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| The 4 Navy SEALs (https://gentleandquiet.com/tag/marcus-luttrell/ ()) |
In June 2005, there were four Navy SEALs on a mission to assassinate a leader of Al Qaeda. A day or so later, three were dead, and one injured. (Luttrell). The only Navy SEAL surviving was Marcus Luttrell who was injured and was forced to crawl seven miles in a desperate attempt to survive (Luttrell). Luttrell was a Navy SEAL until his medical discharge. People important to his life are his buddies that died when his squad was suddenly attacked by insurgents. Luttrell was a "lone survivor" who lived to tell about it. The place where he lost his three buddies, as well as the house where the villagers protected him and saved his life, are important places in his life. A true hero is found to have courage, accomplished outstanding achievements and most importantly has noble qualities. Marcus Luttrell deserves the title of hero because he is brave and was willing to join the Navy SEALs, putting his life on the line. Luttrell also was adaptable to the extreme conditions he faced during training and when injured during the fight.
Luttrell is a hero because of his bravery. He didn't surrender when he was attacked, fighting even when there was no way he could win. (Contemporary Authors Online). When his team was attacked, they were surrounded by 80-100 Taliban warriors! (Luttrell). Luttrell and his team didn't surrender. Instead, they decided that they had no options except for one, kill them all. "...the SEALs fought heroically against overwhelming odds..." (Contemporary Authors Online). Despite it being around 140 enemies vs 4, even if Taliban fighters were probably poorly trained, the odds are overwhelming.Yet they didn't give up and surrender, they kept fighting until it was around 140 vs 1 The 3 SEALS all died heroically. Luttrell's team suffered the consequences for their bravery."...all three of Luttrell's teammates were killed." "Seriously wounded, Luttrell escaped by tumbling down a steep mountainside to the valley below and then crawling several miles before being rescued by Pashtun tribesmen" His friends were dead and he was dying, yet he did not give up. It's likely he wouldn't have survived and he just got lucky. He knew this but still refused to surrender. Luttrell truly possesses bravery fit for a hero.
Luttrell isn't just heroic because of that tragic day where he lost his 3 buddies. Luttrell volunteered for the army, but not just for any old part of the military. He's a Navy SEAL, people who have to adapt to extreme, extreme conditions. People who train to become a Navy SEAL have to go through a lot. (Luttrell) "...Luttrell's account of the weeks of relentless training is stunning." "Hypothermia, sleep deprivation, dehydration, exhaustion and even disorientation were constant companions." "Of the 180 who began training with Luttrell,only 30 endured to become SEALs." (Roberts, James C). Luttrell adapted to freezing temperatures, lack of sleep (sometimes less than 4 hours) and being tired from numerous workouts and exercises (Luttrell). Most people wouldn't stand the new conditions that SEALS had to deal with. People who tried still failed, but Marcus was not one of them. Another condition Luttrell faced alongside his team was when they were suddenly surrounded. They didn't panic however, and quickly found a defensive position. After they did, they had only one thing to do: "...The SEALs fought heroically against overwhelming odds as they tried to retreat down the mountainside ...where they figured they could find cover in the village and hold out until help arrived." (Contemporary Authors Online). They were supposed to locate an enemy leader, which already risks their lives. Now their plan went wrong and they now have to deal with enemies coming in from all sides (Luttrell). While doing so, they still devise a quick plan of falling down a mountain and getting to a village for cover. Luttrell is a hero because he quickly adapted to new conditions he was in (i.e. a really unfair firefight plus insane SEAL training). He wasn't a person who couldn't adapt and gives up when the situation drastically changed.
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| Lone-Survivor-Book-Cover2.jpg (His book (https://www.davevoyles.com/2014/12/14/lone-survivo)) |
Luttrell is a hero to me because he is brave, as he joined the SEALs. I also consider him as a hero because he adapted to many horrible conditions such as weight loss, broke tons of bones and severe blood loss (Luttrell). Despite all of that, Luttrell refused death, still fighting to survive. Luttrell rejected the idea of surrender and he sustained various injuries that left anybody else begging for mercy, but he endured that pain. Even if he survived, he had to deal with many emotional and physiological problems as well, but he also, dealt with that. Luttrell had courage and he was adaptable. The part that's really been an inspiration to me though, is when he returned back to the battlefield despite all the things that happened. (Contemporary Authors Online). After Luttrell returned home, he wrote a book called Lone Survivor, later on becoming a movie. The film did not focus on Luttrell and how he was the only person to survive. His teammates that died, along with every soldier taking part in "the war on terror", is given recognition, inspiring people to put others first. Anyone can be considered a hero if they joined the SEALs or even any part of the army. They can be considered a hero just for being brave. But Luttrell is definitely a hero because he wanted to tell the story of how brave his teammates were, who weren't able to be rescued and go home (Luttrell). He refused to die and endured all those injuries for others.
Works Cited
Luttrell, Marcus, and Patrick Robinson. Lone Survivor. Boston, MA: Little, Brown, 2007. Print. Roberts, James C.
Marcus Luttrell." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2013. Biography in Context, Accessed 3 May 2017
"Navy SEAL Tells of Tragedy and Triumph in Afghanistan." Human Events, vol. 64, no. 41, 24 Nov. 2008, p. 19.
Page created on 5/30/2017 12:00:00 AM
Last edited 5/30/2017 12:00:00 AM
