| Marcus Luttrell |
| Full name |
Marcus Alan Luttrell |
| Names earned |
The One, The Lone Survivor |
| Nickname |
Southern Boy
|
| Profession |
Former United States Navy SEALs operative, Social Worker, Author, Entrepreneur |
| Known for |
• Being the only survivor of SEAL Team 10 that took part in Operation Red Wings (2005) in Afghanistan
• Being the author of Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 (2007)
|
| Marcus Luttrell Physical Stats & More |
| Height |
in centimeters- 196 cm
in meters- 1.96 m
in feet & inches- 6’ 5”
|
| Weight |
in kilograms- 90 kg
in pounds- 198 lbs
|
| Eye Colour |
Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour |
Black |
| Marcus Luttrell Military Career |
| Service/Branch |
United States Navy |
| Rank |
Petty Officer First Class |
| US Navy SEALs Teams |
• SEAL Team 5
• SEAL Team 10
• SDV Team 1
|
| Service Years |
March 1999 - 2009 |
| Military Decorations |
• Navy Cross (2007)
• Bronze Star with “V” device
• Purple Heart
• Navy Commendation Medal
• Army Commendation Medal with 2 Oak leaf clusters
• Navy Achievement Medal with 4 5/16 inch stars
• Army Achievement Medal
• Navy Presidential Unit Citation
• Navy Unit Commendation
• Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
• Navy Good Conduct Medal with 1 Service star
• National Defense Service Medal
• Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 1 Campaign star
• Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 Campaign stars
|
| Marcus Luttrell Personal Life |
| Date of Birth |
7 November 1975 (Friday) |
| Age |
50 Years |
| Birthplace |
Houston, Texas, United States of America |
| Zodiac sign |
Scorpio |
| Nationality |
American |
| Hometown |
Houston, Texas, United States of America |
| School |
Willis High School, Texas |
| College/University |
Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas |
| Educational Qualification |
He left the Sam Houston State University in 1998 to serve in the US Navy. |
| Religion |
Christianity |
| Food Habit |
Non-vegetarian
|
| Political Inclination |
Republican Party |
| Address |
House number 28712, Lakeside Grn, Magnolia, TX 77355, United States of America |
| Tattoo |
• He got many tattoos inked on both of his arms.
• He got Never Forget and the date of the Operation Red Wings "6-28-2005" inked on one of his biceps.
|
| Controversies |
The discussion regarding the precise count of Taliban combatants
After Operation Red Wings ended, Marcus submitted a post-operation report detailing the events and claimed that his team came under intense attack from 35 to 40 Taliban fighters. However, in his book, Lone Survivor, he mentioned that the team was attacked by a larger group of 80 to 200 Taliban fighters and that the team was able to neutralize more than a dozen of them. In January 2011, the Marine Corps Gazette reported that, according to military intelligence, members of SEAL Team 10 engaged in a firefight with around 10 to 20 Taliban fighters. The United States Navy's Medal of Honor citation for Lt. Michael P. Murphy, who was commander of the SEAL Team 10, stated that his team was ambushed by 30 to 40 enemy fighters. Ed Darack disagreed with Luttrell's claims and wrote in his book Victory Point: Operations Red Wings and Whalers that the Taliban group had around 8 to 10 members. Darack's estimate was formed after gathering information from intelligence reports, aerial and ground observations, accounts from rescuers, and Afghan intelligence, all collected after the events occurred. A former Colonel in the US Marine Corps who was part of the planning for Operation Red Wings, Andrew MacMannis, refuted Luttrell's claims of killing more than a dozen of Talibani terrorists and said that the soldiers searching the mountains after the ambush did not find any dead Taliban terrorists.
Luttrell's book, Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10, mentions that Lieutenant Murphy contemplated shooting the Afghan herders who unexpectedly crossed paths with the SEAL reconnaissance team in June 2005. Nevertheless, his assertion has received strong backlash and has been widely discredited as a fictionalized account. Lieutenant Steve Ruh, a spokesperson for the Navy Special Warfare Command, emphasized that the highest-ranking individual holds the ultimate authority to make decisions in the field. He further stated that he had never encountered or heard of a situation where a decision was subjected to a vote during his 14 years of experience in the Navy. Lt Murphy's father also voiced his disapproval of Luttrell's claims. Murphy's father, while giving an interview, said,
"That directly contradicts what he told Maureen, myself and Michael’s brother John in my kitchen. He said that Michael was adamant that the civilians were going to be released, that he wasn’t going to kill innocent people … Michael would not put that up for a committee. People who knew Michael know that he was decisive and that he makes decisions.”
Luttrell's book mentioned that he ran out of ammunition during the ambush. However, Mohammad Gulab contradicted this statement by saying that when he found Marcus, he still had plenty of ammunition. Gulab also disputed Marcus' assertion that the goat herders had informed the Taliban about the SEALs' location and said,
"The militants, like many others in the area, heard the helicopter drop the Americans on the mountain, Gulab claims. The next morning, they began searching for the SEAL’s distinctive footprints. When the militants finally found them, the Americans were deliberating about what to do with the goat herders. The insurgents held back. After Marcus Luttrell and the company freed the locals, the gunmen waited for the right moment to strike."
Gulab revealed additional information that during a televised interview, a translator advised him not to express his own viewpoint and encouraged him to endorse all of Marcus' statements.
|
| Marcus Luttrell Relationships & More |
| Marital Status |
Married |
| Affairs/Girlfriends |
Melanie Juneau Luttrell (founder of Texas-based Root & Roux)
Note: While serving in the US Navy SEALs, Marcus met Melanie.
|
| Marriage Date |
27 November 2010 |
| Marcus Luttrell Family |
| Wife/Spouse |
Melanie Juneau Luttrell (founder of Texas-based Root & Roux)
|
| Children |
Son- 2
• Axe Luttrell (named after Marcus' deceased friend Matthew Axelson who died during Operation Red Wings)
• Hunter Juneau (stepson; businessman)
Daughter- 1
• Addie Luttrell
|
| Parents |
Father- David Luttrell (passed away due to cancer; Vietnam War veteran, businessman)
Mother- Holly Luttrell
|
| Siblings |
Brother- Morgan Luttrell (former US Navy SEAL lieutenant, politician)
Note: During the Donald Trump administration, Morgan assumed the role of advisor to Energy Secretary Rick Perry. On 8 November 2022, he was elected as a representative for Texas's 8th congressional district in Congress.
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