Marcus Luttrell
Marcus Luttrell (born November 7, 1975 in Houston , Texas ) is a former United States Navy SEAL . He is the only survivor of Operation Red Wings during the war in Afghanistan . About his experiences, he wrote in 2007 the factual report Lone Survivor , which became a bestseller and in 2012 with Mark Wahlberg in the lead role was filmed .
Life
Marcus Luttrell grew up in Texas and later studied at Sam Houston State University . He joined the United States Navy in March 1999 and completed his training as a Team Medic in 2001.
After being transferred to Afghanistan, Luttrell took part in Operation Red Wings on June 28, 2005 , the aim of which was to kill or capture Taliban leader Ahmad Shah. His team consisted of four Navy SEALs: Luttrell, Michael P. Murphy , Danny Dietz and Matthew Axelson. Luttrell and Axelson were snipers, Dietz was in charge of communications, and Murphy was team leader.
Shortly after landing, they were discovered by Afghan goatherds who were initially held by them, but were allowed to go after a long discussion. The shepherds immediately notified local Taliban forces, so that the SEAL team was attacked by superior forces within an hour. Murphy, Dietz, and Axelson were killed in the firefight that followed. An MH-47 Chinook with SEALs and members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment dispatched to the rescue team was shot down by an RPG , killing all 16 soldiers on board. Luttrell survived the operation as the only one seriously injured and found shelter with locals, who notified the nearest US base so that after six days he could be rescued by US soldiers.
Luttrell returned to the United States in 2006 and left the Navy the following year. He and Patrick Robinson wrote the book Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 about his experiences during Operation Red Wings .
Luttrell's descriptions of what happened were heavily criticized from various quarters. Among other things, he was accused of specifying the number of opponents, which should probably have been around 20, as 200. The exact name of the operation and other details did not stand up to scrutiny either. Despite the criticism, the book became a bestseller. It was filmed in 2012 under the direction of Peter Berg . In the film Lone Survivor , the actor Mark Wahlberg took on the role of Marcus Luttrell.
Luttrell's second book, Service: A Navy SEAL at War , was published in 2012 and co- authored with James D. Hornfischer .
Marcus Luttrell has been married since 2010 and has two children.
Awards
Luttrell received the Navy Cross , the highest distinction in the US Navy , for outstanding valor in combat . His comrades Dietz and Axelson also received the Navy Cross posthumously . Michael P. Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously in 2007 .
In 2009, Luttrell received the Colby Award .
Works
- Marcus Luttrell, Patrick Robinson: Lone Survivor. The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10. Sphere Books, London 2008, ISBN 978-0-7515-4098-7 .
- Marcus Luttrell, James D. Hornfischer: Service. A Navy SEAL at War. Little, Brown and Company, New York NY et al. 2012, ISBN 978-0-316-18536-3 .
Web links
- Official website marcusluttrell.com (English)
- Marcus Luttrell in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The New York Times Best Seller List of July 1, 2007 (PDF; 58 kB) at hawes.com, accessed April 1, 2013
- ↑ a b c d e f g Biography at marcusluttrell.com, accessed April 1, 2013
- ↑ a b He Got The Title Wrong? and 6 More Mistakes from Luttrell's "Lone Survivor" at onviolence.com, accessed April 1, 2013
- ↑ Peter Berg's 'Lone Survivor' Boarded by Broadway and Film Financier Norton Herrick at hollywoodreporter.com, accessed April 1, 2013
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Luttrell, Marcus |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American US Navy SEAL |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 7th November 1975 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Houston , Texas , United States |