Leading Petty Officer Marcus Lutrell and four teammates from SEAL Team Four went on a covert operation into the mountains of Afghanistan where they encountered two adult men and a teenage boy. Rather than kill them–and prevent any chance the villagers would betray their presence to the local Taliban–Lutrell opted to let them go.
An hour later, that turned out to be a deadly mistake. The Team was attacked by 150 Taliban. They killed one hundred, but at the cost of every SEAL save Lutrell. He was left injured and far from American rescuers.
Now retired from the SEALs, he is an in-demand motivational speaker. I came across an amazing video of one of his speeches to the National Rifle Association. Not sure you want to invest 13 minutes in the ramblings of an under-dressed ex-Special Forces redneck? Start with these quotes, taken directly from his presentation:
In my short ten year career, I’ve been shot, stabbed, blown up, helicopter crashed, drowned three times, had a stroke underwater, captured by the enemy, and buried 45 of my closest friends
You can’t negotiate with someone who is trying to cut your head off
I was paralyzed from the waist down (he and 3 SEALs had fought off 150 Taliban for hours—he was the Lone Survivor) and I thought, What am I going to do now?
We aren’t heroes out their in the military. We’re just Patriots.
I sat there and felt sorry for myself for one minute, then I had to keep going
Any government that thinks war is somehow fair and subject to rules like a baseball game probably should not get into one. Because nothing’s fair in war, and occasionally the wrong people do get killed. (I confess–this is from the book)
Once you send me over there, take the leash off of me, I’m going to create so much hell, do everything I can to annihilate everything in front of me so that they are never going to attack us again
We’re getting it done.
Click here to go to the source.
[…] the rest here: Marcus Lutrell Great Quotes: the Lone Survivor « USNA or Bust! By admin | category: great quotes | tags: afghanistan, lutrell-leading, marcus, […]
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By: Marcus Lutrell Great Quotes: the Lone Survivor « USNA or Bust! Quote Me on December 29, 2009
at 7:17 pm
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Gold Country FNRA, Jacqui Murray. Jacqui Murray said: Marcus Lutrell: the Lone Survivor You can’t negotiate with someone who is trying to cut your head off http://bit.ly/8czskE via @AddToAny […]
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By: Tweets that mention Marcus Lutrell Great Quotes: the Lone Survivor « USNA or Bust! -- Topsy.com on December 29, 2009
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By: Top Ten Books About the Military « USNA or Bust! on April 30, 2010
at 10:05 pm
USN HM2 (SEAL) Marcus Luttrell was a Corpsman, not in charge of the unit to which he was deployed. LT Michael Murphy, recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions in that action, was commander. Nor is Mr. Luttrell paralyzed.
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By: Alexander Osborn on May 29, 2010
at 3:23 pm
Thanks for the corrections, Alexander. Leader or not of the SEALs, Marcus Luttrell sure speaks what many of us think.
Come back and visit again.
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By: worddreams on May 29, 2010
at 3:39 pm
lone survivor is amazing, i have been search for a long time this information thank
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