The tale of a lone survivor
Lone survivor. Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on June 28, 2005.
Deep behind enemy lines a four-man Navy SEAL team was conducting a recon mission at an unforgiving 10,000-foot altitude. Marcus Luttrell, a hospital corpsman second class, was a member of the four-man team along with Lt. Michael P. Murphy, Danny Dietz, and Matthew Axelson.
The team was accidentally spotted by local nationals who reported their location to the Taliban. Soon around 50 or more Taliban engaged in a fierce firefight with the SEAL team. The Taliban were attacking from the front, and both sides of the SEAL team. Now all four men were wounded, so they began a retreat down the mountain.
Lt. Murphy had a radio, but couldn't connect because they were located in trees. So without regard for his own life, he went to an open area and made contact with his unit at Bagram Air Force Base. He was shot again while returning to his men. An MH47 helicopter with reinforcements was dispatched.
As the helicopter called a Chinook — I flew in them in Vietnam — reached the area, it was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, killing all 16 in the chopper. After two hours into the battle, Murphy, Deitz, and Axelson had been killed.
Luttrell was still alive, but had a bullet wound in one leg, shrapnel in both legs, three vertebrae were cracked; dehydrated, he walked and crawled slowly down the mountain for 7 miles avoiding the enemy all the way. He came about a village where the locals cared for him and hid him for three days. Then one of the villagers made his way to a Marine outpost with a note from Luttrell and U.S. forces finally rescued him four days later.
Lt. Murphy, because of his actions to protect his unit and sacrificing his life, was awarded the Medal of Honor on Oct. 22, 2007. Luttrell was awarded the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his actions.
Roger Gregory is a Vietnam veteran and business owner in Priest River.