The Sole Survivor

Comrade Ogilvy · 11th June 2007, 05:09 PM

Very good story...check it out.

Quote:

The Sole Survivor
A Navy Seal, Injured and Alone, Was Saved By Afghans' Embrace and Comrades' Valor

By Laura Blumenfeld
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 11, 2007; Page A01

The blood in his eyes almost blinded him, but the Navy Seal could hear, clattering above the trees in northeast Afghanistan, rescue helicopters.

Hey, he pleaded silently. I'm right here.

Out of the U.S. military's worst day of casualties in Afghanistan comes a tale of moral choices -- both good and bad -- and of sacrifice, comradeship, and character.

On June 28, 2005, four Navy Seals, pinned down in a firefight, radioed for help. A Chinook helicopter, carrying 16 service members, responded but was shot down. All members of the rescue team and three of four Seals on the ground died. Marcus Luttrell alone survived.

Marcus Luttrell, a fierce, 6-foot-5 rancher's son from Texas, lay in the dirt. His face was shredded, his nose broken, three vertebrae cracked from tumbling down a ravine. A Taliban rocket-propelled grenade had ripped off his pants and riddled him with shrapnel.

As the helicopters approached, Luttrell, a petty officer first class, turned on his radio. Dirt clogged his throat, leaving him unable to speak. He could hear a pilot: "If you're out there, show yourself."

It was June 2005. The United States had just suffered its worst loss of life in Afghanistan since the invasion in 2001. Taliban forces had attacked Luttrell's four-man team on a remote ridge shortly after 1 p.m. on June 28. By day's end, 19 Americans had died. Now U.S. aircraft scoured the hills for survivors.

There would be only one. Luttrell's ordeal -- described in exclusive interviews with him and 14 men who helped save him -- is among the more remarkable accounts to emerge from Afghanistan. It has been a dim and distant war, where after 5 1/2 years about 26,000 U.S. troops remain locked in conflict.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?hpid=topnews

davefoc · 11th June 2007, 11:20 PM

Thanks for the link. I was surprised they revealed the name of the village that befriended him. It seems like that might lead to a terrible retribution.

11th June 2007, 05:09 PM	#1
Comrade Ogilvy Muse Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Arkham Asylum Posts: 609	The Sole Survivor Very good story...check it out. Quote: The Sole Survivor A Navy Seal, Injured and Alone, Was Saved By Afghans' Embrace and Comrades' Valor By Laura Blumenfeld Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, June 11, 2007; Page A01 The blood in his eyes almost blinded him, but the Navy Seal could hear, clattering above the trees in northeast Afghanistan, rescue helicopters. Hey, he pleaded silently. I'm right here. Out of the U.S. military's worst day of casualties in Afghanistan comes a tale of moral choices -- both good and bad -- and of sacrifice, comradeship, and character. On June 28, 2005, four Navy Seals, pinned down in a firefight, radioed for help. A Chinook helicopter, carrying 16 service members, responded but was shot down. All members of the rescue team and three of four Seals on the ground died. Marcus Luttrell alone survived. Marcus Luttrell, a fierce, 6-foot-5 rancher's son from Texas, lay in the dirt. His face was shredded, his nose broken, three vertebrae cracked from tumbling down a ravine. A Taliban rocket-propelled grenade had ripped off his pants and riddled him with shrapnel. As the helicopters approached, Luttrell, a petty officer first class, turned on his radio. Dirt clogged his throat, leaving him unable to speak. He could hear a pilot: "If you're out there, show yourself." It was June 2005. The United States had just suffered its worst loss of life in Afghanistan since the invasion in 2001. Taliban forces had attacked Luttrell's four-man team on a remote ridge shortly after 1 p.m. on June 28. By day's end, 19 Americans had died. Now U.S. aircraft scoured the hills for survivors. There would be only one. Luttrell's ordeal -- described in exclusive interviews with him and 14 men who helped save him -- is among the more remarkable accounts to emerge from Afghanistan. It has been a dim and distant war, where after 5 1/2 years about 26,000 U.S. troops remain locked in conflict. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?hpid=topnews

11th June 2007, 11:20 PM	#2
davefoc Philosopher Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: orange country, california Posts: 7,266	Thanks for the link. I was surprised they revealed the name of the village that befriended him. It seems like that might lead to a terrible retribution.