Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell Reports: How Liberals Think in War

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The only time a manager should shout or bark out an order demanding instant obedience is if the building is on fire: an emergency.

Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell had a few minutes to make a decision and decided to take a vote. It wasn’t an emergency, just yet.


Get the whole story

Marcus Luttrell:

Lone Survivor

“It was the stupidest, most southern-fried, lamebrained decision I ever made in my life,” Luttrell writes. “I must have been out of my mind. I had actually cast a vote which I knew could sign our death warrant. I’d turned into a (expletive) liberal, a half-assed, no-logic nitwit, all heart, no brain, and the judgment of a jack rabbit.”

Marcus Luttrell tells his story in Lone Survivor and is reported in A war hero from Huntsville rues a decision made in Afghanistan, By FRITZ LANHAM in the Houston Chronicle,

In June 2005, on a barren mountain high in the Taliban-infested Hindu Kush, Luttrell and three fellow Navy SEALs came together to talk.

Their mission — to locate and possibly take out an important Taliban leader hiding in the Afghan village below — had just been compromised.

Three goatherds, one a boy of about 14, had blundered onto their position.

Military discipline is the prompt obediance to orders or the initiation of appropiate action in the absence of orders. In the absence of clear rules of engagement, Marcus Luttrell was on his own. Which is what military officers and civilian managers expect — to make decisions on minimal information.

As they saw it, they had two options: kill the Afghans, or let them go and hope for the best. They let them go.

It’s a decision Luttrell bitterly regrets.

Marcus Luttrell made the decision balancing a possible murder charge — which would have been demanded by the main stream media — with the American lives for which he was responsible.

Within hours, more than 100 Taliban fighters descended on the SEAL team. In the terrible gun battle that followed, Murphy, Axelson and Dietz died. A few miles away, a Taliban grenade brought down a rescue helicopter on its way to help the trapped men, killing all 16 aboard. It was the worst day in the 40-year history of the Navy SEALs.

Marcus Luttrell made the wrong decision. He was thinking like a liberal instead of a military officer.

He reports that Axelson favored killing the goatherds. Dietz was neutral. Murphy and Luttrell voted to let them go.

In war every death of a military service member is a public event. Liberal influence has made difficult decisions nearly impossible to get right. Liberals have put our military in a no-win situation.

Losing is what liberals seem to want.

Dietz_danny_navy_seal_weapon_yoest.jpg

Danny Dietz

SEAL statue creates controversy in Littleton

Sculpture of fallen warrior

to include weapon in hands

City officials said Friday a statue

honoring slain Navy SEAL Danny Dietz

will be erected July 4 despite opposition

from a Littleton group claiming it

glorified violence because he is

depicted holding an automatic rifle.

Above, Dietz poses for a photo

while serving in Afghanistan in 2005.And now these same apparently-self-loathing-liberals do not want a memorial of Navy Seal Dietz with his automatic weapon.

Too violent.

Happy 4th of July.

###

Thank you (foot)notes:

More on Dietz at the jump.

John Howland writes,

just in case there is anyone … who wonder[s] what it takes to be a core combat leader — the first requisite is that you had better be totally prepared to kill — if that makes you uncomfortable, then you are in the wrong place

See Deadly Double Standards in The Wall Street Journal, where DAVID G. BOLGIANO writes,

Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt is a U.S. Marine who served in combat in Haditha, Iraq, and whose actions on the battlefield have made him the focus of an investigation. He is charged with committing three counts of unpremeditated murder on Nov. 19, 2005.

See Marcus Luttrell is “The One” – Sole Surviving Navy SEAL of the Battle of Asadabad at Black Five.


By Lisa Ryckman, Rocky Mountain News April 6, 2007

The site for Danny Dietz’s memorial occupies a corner near the Littleton middle school where he first dreamed of becoming a Navy SEAL.

It’s the right place, his family says, to honor a hero who lived and died for his dream. It’s the wrong place, other parents say, for a statue of a man with a gun.

“No one wants to hurt the family; that’s the last thing we wanted to do,” says Emily Cassidy Fuchs, who objects to the statue’s location in Berry Park, near three schools, two park playgrounds and two day-care facilities.

“It really seems to me the city dropped the ball on this. They’ve lost sight of their responsibility to the community as a whole, including a large group of children.”

“After our experience with Columbine and the clear message of nonviolence that we teach within the Littleton schools – honestly, what are we thinking?” she said.

But Dietz’s widow, Patsy, said Thursday that comparing the guns at Columbine with the weapon in her husband’s hands is like comparing a criminal’s knife with a surgeon’s scalpel.

“One is used to take lives,” she said. “And the other is used to save them.”

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47 Responses

  1. A.J. Squared-Away says:

    Very convenient that the only man in a position to tell the story of what happened finds a convenient scapegoat — a generic group of “liberals,” 10,000 miles away in America — to blame for his having made the wrong decision. They took a vote? This is the military! Officers get paid more to make the tough choices and then take responsibility. Luttrell would love it if Nancy Pelosi or Hillary Clinton had anything remotely to do with with the tragedy that befell his team, but really, all he has done is picked an easy target for the conservative, pro-military demographic at which his book is aimed. (Or was that his ghostwriter, Patrick Robinson?)

  2. I fail to see what connection this has to liberalism.

    He took a vote. The voters decision lead to a very poor outcome. Who gets the blame? Certinly not those who voted to spare the civliians – no, the blame must be laid on all those half-assed, no-logic nitwit, all heart, no brain liberals who encouraged him to think that voting is a good idea. Because there is no way his squad could have made the wrong collective decision.

  3. Tom says:

    Lying, war mongering conservatives placed him in the position of making a liberal decision.

    How ironic.

  4. Jack says:

    Tom, There might be some truth in your observation:

    When conservatives decide,

    The enemy dies.

    When liberals decide,

    Americans die.

    Tom, please don’t make any decisions…

    Thank you for commenting,

    Jack

  5. david says:

    in the first gulf war an SAS team had to make a similar choice and came to the same decision with similar results. This is recounted in the terrific book, Bravo Two Zero. The quip used by the author of the book to explain their decision was “we were the SAS, not the SS” I look forward to reading Lone Survivor.

    BTW: i do not think voting was the issue. I want to say that special forces teams tend to use more group decision making even in field. This is my impression from reading a few books on the topic. Perhaps some one with actual knowledge could confirm or refute

  6. Still noone has explained where liberals come into this.

    The squad had to make a decision, and they chose wrong. Thats all. In what way did ‘liberals’ make this decision? They are just being used as a scapegoat.

    Jack: Nice confirmation bias.

  7. Larry says:

    Concerning the vote – In a typical military situation, the senior man would make the decision. However, since if they had killed the three goatherds, they may have all been up on murder charges, it makes sense that they would have voted.

  8. Ronald says:

    I think it is down-right BS that people can so quickly discount what Luttrell has decided to tell the public. Just because it doesn’t LEAN your way doesn’t make it any less true than any liberal media crack at the military. I think it is his view on how things went down, given the circumstances..he definately desrves to tell it the way he wants to. Do I agree with everything he said?….No. But, I recpect his decision, and hold those who would press criminal charges on a soldier for protecting his brothers in battle and those back home accountable and at fault for their deaths. It sounds as if you care more about taliban goat herders than your own US flesh and blood. IT makes me sick to hear people “jaw” about this crap. Pick up a rifle, and walk in his shoes…then you can talk all you want.

  9. Jack says:

    Larry, Few enjoy your perspective.

    Unfortunately, only one American male in nine has ever been in the armed forces — and this includes the WWII veterans getting in line for the final ride home.

    So few know what it would be like to make a decision that would get your bottom blown off and not just blowing up the bottom line. The former more permanent than the latter.

    The military is a culture separate and apart and Congress (still) understands this. No OSHA, No EEO, No whining.

    No homosexuals, no women in combat.

    Ace of Spades HQ has as its tag line a quote from H.L Mencken,

    “Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.”

    http://ace.mu.nu/

    I would suggest that we live in such times.

    And normal men are responding to these abnormal times.

    Thank you for your comment,

    Jack

  10. Jack says:

    David, more data from the field,

    In response to the news blurb about the Marine who put two rounds (“doubletap”) in a wounded insurgent’s head in Fallujah, here’s a response from a Marine:

    “It’s a safety issue, pure and simple.

    After assaulting through a target, we put a security round in everybody’s head.

    Sorry al-Reuters, there’s no paddy wagon rolling around Fallujah picking up “prisoners” and offering them a hot cup a joe, falafel, and a blanket.

    There’s no time to dick around on the target. You clear the space, dump the chumps, and move on.org.

    Are Corpsman expected to treat wounded terrorists?

    Negative.

    Hey Libs … worried about the defense budget? Well, it would be waste, fraud, and abuse for a Corpsman to expend one man-minute or a battle dressing on a terrorist.

    It’s much cheaper to just spend the $.02 on a 5.56mm FMJ. (Full Metal Jacket)

    By the way, in our view, terrorists who chop off civilian’s heads are not prisoners, they are carcasses.

    Chopping off a civilian’s head is another reason why these idiots are known as “unlawful combatants.” It seems that most of the world’s journalists have forgotten that fact.

    Let me be very clear about this issue. I have looked around the web, and many people get this concept, but there are some stragglers.

    Here is your typical Marine sitrep (situation report): You just took fire from unlawful combatants (no uniform – breaking every Geneva Convention rule there is) shooting from a religious building attempting to use the sanctuary status of their position as protection.

    But you’re in Fallujah now, and the Marine Corps has decided that they’re not playing that game this time. That was Najaf. So you set the mosque on fire and you hose down the terrorists with small arms, launch some AT-4s (Rockets), some 40MM grenades into the building and things quiet down.

    So you run over there, and find some tangos (bad guys) wounded and pretending to be dead. You are aware that suicide martyrdom is like really popular with these idiots, and they think taking some Marines with them would be really cool.

    So you can either risk your life and your fire team’s lives by having them cover you while you bend down and search a guy that you think is pretending to be dead for some reason.

    Most of the time these are the guys with the grenade or vest made of explosives. Also, you don’t know who or what is in the next room.

    You’re already speaking English to the rest of your fire team or squad which lets the terrorist know you are there and you are his enemy.

    You are speaking loud because your hearing is poor from shooting people for several days.

    So you know that there are many other rooms to enter, and that if anyone is still alive in those rooms, they know that Americans are in the mosque.

    Meanwhile (3 seconds later), you still have this terrorist (that was just shooting at you from a mosque) playing possum. What do you do? You double tap his head, and you go to the next room, that’s what!!!

    What about the Geneva Convention and all that Law of Land Warfare stuff? What about it?

    Without even addressing the issues at hand, your first thought should be, “I’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6.”

    Bear in mind that this tactic of double tapping a fallen terrorist is a perpetual mindset that is reinforced by experience on a minute-by-minute basis.

    Secondly, you are fighting an unlawful combatant in a Sanctuary, which is a double No-No on his part.

    Third, tactically you are in no position to take “prisoners” because there are more rooms to search and clear, and the behavior of said terrorist indicates that he is up to no good.

    No good in Fallujah is a very large place and the low end of no good and the high end of no good are fundamentally the same … Marines end up getting hurt or die.

    So there is no compelling reason for you to do anything but double tap this idiot and get on with the mission.

    If you are a veteran, then everything I have just written is self-evident. If you are not a veteran then at least try to put yourself in the situation.

    Remember, in Fallujah there is no yesterday, there is no tomorrow, there is only now. Right NOW. Have you ever lived in NOW for a week?

    It is really, really not easy. If you have never lived in NOW for longer than it takes to finish the big roller coaster at Six Flags, then shut your hole about putting Marines in jail for “War Crimes”.”

    Courtesy John Howland and Don Rockwell at USNA-at-Large.

  11. Kevin Hanley says:

    Nearly anyone can put on a uniform and be called a soldier. Those who choose to become Special Operations professionals are WARRIORS! They more then anyone else understand that war is the suspension of civilization and neat little rules. There are two rules in combat: (1) survival (2) victory

  12. Daylon says:

    I agree with Jack on every point. I would like to also add we should not allow our enemy to take refuge in Pakistan or Iran and not be followed by our troops. War should have no borders when it comes to killing the enemy of the United States. We should also not be afraid to stop these monsters with the use of nuclear weapons. We faced a suicide enemy before called Japan and we had to drop two on them before they quit.

    Good Bless America!!

  13. John Nicklas says:

    Luttrell is correct about the liberal media. Their complaints about this truth only reinforces the validity of it. I would have made the decision the moment they refused to share food with the SEALs. God bless our military.

  14. Todd says:

    They should’ve abandoned the mission from the start. They went in with too few people (4 SEALs vs 150 Taliban?), they left the rope on the ground after landing, and they did not abort the mission after being spotted by enemies.

    To blame ‘libruls’ for a poorly planned mission is the height of scapegoating. He even says in the book that if he’d killed them people would come looking for the herders.

    Not only that but Murphy’s father says his son would not condone those kinds of actions. Sounds like Luttrell is just earning points with the talk radio crowd.

    http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-liseal0613,0,7551760.story?page=1&coll=ny-main-bigpix

  15. Greyson says:

    The ridiculous use of labels indicating liberals love to lose and conservatives are patriotic is just that. Ridiculous. The conservative administration currently in place did not fight in war for this country, but many so called liberals certainly did.

    Additionally, having a heart and compassion certainly does not prevent so called liberals from doing what is necessary, including defending others, doing what is right, and if necessary, killing. Many of my “liberal” friends have served in special ops and combat units, yet reject the greed and selfishness of so many so called “conservatives”. Lets not have to trot out the list of chickenhawks who talk a good game and failed to fight when it was their turn, many who just happened to be…you guessed it….”conservatives”.

  16. JohnC says:

    Hi! Here’s a comment from the outside world, used to be a Ranger but not in your army…

    See, its wrong to kill an unarmed civilian and his unarmed 14-yearold kid not because it would land you before a court marshal.

    Not because it will rip up a sh-tstorm in the media, liberal or not. Not because it would feel like crap when you get home.

    Its simply because killing unarmed civilians is wrong, especially if you’re wearing a uniform. If you cross that border you’ve become the evil you’re trying to fight.

    When you take the Queens shilling you go into harm’s way both eyes open. Luttrel and his team made a joint decision as SF teams do.

    They decided to be soldiers. That decision showed the difference between a soldier and a punk with a gun.

    They fought like soldiers and died like soldiers.

    Hopefully you will all remember their sacrifice.

    JohnC

  17. John F says:

    You liberals can try to shift the blame away from your selves all you want. The fact is you do not believe America is worth fighting for, regardless of “your liberal friends who have served in special ops”. You want to change the USA from the very things that made it great. We are (soon to be were?) the GREATEST nation because we’re DIFFERENT than the rest of the nations in the world. You libs will take the greatness from us. God Bless Luttrell and his friends and all U.S. military who serve and die to give you the right to be wrong. They made decisions I wouldn’t want you to ever have to make. Your bleeding heart would sell out every American. Sorry, I just don’t believe you have what it takes to contribute ideas if you live your life based on emotions and how nice everything should be 24/7. That ain’t life! Stuff happens. Outcome is not always what you wanted. Name me a battle where everything went perfect. I’ll stop now. Thanks, an American cop, JohnF

  18. Chris says:

    What the dumb Democrats on this page don’t get is that the soldiers where in this mess because of the strict rules of engagement that the Democrats have put on them. If they made the right decision they would be alive, but branded as war criminals and held up by the left as such.

    The enemy knows our rules and exploits them because they knew the Left will always back down from what has to be done because they don’t want to hurt anyone. This is war..its either our guys who die or theirs.

  19. Jim says:

    Sadly, we no longer have what it takes in this country to fight and win a war–namely the stomach to commit unabashed brutality. Remember Dresden, Hiroshima, Nagasaki? We had no qualms about killing 100,000 “unarmed civilians” all at once. You cannot occupy a country where foe cannot be distinguished from friend and expect to win unless you are willing to kill civilians, women, children, whoever. Period. You may not like it, but that is the truth. If the liberals in control today were in control in 1941 we would have lost WWII–there is no doubt in my mind. Let the troops win or pull them out now.

  20. Ronni says:

    Having worked in the SPECWAR community, I knew Mike, Danny and Axel on a professional level. They were all three great men, very personable and dedicated. It broke my heart to read the Lone Survivor and really realize how hard they fought and tragically died. I too wish Marcus could go back in time and cast his vote over again. he rules of engagement are clear but unfortunately these ROE are not recognized by the enemy. Therefore their rights are void. How quickly we forget 911 and the televised beheadings. I guess it has to hit everyone close to home (liberals that is) before they get the big picture. These men died fighting to preserve the very freedom used to speak against them. Now thats Ironic!

  21. He wasn’t thinking like a Liberal, he was thinking like a Christian. Time was Christians used to value their faith over their lives. Time was the word “Christian” did not have to be synonymous with Republican in order to be respected as such. Y’all ought to be ashamed of yourselves.

    “p. 205. …We could not possibly turn them loose. But my trouble is, I have another soul. My Christian soul. And it was crowding in on me. Something kept whispering in the back of my mind, it would be wrong to execute these unarmed men in cold blood. And the idea of doing that and then covering our tracks and slinking away like criminals, enying everything, would make it more wrong.”

  22. dad says:

    operation patriot isn’t a war. y’all no nothing of war. war is when the fight is desperate and winning is the only objective. not peace. you’re all a great example of disfunctional selfish no it alls that would lose in real battle. jeez, even got a crybaby cop leading the wimper. pathetic leadership badgeboy. in real war, there are no considerations and no room for crybabies.

  23. Theresa says:

    I just finished reading Lone Survivor and I now understand why my dad would never talk to use girls about the war. War is not pretty, but necessary. Soldiers have to be able to make decisons in a moment that could ultimately end their lives. The military teaches them to be objective and eyes on the mission. But they are human too and sadly it cost the lives of some of best and brightest soldiers.

  24. robert says:

    For those who say their choice had nothing to do with liberal influence are blind, and there are none so blind as those who will not see. Luttrell spelled it out, if it is not seen it is because it is refused to be seen. That being said, I question why they let they just didn’t let the 3 go and abort the mission I know the radio was out but Murphy had a cell that worked in a more difficult place than where he ended up usin it, costing his life. Also Atleast Luttrell had an aditional emergency radio, use it! These men were all heroic that almost make me say Audie who?! The real elephant in the room is that the “libs” dispise the military esp. the Spec. Force because they are a bastion of conservatism. And from as may Taliban as only 4 of Team 10 eliminated, that is scary power, the libs secretly fear that power could be used against them someday, I gather because that is how they would use it given the chance. They have infiltrated nearly everything else, colleges, news, movies, and push there agenda in doing it. Nearly the last major obsticle is our nations military. God Bless’m!

    Robert in sunny CA.

  25. John F says:

    To “dad” Sept 1: Sounds like you would fight a war for nothing more than wars sake. THAT’S pathetic. You say “in real war there are no considerations and no room for crybabies”??? When did that ever happen? Name a real war then. I believe your confusing war with combat. Combat can be desperate and winning IS the objective. If you war with no objective other than winning then your probably the bad guy. And what does “pathetic leadership badgeboy even mean”? Do you hate cops?

  26. Jay says:

    The very “cilvilians” they let go probably came back in the group of 100 taliban with ak47’s and rpg’s to kill them. I know I’m an armchair quarterback but if anyone is ever in that situation again hopefully they’ve updated procedures on how to deal with so called cilvilians. From what Marcus said in some interview was an “on the spot type of call” depending on many factors with what to do if people compromised them. Now if you’re fighting a uniformed enemy it would have been an easy call to let them go. I guess you couldn’t technically hold them hostage because of the ROE’s but until they came in contact with base I don’t think they should have let them go even if it tooks hours. I believe it stated they had no rope to tie them up and couldn’t establish radio contact at the time, so would anyone else have made them sit and wait until they finally did come in contact with base. Then just incase their peers came looking for them with ak’s they could use the three of them as hostages and hopefully the rest of the taliban wouldn’t be stupid enough to sacrifice their own men to kills our four SEALs.

  27. Ryan Conley says:

    I’m amazed by the effrontery of the people that want to make this bloody heroism take a back seat to Luttrell’s political viewpoint. He’s a staunch conservative and understands the wrath he’d recieve from the left when coming home. He’d come home stripped of honor and called a murderer. Why does it matter how he called it?

  28. Ryan says:

    “It’s not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause, who, if he wins knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knows neither victory nor defeat.”

  29. Thomas Fortenberry says:

    Luttrell admitted he made a mistake that got his fellow Seals killed. We have a country because of people like him.

    Why are Liberals NEVER wrong?

  30. Justin says:

    It is amazing how much this war resembles Vietnam. A war where the enemies are mixed in and hide behind the women and children. A war based on outdated Rules of Engagement that can no longer effectively apply. A war that is not black and white and simple all over. Where politics and liberalism were the ultimate downfall of that war and will be in this one if something is not done. This war might end like that war. The liberals pressured us out of Vietnam and it was taken over by communism. Millions of South Vietnam and U.S. supporters died in the years following the pull out. The country is now a third world slum with sickness and poverty and probably will always be that way. All because we pulled out to soon and didnt stay to finish the fight and get the South Vietnamese on their feet. Sound fimiliar? I just thought that was an interesting flashback. Unfortunately the fall of Iraq will have much more fatal consequences to the rest of the world than little old Vietnam.

    On a different note I think it is shameful that these liberal families protested that a statue of a fallen soldier not be put up because he is holding his rifle in his hand! They said it would have a bad impact on the children in the area who would see it. that it will provoke more gun violence in schools!? Are you kidding me? Unless these children dont own TVs they are not being exposed to anymore violence than what they already see. How many statues are there throughout the United States that depict a soldier and his rifle? Why dont the liberals take down all those other “violent” statues also! I know there will be a lot of memorials in D.C. that will become very bare. There is nothing violent about a statue of a fallen Navy SEAL, a fallen hero, a fallen patriot. This man gave his life defending his country and should be honored in the way he would want to be honored. All this because he is holding the tool that gave this country its freedom and has been defending it since its birth! Liberals dont know the meaning of the word patriotism. If they were in control we would have no country right now. We would be stomped on by countries that would not fear us as a threat. God would want nothing more than peace in the world but i think he knows that is not going to happen and I think he knows that blood will be spilled to protect the innocent and I know that Danny Dietz, Mike Murphy and Matt Axelson were greeted with open arms when they arrived at the Gates of Heaven. because they died doing what was right and just, they died defending the innocent and doing what they knew was right. God Bless our fallen soldiers and may God pity those who think our country could ever fall to its knees.

    “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” – Edmund Burke

  31. John Manning says:

    Marcus will be in my prayers for the rest of my life.

  32. Larry says:

    I read Lutrell’s book. That decision on whether to kill or free the goat herders was not as black and white as one would think. Had they eliminated the goat herders, then a large herd of goats would have wondered back down the mountain to their village sans any herders? Then what. Had they tied up or drugged the herders with Ambien or something like that; same result. A herd of goats rolling back into town w out the three herders. Either situation spawning a massive response in terms of a Taliban force out on recon to see what happened.

  33. Brian says:

    What is most striking about these responses, how quickly both sides want to spin Lutrell for a political agenda. It’s Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman all over again. The right argues the left hates the troops, never passing up an opportunity to prove this through arguing situation realities as all encompassing fact and irrefutable fact. When I read the review what most impressed was those native to the culture risking their life to save Mr. Lutrell at great personal cost.

    I found this site while considering to purchase the book and in all honesty these responses force me to conclude that Mr. Lutrell and his service has been reduced to nothing more then political backwash. It would seem that the right while using men like Mr. Lutrell fail to consider the collateral damage of combat. They praise the brutality and condemn the critics spinning bold faced lies with no intention of considering the reality of their critics. It would seem some have an inability to separate their politics from a soldiers reality and no moral conviction challenging them to do otherwise.

    Let me add I think it shameful that some would use Mr. Luttrell and his experience to argue their political platform. His experience is one of many and his view one of many. The difference is he lived to find the words but if he has politicized his story his does a gross disservice to those not afforded that luxury. He was not the only man who voted not to kill but he was the only man left alive and for him to leverage that is shameful but even more shameful are those who’d read their bias into his words and use them to win a point.

    A soldier is not about politics but sadly most are the victim of politics.

  34. Steven says:

    I agree with Marcus. I am a 16 year old high school student. I want to be a Navy SEAL after I join the Marines. I believe that it’s sick that people would press charges on soldiers who do what is decided at a heartbeat. Everyone always says that if they were in that position I’d take more time to think about it. Well if you think in a war zone then you end up getting shot. I don’t agree with killing innocent civilians, but how are you supposed to tell who’s a civilian or who’s an enemy out there. This war isn’t like WW2 when the bad guys were dressed in different uniforms. This is a war when sick people dress as civilians and use crowds of people as shields and then take shots at soldiers. The cowards even send women to be martyrs because we have rules of engagement. If you gave some Taliban soldier chance to shoot an American house wife he wouldn’t second guess himself.

    We need to realize that war is no longer black and white or good vs. bad. It has become much more complicated then that. And when you accuse a soldier of doing the wrong thing when he had his life on the line and only a second to choose then you are a coward. Don’t tell them how to do their jobs when they volunteer to do what you won’t.

  35. Chris says:

    The man made a decision with his men. The decision happened to be wrong. In this type of war, if you suspect that someone will stab you in the back, they will. Liberals are at fault for tampering with our ROE and creating his moral dilemma. As a soldier and a leader, I have on many occasion, when time permitted as it did here, asked their opinion on how something should be done, in and out of combat. They were a team of Navy SEALS, one of the most elite fighting groups in existence, all trained to make these types of decisions…

    Secondly, for a group of sissy liberals to complain about a war memorial for one of our fallen brothers is disgusting. They are commiting atrocious crimes against America and hiding behind the First Amendment. Apparently it’s okay to drain the economy by providing free health care to illegals and it’s okay condone homosexuality on television, but we can’t honor a Hero? Sad….

  36. Matt Melhado says:

    For those of you questioning what their vote had to do with liberals, it had everything to do with them. When they voted, they were concerned about being brought up on murder charges back home–mostly by… dun dun dun… liberals.

  37. michael d says:

    If this would have been a george bush, john kerry seal team…guess who would have been there? (HINT- not gw) to blame liberals for all of this…what a f’n joke. The seal team totally blew it by JUST LETTING THOSE GUYS GO!! There were plenty more options than the ones Luttrell spoke of. I am not and would not speak for those guys, we all know situation dictates, but obvious mistakes were made by the team, and blaming liberals is ridiculous! When Luttrell grows up and realizes that ALL politicians have a hand in war, and that God has nothing to do with any of it, he will be embarrassed by the BS propoganda literature he produced.

  38. NAVET Cook says:

    I think this discourse is a partial victory…

    1st for our enemies like the Taliban, that are succeeding at dividing us, the U.S., over issues that have little bearing on what really matters.

    We were attacked. We were drawn into this war. War is never the best solution, but it was the choice of the enemy, not ours.

    2nd and most importantly, it is a victory for the fallen comrades of Luttrell and every American who has sacrificed their lives for the freedom to have ideological exchanges as this without worry or fear.

    “If we take the generally accepted definition of bravery as a quality which knows no fear, then I have never seen a brave man. All men are frightened. And the more intelligent they are, the more they are frightened. But we know it’s better to die fighting for something, than to live for nothing. And it is foolish and wrong to mourn those men who have died. Rather we should thank God daily, that such men lived.” – George S. Patton

    The men of SEAL Team 10 are and should always be remembered as heroes, Luttrell included. What Luttrell has to live with every day are the consequences of being a man of honor, a Navy Seal.

    And honor in the face of evil cost these men their lives, as it has obviously even cost Luttrell. But that is exactly what makes them and their actions so honorable. So Petty Officer Luttrell has earned his right to lament. And he has earned the right for us to banter on about political agendas.

    But our prayers should ever be for these brave men, whom bear such grave burdens.

  39. Ron Stewart says:

    Mr. Lutrell and his Navy Seal teammates are to be commended for their bravery and loyalty to our country. I found his story regarding the events of peration Red Wing eye opening. He has reached his liberal audience in me. Fortunately I do not share the hatred or place the blame on others or him. What happened, happened for a reason. It will take someone like Mr. Lutrell to show compassion like he did for the Afghan “doctor” who helped him in the village. Mr. Lutrell is a good man who has done tremendous things for his country and fellow seals. Let’s not get lost in his words (hatred of Muslims in general). Rather, lets look at his actions. His actions are worthy of respect.

  40. Jack Yoest says:

    Ron, Every death in the military is a public event and is worthly of public scrutiny. This is where military management differs from civilian management.

    All of management is a batting average — no baseball player bats a 1,000 — management is not perfection. A .300 batter is a star. A manager will get about half of his decisions right.

    Luttrell’s decisions should be viewed thru this non-perfection management lense. Event if the price of failure is the death of dozens of US soldiers.

    Luttrell’s decision should be accepted as the perogative of the decision maker in the fog of war. He should be criticized — not for the unnessary US deaths — but, as he says in his own words, the factors that when into his decision that were not battlefield related.

    There are three L’s that are destroying American’s will to defend ourselves:

    LIberals,

    Love,

    Lawyers,

    Liberals loathe the military as Bill Clinton reminded us, and will keep the miltary underfunded.

    Love, with the injection of sexuality into the ranks — both from women and homosexuals — is destroying unit cohesion.

    And finally, Lawyers. Lutrell was less worried about the goatherders being Taliban as he was about Lawyers second guessing his judgement on the battlefield. This was an unnecessary distraction that, as Lutrell said, caused him to think like a liberal.

    This thinking caused the unessary deaths of US troops, and this is what bothers Luttrell and is what is hurting the country and our war efforts.

    Luttrell, a warrior, was more afraid of a US lawyer that the terrorist Taliban.

    A vote for Obama is a vote for more lawyers seeing action(able offenses) on the battlefield. Vote for John McCain for common sense in our military and our war with jihadists.

  41. chris murray says:

    I think it would be a good idea, as part of a lawyers degree to serve in the military and really see what some of our proud soldiers do to (realistically) protect Americans rights.Even those who exploit the system and talk trash against this great nation. May God bless all those who serve and thier families. Thank you.

    And for the lawyers, well…

  42. Lauren says:

    In regards to your article “Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell Reports: How Liberals Think in War”

    I have only one request…

    I was given the opprotunity to shake hands and even hug Marcus Luttrell at the Texas Women’s Conference held in Houston, Tx not too long ago. I’m not sure what I told the man, but I know that I didn’t say what I had hoped to…I don’t know if you folks have anyway to contact him, lord knows I haven’t had any luck, but if by any chance you do, do me a huge favor..just tell him all little Lauren from H-town wanted to say was, “thank you”. From the bottom of my heart, his story touched me unlike anything else. He is an amazing man, and I will forever feel honored to know his story.

  43. Rob says:

    I read the book “Lone Survivor”. It was very inspiring – exclusive of any military theme – to experience the devotion to country and principles that all of these men had. Luttrell and all of the fallen members of Seal Team 10 are true heroes. Where “Liberals” came into the scenario (according to Luttrell) for those who post here with no knowledge of what he wrote, is that these soldiers were OFTEN faced with the irrational condemnation of their sometimes unsavory but necessary actions by the liberal press and politicians – neither of which have any concept of military realities … or (as I interpreted) true patriotism. Thank you Marcus for sharing this story.

  44. Matt says:

    Hey Todd, you’re an idiot. Poorly Planned Mission? These guys carried out dozens of other missions successfully prior to this one. Only 4 SEALS vs. 150 Taliban? The standard SEAL Recon mission consists of 4 guys because they can maintain stealth better…not to mention it was more like 200 and they killed over 130 of them. The decision is “liberal” because the “liberals” who write the rules of engagement don’t understand that treating people like this as “unarmed civilians” will certainly lead to your death when they go tell the armed ones where you are. It’s LIBERALS who want to cut the defense budget by 25% and leave our troops in Iraq to be slaughtered when they aren’t lucky enough to be on the first planes home. Next time you feel like shooting your mouth off, read the facts and don’t pontificate like a nit-wit.

  45. Sean R. Varner says:

    I am humbled by these brave men whom risk their lives on a daily basis to preserve our freedoms. I am deeply appreciative of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for freedoms cause. God Bless America, and the Navy Seal Teams!!!!

  46. Kim Staats says:

    I have just finished reading Petty Oficer, Fist Class’ acount on the battle on Murphy Hill and I guess I would find much more empathy. Has the entire country donned a uniform and followed orders, laying their life down for their brothers and for their country.

    These men did. And for that alone, he desreves more than a modicum of respect by all that live in this great country of ours.

    How many of us have made a decision in a splt second that may cost lives?

    The only comperable expereance I have my self is being a paramedic, but trust me I rarely had someone shooting at me.

    Trust me Marcus Lutrell is a true hero and deserves that repect. If that is’t your opinion, then pick up a gun, go to a strange place against men who have been fighting this way for generations

    Let us to never forget the lives that we lost that day, and the lives of the Seal teem sent to extract those men from an inpossible situation. Marcus Lutrell is a true hero.

    Those of you thinking differently have no business saluting the flag or getting all choked up hearing our National Anthem. This country

    was built on the backbone of men following orders.

    Shame on those who feel we should not be thanking him for his service.

    Roger that…out

  47. Mark Howard says:

    I would have done the same thing: Everyone wants innocent people protected. If you did nothing wrong- you should be unharmed. These locals walked into their (SEAL’s) position. Then you play the Statistics game to eliminate the chances of failure. The more people involved and legitimately trained to make decisions-The better the outcome. And the fact that it was their own asses on the line- gave them the right to vote. Theses are America sailors. This is what can happen when you try to save -innocent lives in war. But they made a decision on unknowingly inaccurate info. The civilians blew their cover and people got killed. Your chances are 50/50. They will tell- or they wont tell. Three Sailors /Brave and Honorable Men died- and three men and a child lived. But How many terrorists did these brave men remove off of the face of the earth before they bravely died? I hope many.

    Axelson, Dietz, Murphy- I will not forget you.

    As far as the Dog incident- What kind of people – drive around WITH WEAPONS IN THE CAR- and shoot peoples animals on their own property? And to top it all- Im sure if they had been MAN enough to put down their weapons-Their were FOUR OF THESE TOUGH GANGSTERS WITH GUNS!! Marcus would have happily curb-stomped these *&^^%$&^%$^%$ wanna-be Gang Bangers and hurt them bad. On top of the fact that these punks openly threatened his life!!! with a weapon!! We dont need people like this here in this nation. PUNKS, thugs, Gang-Banger’s. It was his training that kept these idiots alive! If they would have shot at him- I would have put a round through the shooters head. And the rest -ACCOMPLICES. You get a GO TO JAIL CARD- unfortunately- It isn’t free- It cost taxpayers money.

    I am SO PROUD THAT MARCUS STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE AND hunted these jerks down. They did not get away. And like so many other pansy asses in this country who are too afraid or lazy to stand up for your rights- Marcus stood up for all of our rights to get a few more pieces of -I wont even use dirt- its too clean a word. A few more intentionally criminal people off OUR STREETS!! Mr. Luttrell- Anything you need you can call on me. I would of liked to have been there to help.

    I am not a big pet person. I am not a big gun owner. But the simple fact of what the dog stood for-and the fact that these types of people are roaming the streets- I am honored to call Mr. Luttrell a friend and a true patriot. He chased a few more TERRORISTS down right here in our own country!!! That’s what Gang Members are!!! Lets go after them ALL! Lets make it a CRIME to be part of a criminally active GANG. If an organization is a CRIME INCUBATOR- lets SHUT IT DOWN! AND ship the Gang-Banger’s to Afghanistan and Somalia. They would fit right in don’t you think?