Lone Survivor......

Is the title of a book by Texan and former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell. It is the story of Operation Redwing, a recon operation in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan that went terribly wrong. Of the 4-man team sent to watch a Taliban commander, only Marcus survived. It is an amazing story of Hollywood proportions except that it is true. The first half of the book chronicles his journey of becoming a SEAL. His twin brother and he began training when they were 14 with a former Green Beret, Billy Shelton, who lived nearby.

Once in place, the foursomes' position is discovered by 2 adult goat herders and a teenage boy. The group secures the men and debates whether they should kill the men on the spot or let them go. He calls his decision to let them go, ""It was the stupidest, most Southern-fried, lame-brained decision I ever made in my life to vote to let them go ... I actually cast a vote that I knew would sign our death warrant." Marcus doesn't think much of he rules of engagement crafted by lawyers at a desk in Washington. He knew the goat herder's would tell the Taliban where they were. It is not as if those nomads see camouflaged Americans armed with guns in the mountains everyday. They ultimately voted to let them go and about an hour later a size able Taliban force attacks them, killing Marcus's three teammates including his best friend and 16 servicemen in a rescue helicopter.(see more video of Marcus)

Wounded, almost dehydrated and still being chased by the Taliban, Marcus is found by a local Pashto tribe. After deliberating the tribe decides to take him in. Meaning their village will defend him to the death and they do. He is taken in, fed, dressed in Afghan clothes. The Taliban watched the village and even threatened to kill the wife and children of Gulab, the son of the village elder whom is Marcus's personal protector.

I have given away enough of the plot already. Let me just say that it is a painful tale of heroes, families and friendships, and sacrifice on the American and Afghan sides. It is similar to Operation Anaconda, though not as technical. "Lone Survivor" is told through Marcus's eyes with more heart than Anaconda. It is clear that Marcus wanted this book to be an homage to his fallen friends. A fast read. Once you start it is hard to put down even though you know the plot and that bad things are happening. "Lone Survivor' has very few pictures of Marcus. The majority of the pictures are of his friends,fallen comrades and their families. These pictures put faces on the brutal details Marcus describes, which is not always easy to take. Marcus and his team are real American heroes. see Washington Post article.

*UPDATE*- Here is an article about Marcus and the arbitrary nature of the ROE, "Death by rules of engagement."

*UPDATE*- Lt. Michael P. Murphy, Marcus's team leader and friend to be awarded the Medal of Honor, the first person to be awarded the Medal of Honor for the Afghanistan campaign and the first SEAL since Vietnam. Murphy is a native of Long Island, NY. Guess which paper was too busy kissing Al Gore's a** to even mention his honor. Murphy should have the Nobel Prize.

The three other members of Murphy's team -- Matthew Axelson, 25, and Danny Dietz, 31, who were both killed, and Marcus Luttrell, 32 -- have each been awarded the Navy Cross, second only to the Medal of Honor.