This was payback time for the World Trade Center. And I learned to stay right on top of my game all of the time in order to deal with it. Matthew Axelson and three other members of a Navy SEAL reconnaissance team were the tip of a U.S. military spear aimed at the heart of Taliban militia activities in the vast mountain range along Afghanistans border with Pakistan. They did a good job of showing what someone dying sounds like. Axelsons body was eventually found a mile from his comrades, and based on the number of ammunition magazines he carried, the after-action report by the Navy suggests he kept fighting after being wounded multiple times. At ?rst, this slightly irritated me; you know, telling a much junior guy what you want done, and it turns out he's already done it. Joe Rogan has revealed why his podcast episode with Navy SEAL and "Lone Survivor" inspiration Marcus Luttrell ended so abruptly after a bathroom break. Sound, the source of both the film's Oscar nominations, is a big part of the film and the powerful mix . The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. That was Matt Axelson, nickname Axe. Suh was part of a dedicated Naval Special Warfare team fighting the Taliban, a fundamentalist regime that a U.S.-led coalition knocked from power in Afghanistan in 2001, but has continued to conduct guerilla operations, particularly along the Pakistan border. It happened all the time. For example, Luttrell didnt flatline, Shah probably wasnt a member of al Qaeda, and the final battle depicted in the film never happened. Of course he did. Most of those big military coups, like the elimination of Saddam's sons and the capture of Saddam himself, were the result of military intel. You know that feeling when you're playing a first-person shooter and you just can't get past a certain point? It all causes your senses to go up tenfold, as you move quietly, stealthily through the shadows, using the dead space, the areas into which your enemy cannot see. Solomon Suh, who moved in with his daughters family after his sons death, used to drive down from Benicia on Sundays and spend the day with the bronze likeness of his son, who was 28 when he died, occasionally reading to him from the Bible. He was a skateboarder and surfer whom Marcus considered his protege. As a child, he already knew what he wanted - to become a Navy SEAL, a member of the elite special operations unit that was the cream of the US military. The guys who traveled from Bahrain with me were remarkably diverse, even by SEAL standards. Senior ______________ was a 37-year-old man who was married and had seven children. Lt. Murphys Medal of Honor citation: 30-40 fighters. Those guys couldn't even spell it. If I told that story to any SEAL in our platoon, withheld the name, and then asked who said it, everyone would guess Mikey. It wasn't until the very end, when the photos of the real soldiers were shown that I felt genuine emotion. He was usually not that dif?cult to ?nd. The pure clarity of purpose was inspirational to us. Highly respected commanding officer in SEAL Team Two. That's what we were taught, out there in the absolute front line of U.S. military might. I can say from ?rsthand experience that those rules of engagement cost the lives of three of the ?nest U.S. Navy SEALs who have ever served. It was difficult for Marcus to relate to him since their personalities were so different, but he knew the young man was super-smart. In the book, the Rangers find Luttrell in the forest as he and Gulab walk back to the village after Gulab spoke with Ahmad Shah. It was brutal but helped prepare him. Brutal, no mercy. Our particular unit was situated on the south side of the capital city of Manama, way up in the northeast corner of the island. Veteran and military casualties from every one of the nation's wars are buried at the cemetery, from the Civil War to the things in Afghanistan and Iraq. None of which had the slightest bearing on our mission, which was to help root out and if necessary destroy what little opposition was left and then help with the search for weapons of mass destruction. I knew what was going to happen to the helicopter, but Berg did a wonderful job of making me want to believe that they were saved. He spent hours on it, some Web site called MySpace, always keeping in touch with his friends: Hey, dude, howya been? Over 5 days, the men who want to be SEALs will run, swim, carry boats, tread in freezing water, crawl through sand, and more. We do what's necessary. And there's a whole code of conduct to remember when you ?nally catch up with him. A Rogan fan wrote on Reddit, It sure ended abruptly, where is the rest? Another said, joerogan what happened to the end of the @MarcusLuttrell podcast on @SpotifyUSA mid run and hes still on a piss break lol! All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. For his nearest and dearest, he used a particularly large gift shop, otherwise known as the U.S. highway system. Finally I saw him splashing through the water about four hundred yards offshore. Axe was a tall (6'4"), quiet man who was very smart. Murphy, Dietz, and Axelson were killed. It was about me getting my a** whipped. It made her miss James more being around the guys and not having him there, says her husband, Chris. I think I would have enjoyed a documentary on the subject more than this . And you should have seen his traveling bag. Suh worked to help ensure al Qaeda terrorists could not train in, nor launch strikes from Afghanistan since their lethal attack on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001.James Suh was a U.S.-born citizen of Korean immigrants. (Though theres a difference there, too: In the film, Gulab stays behind after Luttrell leaves. Every time. So I went over to them and said, Hi! As a gamer and a vet, that's a fantastic way to describe it. Probably not. At first distrustful of any local, he ends up being aided 'like a neighbor' just as Jesus instructed us to be to all men as in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Honestly that was some of the worst quick scoping I've seen in a long time. Marcus received his Trident on January 31, 2002, then went on to communication school then __________ at Camp Pendleton. I loved talking to him because of how much he knew. Healy. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. I learned precisely how seditious and cunning an enemy could be. We loaded and stowed our essential equipment: heavy weaps (machine guns), M4 ri?es, SIG-Sauer 9mm pistols, pigstickers (combat knives), ammunition belts, grenades, medical and communication gear. Here's a typical exchange between us, petty of?cer team leader to commissioned SEAL of?cer: "Mikey, you smell like s**t, for Christ's sake. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? This is a shoulder-fired, anti-tank weapon system that fires rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. However, from the standpoint of the U.S. combat soldier, Ranger, SEAL, Green Beret, or whatever, those ROE represent a very serious conundrum. First thing he'd say was "Hey, hey, not me. We began our long ocean crossing somewhere down there, north of Muscat, close to the Tropic of Cancer. The rest of us settled back into seats that were also made of netting. He also found Luttrell with seven unused clips. Spotify This was the central figure's best friend in the Afghan village. It seemed no matter what we did, no matter how many of these nuts we rounded up, how much explosive, bombs, or weapons we located, there was always more. Although these city houses were mostly two-story, Iraqis tend to sleep downstairs, all of them crowded together in the living room. Outside we usually had three or four SEALs patrolling wide, to keep the inevitable gathering crowd at bay. Gulabs house wasnt destroyed, nor did the Taliban fire shots into the village. Marcus Luttrell on the Today Show: 80-100 members of the Taliban. ), The Number of Afghan Fighters Has Been Exaggerated. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Another eight SEALs including one of Axelsons good friends, James Suh and eight Army aviators died in a rescue attempt when their lightly-armored Chinook transport helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade as it hovered over the battle. Our missions in the city were sometimes interrupted by intense searches for whatever or whoever happened to be missing. ( Just joking.). They just did a great job of showing the punishment these guys took. Jamie and I will talk about you. Rogan then laughed and said, Alright, well be right back, and the podcast episode ended. And our coming task was to stop them, right there in those mountains, by whatever means necessary. U.S. Navy SEALs, underwater, on the water, or out of the water. But in many ways I'm grateful for the experience. "C'mon," said the New York lieutenant, as if it were a subject of which he was profoundly weary. As the plane lands,Marcus Luttrell literally dies. But there is a big difference between a local, Afghan insurgent leader and one of Osama bin Ladens closest associates, as hes described in Luttrells memoir, or a high-level al Qaeda operative, as hes described in the production notes and on the films official site. There is no other way to beat a terrorist. Why? I am a patriot; I ?ght for the U.S.A. and for my home state of Texas. Easily the best war movie to focus on the modern Middle Eastern conflicts. Fortunately, the SEALs found Shahs men. All Navy SEALs must attend and graduate from their rating's 24-week "A" School known as Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (______) school, a basic parachutist course and then the 26-week SEAL Qualification Training program. We'd advance, city block by city block, moving carefully through the dark, ready for someone to open ?re on us from a window, a building, somewhere on the opposite side of the street, even a tower. It's been an insidious progression, the criticisms of the U.S. Armed Forces from politicians and from the liberal media, which knows nothing of combat, nothing of our training, and nothing of the mortal dangers we face out there on the front line. Seven new cops were killed and seventy more were wounded. We understand we must obey them because they happen to come under the laws of the country we are sworn to serve. Are your undertones cool (blue) or warm (yellow)? But up close you realized there were holes straight through the buildings. If I ever rounded a mountainside in Afghanistan and came face to face with Osama bin Laden, the man who masterminded the vicious, unprovoked attack on my country, killing 2,752 innocent American civilians in New York on 9/11, I'd shoot him dead, in cold blood. That's what the army does, everything the same way. Rick Vargas . We carried out everything under the cover of darkness, waiting patiently for many hours, watching our backs, keeping our eyes on the target, ?ring computerized pictures back to base from virtually inside the jaws of the enemy. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. I am hopeful that one day soon, the U.S. government will learn that we can be trusted. On my ?rst day, four of us went out to some huge Iraqi lake area looking for a missing F-18 Super Hornet ?ghter bomber and its. He was vastly experienced in the Middle East, having served in Jordan, Qatar, and Djibouti on the Horn of Africa. Marcus had put his gun down and was covering his ears cause he couldn't stand listening to him die. The couple named their now 4-year-old son Matthew James Bown, after the two warriors and close friends. Someone described us as the shadow warriors. The most difficult moment, Donna says, came at the end, when images of the real men who fought and died that day appear on the screen, including video footage of Matthew Axelsons wedding. Thus we often found ourselves in what looked like respectable streets but which were in fact piles of rubble, perfect hiding places for insurgents or even Sunni Muslim terrorists still ?ghting for their erstwhile leader. But frogs don't travel light, and they don't expect comfort. Rogan has said Spotify doesnt give a f*** and lets him pick his guests. Fortunately, his neighbor, Billy Shelton, was a US Army veteran. The whole ordeal takes about six hours, Luttrell explains, and his life is never in danger. No. Gregory Rockwood . It would take the Afghan-American community to bring Gulab and his family to the US, where they now live on welfare. Fuggeddaboutit.". The ___________ is a four-engine turboprop aircraft that is capable of taking off and landing from short runways. Marcus commented on this, and it's a foreshadowing of what's to come when they choose not to play by the book. What followed was Army Jump School, SEAL Qualification Training, Special Operations Combat Medic training (SOCM), as well as advanced emergency medicine and battlefield life support. Also, neither of us could sleep if we were under the slightest pressure. When he came to, he saw Mohammad Gulab Khan standing on the bank offering his help. In Benicia, James older sister, Claudia Suh Bown, was on her way to work when she heard a news report about the crash of a special operations helicopter in Afghanistan, but she convinced herself it didnt involve her brother. We could all use someone like @marcusluttrell in our lives. Hussein was accused (by the. Both the film and the book more or less ignore the role of Marines in conceiving, planning, and leading Operation Red Wings. The Luttrells had written to the government, alleging that Gulab had threatened them a claim he denies. That included Solomon Suh, a single dad who raised his son James, then moved with him to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where James was stationed after joining the SEALs, the Navys elite commando force that was responsible for the 2011 killing of Osama bin Laden. Our mission may have been strategic, it may have been secret. ), Marcus Luttrell Wasnt Almost Beheaded by Ahmad Shahs Soldiers, Photos courtesy Universal Pictures, Larry D. Moore/Wikimedia Commons. The EOD maestro was standing right next to me. Taliban leader _________ is responsible for killing over twenty United States Marines, as well as villagers and refugees who were aiding American forces. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Instant PDF downloads. Unfortunately, the ACM was waiting. Marcus Luttrell's book about the Navy Seal Operation. Afghanistan. " We'd go in fast, driving into the most dangerous districts in the city, screaming through the streets in Humvees, or even fast-roping in from helicopters if necessary. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army. Author and lone surviving navy seal from the book Lone Survivor. Shahs men shot down one of the MH-47s, killing all 16 onboard. And he simply would not tolerate any other high-ranking of?cer, commissioned or noncommissioned, reaming out one of his guys. He had acquired another one that he told me would become "the ultimate customized Bug, dude. Heres how the screenplay reads: According to Luttrells memoir, however, he was not in mortal danger. No mistakes. But that will do for broad guidelines. Business class this wasn't. You probably remember the incident. LitCharts Teacher Editions. It was my ?rst experience of close-quarter combat. So if you're feeling froggy, then you better jump, because this frogman's been there, done that and is going back for more. This site is where Mike and Jeff were buried. Rogan and Luttrell had been about to talk about politics when the podcast ended. I stand ready to bring the full spectrum of combat power to bear in order to achieve my mission and the goals established by my country. Jesus, the noise was unbelievable. (including. So it didnt take them long to track the American down. Each of the six of us in that aircraft en route to Afghanistan had constantly in the back of our minds the ever-intrusive rules of engagement. Only two U.S. soldiers or Marines died in Kunar province in 2005 before Operation Red Wings. In the book, the village elder walks to Asadabad to alert the military to Luttrells presence, but thats not how the military actually found him. It's a strictly American brotherhood, mostly forged in blood. No exceptions. Mikey was an inveterate reader. We knew what we were coming for. And as we crossed that coastline heading out toward the open ocean, it really was good-bye, from me at least, to the Arabian Peninsula and the seething Islamic states at the north end of the gulf, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, that had dominated my life and thoughts for the past couple of years. I'm not allowed to speak of this highly classi?ed operation, save to mention the pair of them were killed when U.S. Special Forces ?attened the entire building. They couldnt afford to lose the support of the villagers. A friend recounted that Suh wanted to defend a country he loved so much, and that his father took the decision better than James had expected. It had its history, and we often had fun in the local markets bargaining with local merchants for everything. As a child, he already knew what he wanted - to become a Navy SEAL, a member of the elite special operations unit that was the cream of the US military. These written records preserve the religion. Lt. Murphys Medal of Honor Summary of Action: over 50 fighters. However, while the movie recreates many of the realities of war in painstaking detail, it also diverges significantly from the real-life Operation Red Wings. Shane was as good on a computer as anyone at the base. When word came on July 4, 2005, that the bodies of fellow SEALs Danny Dietz and Mike Murphy had been recovered, but that her son was still missing, Donna Axelson leaned on her strong religious faith to remain hopeful. Petty Officer Second Class Shane Patton , Lone Survivor. From Texas (and very proud of it) Christian (goes to church on a regular basis) big, tall, strong. Compare with classmates. Anytime. But the blasts grew bigger and the lumps of concrete from the building started to rain down on us. Like Shane, he'd gone through basic airborne training at Fort Benning and gone forward to join Alfa Platoon. I'm not a real fast runner, but I'm quick through the water, and I reached him with no trouble. Sign In. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. It took us almost three hours to reach the Gulf of Oman. I know the directors cut., Luttrell added, Theres so much we kept from the story that if I told you, you wouldnt believe me., Rogan asked Luttrell, What it was it like to have a movie about one of the worst experiences of your life? The retired SEAL responded, Thank you for asking it like that. No one can hate quite like a terrorist. Director: Peter Berg Writer: Peter Berg At ?rst there was just dust and small bits of concrete ?ying around. _______________was 28-years-old. We know about bad guys, what they do, and, often, who they are. Luttrells after-action report: 20-30 fighters. He used them in Halabja, right? He had a great sense of humor, but was also serious about his job. "That went really well, didn't it?" But, of course, that is not the most signi?cant question. Their primary target, however, was a group of buildings that intelligence claimed were used by Shahs group. But his heart was in the right place at all times. Our primary mission was special surveillance and reconnaissance, photographing hot spots and danger areas using unbelievable photographic lenses. Synopsis: Set during the War in Afghanistan, the film dramatizes the United States Navy SEALs mission Operation Red Wings, in which a four-man SEAL team was tasked to capture or kill Taliban leader Ahmad Shah. And that grade of intelligence is often hard-won. I also saw the al Qaeda training camp north of Baghdad. Brave men have fought and died building the proud tradition and feared reputation that I am bound to uphold.

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why wasn't james suh in lone survivor