate rescue.

THOUGHTS WHILE RUNNING: This book provided fodder for several long runs. What would I do with the goat herders. Did the Seals do the right thing? The author was quick to blame the “liberal media in the US” for the decision to turn the herders loose. He thought that if they killed them and it was uncovered by the press, they’d ultimately go to jail. After much thought, I’ve concluded he’s right, but I’ve also decided that one of the roles of the media is to be the “watchdog” of government. Based upon our recent experience with the Army and Pat Tillman’s death and my 26 years of serving on Active Duty (Air Force), I don’t trust the government and especially the military to tell the whole story. The American public depends on the media to find and report the facts. While I can appreciate the authors position and his feelings, there is no evidence that tied the goat herders to the Taliban. Later in the book, he owed his life to the extensive support he got from local villagers, many of whom were at significant risk from Taliban retaliation. Perhaps the goat herders were innocent and belonged to the village that sheltered him and ultimately made rescue possible? We’ll never know. Regardless, I think Lt Murphy made the right decision and the decision was made on solid moral grounds.

The author spent significant time on the role of God and the efforts of the wonderful people who held the vigil until his rescue. He felt that god intervened several times during the fire fight to help him survive and his rescue was aided by the prayers of the folks on his home ranch. While running, I came to the conclusion that god played a role in both actions. However, It bothered me that God didn’t choose to play the same role on the part of the other seals or those killed in the aborted rescue attempt. After reading his book and gaining an appreciation for the tight knit nature of the seal family, I’m sure similar vigils were held with their parents while they were waiting for resolution. On their family and friends part, they were given the bad news when the bodies were recovered. Weren’t they as worthy as Marcus? Didn’t those folks pray as hard? I’ve concluded that we’ll never know the answer to that question. The other day while driving home from work, I passed a wreck on the freeway with fatalities. Why did the victims die when I was allowed safe passage? It’s the same question and only emphasized that we need to keep our lives in order and be prepared for our ultimate death. Hopefully, we’ll all live until we’re 110, but realistically we’re destined to die at some unknown point.

The final point I considered while running was the changed nature of the warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq. Traditional warfare was much easier, both side wore uniforms and acted as military units. Unfortunately, the war on terrorism is not as defined and the nature of the enemy changes and evolves. Perhaps, we need to be a little more careful to ensure we've exhausted all methods of resolving our political issues before we pursue military options. Ok, this just came from my liberally biased perspective, but I honestly believe that the American GI is God’s gift to America. This book only emphasized our GI’s willingness to put themselves in harms way and pay the ultimate sacrifice if needed. They only ask for one thing in return. Our national leadership must ensure that their sacrifices are for a moral and just cause. Many GIs in our history have made this sacrifice and many more will make it. Knowing this doesn’t make the death of these heroic warriors easier to accept.

I’d highly recommend this book, especially if you like adventure type books or are interested in military history.