Marcus Luttrell

"It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle" (Norman Schwarzkopf). Marcus Luttrell jumped into the battle, earning himself the title of a hero. Luttrell was born in Waller, Texas in 1975. Luttrell and his twin brother would often visit their neighbor, a former U.S. Army soldier. At the age of 16, Luttrell knew he wanted to join the military. Eight years later, he became a part of the U.S. Navy SEALs, the U.S. Navy's principle special operations force. In 2005, after six additional years of intense SEAL training, Luttrell was deployed to Afghanistan with three of his buddies: Michael P. Murphy, Danny Dietz, and Matthew Axelson. His mission, known as Operation Red Wings, was to capture or kill the high-ranking Taliban leader, Ahmad Shah. Little did Luttrell know that a small capture mission would turn into a open-fire gun fight against over 140 Taliban men, killing all three of Luttrell's teammates. Wounded and traumatized, Luttrell managed to crawl to a Taliban village, find shelter, and survive the army of soldiers trying to kill him. After recovering from his mission, Luttrell retired from the military a year later, returned to the U.S., and began writing his famous book Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10. A hero is brave in his actions. A hero remains focused and determined when times get tough. A hero has a selfless attitude that puts other's needs before his own. Marcus Luttrell, a true hero, displayed these traits throughout his life.

Luttrell shows his bravery through fighting the battle of Operation Red Wings as well as living his life according to the official philosophy of the U.S. Navy SEALs. As SEAL Team 10 was fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, Luttrell and his team made a life-threating decision to voyage down the mountain to safety: "'During this battle, which Luttrell describes in great detail in his book,' wrote Sean D. Naylor on the NavyTimes Web site, 'the SEALs fought heroically against overwhelming odds as they tried to retreat down the mountainside to the flat ground, where they figured they could find cover in the village and hold out until help arrived'" (Biography in Context). Luttrell's team was determined to carry out their mission despite the obvious dangers that confronted them. Choosing to travel down the mountain gave the Taliban army an advantage of shooting at the SEALs from above, and retreating into a small village on flat ground made the SEALs an easy target for the Taliban army to shoot at. They realized they risked being killed on their route to safety, yet they bravely continued against an army that outnumbered them 140 to 4. In his book, Luttrell described the bravery of a soldier as he quotes the final two paragraphs of the official philosophy of the U.S. Navy SEALs: "We train for war and fight to win. I stand ready to bring the full spectrum of combat power to bear in order to achieve my mission and the goals established by my country. The execution of my duties will be swift and violent when required, yet guided by the very principles I serve to defend. Brave men have fought and died building the proud tradition and feared reputation that I am bound to uphold. In the worst of conditions, the legacy of my teammates steadies my resolve and silently guides my every deed. I will not fail" (Luttrell 15). These paragraphs paint a picture of the courage and determination required to become a Navy SEAL. The line, "I stand ready to bring the full spectrum of combat power to bear in order to achieve my mission and the goals established by my country" presents a Navy SEAL that never takes a rest from fighting for their country and their beliefs. Luttrell demonstrated bravery because he stood ready for battle at all times, he was ready to go in and fight the Taliban army no matter what the cost. Luttrell remained brave throughout the traumatic experience and fought until the very point of his rescue. Luttrell showcases the power of bravery through his actions during the battle against the Taliban as he empowered within himself the SEAL philosophies.

Luttrell had determination all throughout his battle in Operation Red Wings by following the central paragraph of the philosophy of the U.S. Navy SEAL and remaining faithful to God. The Navy SEAL code, which all the soldiers live by, states: "I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight" (Luttrell 7). The central paragraph of the philosophy of the U.S. Navy SEAL shows the determination of a soldier because it states that no matter what happens to the soldiers during battle, they will get back up and keep fighting for their country and for their life. Luttrell applied this paragraph to his life in and out of battle as he fought the Taliban in Afghanistan. He kept fighting when he was outnumbered, he kept fighting as he lost every one of his teammates, and he kept fighting until the point when he was rescued. His mind pushed him to strive toward survival even when it seemed impossible, which showed his perseverance all the way through. Luttrell also never gave up his faith in God even after losing all three of his teammates to the Taliban army: "I had no answer to those questions, only hope. With absolutely no one to turn to, no Mikey, no Axe, no Danny, I have to face the final battle by myself, maybe lonely, maybe desolate, maybe against formidable odds. But I was not giving up. I had only one Teammate. And He moved, as ever, in mysterious ways. But I was a Christian, and He had somehow saved me from a thousand AK-47 bullets on that day. No one had shot me, which was well nigh beyond all comprehension" (Marcus Luttrell). Through his own personal quote, Luttrell showed dedication because he would not give up even after losing all of his teammates. Luttrell remained loyal to God and believed that he could survive with God's help. By doing so, Luttrell had found that God had helped him survive the fight against the Taliban and return to safety. His dedication was revealed when he decided to keep striving for survival even when he was alone. Luttrell took his Christian faith and applied it to his battle, ultimately saving him from thousands of bullets aiming at his head, trying to kill him. Luttrell took the official philosophy of the U.S. Navy SEAL and his Christian faith to help him stay persistent and help him survive the fight.

Luttrell symbolizes a hero because of his noble actions outside of the battlefield as well as his selfless attitude in his writing. After retiring from combat, Luttrell had gone through therapy to help with his post-traumatic stress syndrome, a disorder that affects one out of eight soldiers returning from combat. Luttrell decided to form a non-profit organization to help other soldiers recover through therapy as well: "Mr. Luttrell founded the Lone Survivor Foundation to provide other veterans, particularly combat veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress and other problems associated with life after the military, with the same course of treatment that helped him" (Biography in Context). Even after battle, Luttrell still demonstrated selflessness by creating this foundation. Luttrell could have focused on the fame he was getting from his book, but instead he directed away from it so he could help the other soldiers that were suffering from the same disorder he had experienced. By doing this, he shows selflessness and the fact that he cares for others more than he cares about fame or fortune. Luttrell wrote another book, Service: A Navy SEAL at War, about his experience in the war with SEAL Team 5, which highlighted the sacrifices other soldiers had made for the country as well: "In his 2012 memoir, Service: A Navy SEAL at War, written with James D. Hornfischer, Luttrell recounts his return to combat, this time in Iraq as a member of SEAL Team 5 ... Throughout the book, Luttrell and Hornfischer detail the contributions and sacrifices of others in the military and also include a chapter titled 'Warrior Queens,' about the spouses of military personal" (Biography in Context). As Luttrell and Hornfischer wrote Service: A Navy SEAL at War, they didn't write about Luttrell and his struggles or about how scared he was from war. Instead, they wrote about the other SEALs and how they have risked their lives for our country as well. This depicts selflessness because Luttrell steered away from the fame and placed the spotlight on the other soldiers that are rarely recognized or acknowledged for their service. Also, by recognizing the other soldiers and their spouses, Luttrell honored the men and women, such as the widows of his teammates, who have lost their spouses in combat. Luttrell displayed his selflessness not only through his foundation for soldiers struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, but also through this book he had written with James Hornfischer.

Luttrell possesses many of the traits frequently described as heroic, including bravery, determination, and selflessness. While Luttrell served his sixteen years as a U.S. Navy SEAL, he bestowed many acts of heroism. His actions proved to me his bravery in a battle, his mindset showed me his determination to continue fighting, and his attitude symbolized the selflessness that bears throughout his life. Luttrell is an inspiration to many people, including me. His years as a soldier, described in his book, inspire me to face my fears and strive toward what I believe in. The Lone Survivor Foundation is also a source of inspiration because Luttrell is helping soldiers from all over the country restore their health. His endeavor to help these soldiers live a normal life is what shows me that he is caring and compassionate, and that he cares for others more than himself. Marcus Luttrell may just be an ordinary person to some, but to others, he is the man that risks his life everyday to save the people and the freedom of America, touching one life after another. Anyone can be a hero, all they have to do is stop commanding people into the war, and be the soldier that jumps into the battle.