friendship between, 99, 115–16, 123–24, 138, 139–40, 168–70, 176, 223, 240, 242
and Gulab’s attempts to get in touch with Marcus, 229, 233–34, 235–36
Gulab’s finding and saving of Marcus, 89–92, 93–102, 152, 184, 233
and Gulab’s protection of Marcus, 174
and Gulab’s trip to Houston, 240
and light surrounding Marcus, 94, 95, 96–97, 117, 130
and Marcus’s admiration for Gulab, 139
and Marcus’s attempts to find Gulab, 234, 235–36
parting of, 220–21, 223–24, 234
reunion of, 236, 240
and reward for saving Marcus, 228–29
and rewards for Gulab, 140
Shah’s (Ahmad) meeting with, 150–55, 174
trust between, 130, 139, 140
and U.S. rescue of Marcus, 163–65, 166, 167–70, 202–3, 215–18, 223
warrior bond between, 124, 170, 220, 240
Hackney, Duane D., 178
helicopter incidents
and jihad against U.S., 76–80, 82, 85–89
and Taliban downing of Chinook helicopter, 85–89
See also specific type of helicopter
honor
as nang, 71
and white station wagon incident, 71
hospitality (melmastia), 101–2, 118, 127
Houston, Texas
Gulab’s visit to, 240
Minute Maid Park fund-raiser in, 237–39
Immigration, U.S.: and Gulab’s visit to U.S., 236–37
innocent people: murder of, 41, 76, 108–9
Iraq: Marcus in, 234–35
Irish Republican Army, 6
Iron Curtain, 25
Islam
mantra for, 8
mujahideen as obeying the teachings of, 41–42
as traditional religion in Afghanistan, 24
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: establishment of, 59
jihad
Gulab’s comments about, 42
and mujahideen’s devotion to laws of Islam, 44
Soviet-Afghan war as, 14
U.S.-mujahideen conflict declared a, 72
Joe (Marcus’s friend), 236, 240
justice
as badal, 71
and white station wagon incident, 71
Kabul (Afghanistan)
government in, 33–34, 36, 37, 68
Massoud’s defense of, 54, 58–59
mujahideen and, 33–34
Soviet-Afghan war and, 33–34, 36, 37
Soviet airlift at, 13
Taliban and, 50, 54, 58–59
U.S. capture of, 68
Kalashnikov, Mikhail, 1, 2
kalimas (Muslim fundamental beliefs), 42–43, 44. See also specific kalima
Kandahar (Afghanistan)
AC-130 Spectre gunships attack on, 198
as Omar’s home, 50–51
as spiritual capital for Pashtun, 53
Taliban capture of, 53–54
as Taliban stronghold, 51
Kennedy, John F., 170, 222
khaki (silt), 23
Khan, Mohammed Ayub, 51–52, 53
Koran, 42, 49, 58, 73, 109, 118
Kunar Province, 68. See also Sabray (village)
Lockheed AC-130 Spectre gunship: and rescue of Marcus, 162
Lone Survivor (film), 241
Lone Survivor Foundation, 237
Lone Survivor (Luttrell), 235
Luttrell, Marcus
Afghan dress of, 163
airlifting out of Sabray of, 170–76
and Axelson search, 222–23, 224, 225
in cave, 114–19, 156
and children, 98, 99, 107, 120–21, 131, 134
downing of, 181–84
and flight to Bagram, 220–21
in Iraq, 234–35
letter to Americans from, 130–31, 187–88
light surrounding, 94, 95, 96–97, 117, 130
and Maluk’s journey to Asadabad, 129, 130–31, 134, 136–37, 138, 141, 143, 148–49, 156, 187–88
medical treatment for, 96–98, 104, 105–6, 114, 127, 165–66, 219–20, 221
military background and training of, 145, 146–47, 170
and moving Marcus away from Sabray, 132–35, 148–49, 155–56
as Muslim, 120–21, 126
and opium, 135–36, 143, 155, 168–69
personality of, 235
prayers of, 135
radio beacon of, 140
and rescue plans for getting Marcus away from Sabray, 125–56
retirement as Navy SEAL of, 235
Sabray villagers protection of, 102–21, 123–24, 125–27, 131–35, 141–42, 143, 144–48
Spanky’s reunion with, 238–39, 240
and Taliban attack on Sabray, 144–48
Taliban downing of, 94, 96, 100, 102, 105
tattoo (2-2-8) of, 106, 164, 215
Texas and, 124, 170, 229, 233, 240
U.S. search and rescue of, 119, 127–29, 131, 135, 136, 137–38, 140–42, 148–49, 156, 157–70, 177–221
watch of, 140
wounds/pain of, 90, 91–92, 93, 97, 98, 104, 105–6, 114, 117, 127, 134, 135–36, 149, 155, 156, 192, 202–3, 205, 217–18, 219–20, 229, 234–35
See also Gulab—and Marcus; Taliban—and Marcus; specific person or topic
Luttrell, Morgan, 170, 225
Macrander, Jeffrey L. “Skinny”
as commander of 920th Rescue Squad, 179
Marcus’s praise for, 239
professional background of, 179
and search and rescue of Marcus, 181–82, 185–88, 190, 193–94, 195, 199, 200, 201, 206–11
Maidan Shar: Taliban-Massoud meeting in, 59
Maiwand
Battle of, 51–53
and rise of Taliban, 53–54
Maiwand Lion statue, 53
Maluk (Gulab’s brother-in-law)
Asadabad journey of, 129, 130–31, 134, 136–37, 138, 141, 143, 148–49, 156
and Axelson search, 223–24
and Marcus’s letter to Americans, 130–31, 187–88
and Taliban capture and release of Marcus, 112–14
and Taliban demands for surrender of Marcus, 138
U.S. search for, 223–24
Marcus. See Gulab—and Marcus; Luttrell, Marcus; specific topic
Marines, U.S.: and rescue of Marcus, 159–60, 161
Massacre of Elphinstone’s Army, 9
Massoud, Ahmad Shah
assassination of, 55, 60–61, 62
engineering background of, 57
European Parliament address by, 63
Gulab’s comments about, 54–58
hatred of communism by, 57
Kabul defended by, 54, 58–59
as Lion of Panjshir, 54
and Maidan Shar meeting with Taliban, 59
as National Hero of Afghanistan, 61
as Northern Alliance commander-in-chief, 59
Omar as opponent of, 58
reputation of, 54–55, 56–57, 59, 61
in Sabray, 56–58
and Soviet-Afghan war, 54, 56–57, 58, 61
Taliban and, 58–61
Merrill’s (Frank) Marauders, 162
Mi-24 Hind gunship, Russian, 31–32
military, U.S.
beards among men in, 90
Gulab’s work for, 229
See also specific person or branch of military
Mogadishu, Somalia: Black Hawk helicopters down in, 83
Monagee (American military outpost), 128, 143
Moresaleem, Hajid, 234
mosques
role in Islamic community of, 46–47
See also specific mosque
Muhammad (prophet), 41, 43, 49
mujahideen (Afghani Patriots)
ambush as specialty of, 5, 9, 11–12, 15, 21–22
and changes in Soviet Union, 39
devotion to laws of Islam by, 41�
��42, 44
distrust of Kabul government by, 33–34
misconceptions about, 21, 22–23
motivation of, 35
mountains as training ground for, 11
recruitment for, 72
strengths of, 13
U.S. relations with, 25, 30–31, 32–33, 63, 71, 72
weapons of, 1–2, 3, 4, 7, 15, 20, 22, 23–24, 28–29, 30, 35, 72
and white station wagon incident, 71
youth as recruits for, 2–4, 20
See also mujahideen (Afghani Patriots)—and Soviet jihad; mujahideen (Afghani Patriots)—and U.S. jihad
mujahideen (Afghani Patriots)—and Soviet jihad
battles and incidents in, 6, 7, 11–12, 14–22, 24–25, 26, 28–32, 33–34, 36, 37, 38
and declaration of jihad, 14
and strategy/tactics against Soviets, 11–13, 15, 21, 36, 37
weapons in, 83
mujahideen (Afghani Patriots)—and U.S. jihad
battles during, 82–83
and declaration of jihad, 72
and helicopter incident, 76–80
Pashtun views about, 72–76
and strategy/tactics against U.S., 74–75
and Taliban-U.S. battles, 87
weapons in, 82–83
Murphy, Michael “Mikey,” 137, 152, 160, 184, 199, 221–22, 225
Navy, British Royal, 138
920th Rescue Squad, U.S.
Marcus’s praise for, 239
mission of, 185
and search and rescue of Marcus, 177–79, 181, 184–85, 186–87, 189
See also Macrander, Jeffrey L. “Skinny”; Peterson, Jeffrey Val “Spanky”
Northern Alliance, 59, 68. See also Massoud, Ahmad Shah
Norzamund (Sabray senior man/Gulab’s nephew), 118, 174, 202–3
Olympics (Moscow, 1980), 26
Omar, Mohammed, 49–51, 53, 54, 58, 59. See also Taliban
Operation Anaconda, 198
Operation Redwings, 179, 182, 184, 185
opium, Marcus and, 135–36, 143, 155, 168–69
opium field, Sabray
and airlifting Marcus out of Sabray, 174, 178
and plans for Marcus’s rescue, 136, 137–38, 149, 169, 191–92, 193
and rescue of Marcus, 205, 208–18
Spanky’s landing on, 208–18
Pakistan
bin Laden in, 76
as bin Laden supporter, 63
and establishment of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, 59
Islamic schools in, 50
and Pakistani troop support for Taliban, 58, 59
and rise of Taliban, 49
U.S. relations with, 68
and U.S. search for bin Laden, 68
Panjshir people: reputation of, 55
pararescuemen (pararescue jumpers/PJs), 178, 181, 183, 187, 217
Pashtun tribe
and Alexander the Great war, 29
as anti–bin Laden, 73, 75
Azer Alam’s role in, 43–44, 45
and Battle of Maiwand, 52
communications among, 14
culture of, 9, 10, 14, 48–49
Gulab as “enemy” of some of, 228
and jihad against U.S., 72–92
Kandahar as spiritual capital for, 53
learning among, 41
location of, 3–4
polarization among, 75–76
principles of, 71
rejection of defeat by, 44–45
religious instruction among, 42–44
reputation of, 4–5
and reward for saving Marcus, 228–29
self-image of, 41–42
and Soviet-Afghan war, 34, 35, 55–56
Soviet relations with, 75
Soviet underestimation of, 29
sword of, 46
and Taliban, 4, 51, 68, 73, 75–76, 80, 85
Taliban differences from, 50
U.S. breach of principles of, 71–72
U.S. relations with, 71–72, 75, 80, 130
and U.S. search for bin Laden, 63–64
as warriors, 22–23, 41–42
and white station wagon incident, 69, 74
women of, 4–5, 26, 50
See also mujahideen; Pashtunwali; Sabray; specific person
Pashtunwali
and finding/saving Marcus, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 118, 119, 126–27
and rewards for saving Marcus, 140
U.S. offending principles of, 71, 72
Patrick Air Force Base (Florida), 177
Pave Hawk helicopters
at Minute Maid Park fund-raiser in Houston, 238–39
and U.S. rescue of Marcus, 180–81, 182, 185, 186, 191, 193–95, 199, 200, 201, 205, 208–15, 216, 217
penitence (astaghfar), as kalima, 42
Peterson, Jeffrey Val “Spanky”
Marcus’s praise for, 239
Marcus’s reunion with, 238–39, 240
nickname for, 180
professional background of, 179–80
reputation of, 180
and search and rescue of Marcus, 180, 181–85, 188, 190–95, 201, 206, 208–15, 217
Peterson, Penny, 195
Phalon, John, 206–7
Piercecchi, Chris “Checky,” 183, 188, 199, 209, 213, 216–18
POSIDENT, 159–66
prayers
of Gulab during helicopter ride, 218
of Gulab in Asadabad, 230
and Gulab’s departure from Sabray, 231
and helicopter incident, 78
importance to Gulab of, 43, 95
and Marcus as Muslim, 120–21, 135
Peterson’s, 195
and protecting Marcus, 107–8, 127, 134–35
religious instruction and, 43–44
and saving Marcus, 101
and Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, 8, 19
and U.S. rescue of Marcus, 212
and white station wagon incident, 70–71
prisoners of war: murder of, 41, 108–9
protection (nanawateh), 127
purity (tayyabah), 42
Rahimi Gul Ala-Akbar, Nawaz, 241–42
Ramp, Ceremony of (U.S. Navy SEALs), 221–22
Rangers, U.S. Army
as medics, 171
and rescue of Marcus, 158, 160, 162, 167–68, 174, 175–76, 186, 188, 189, 190, 192, 193, 207, 209–10, 215, 216–17
and U.S. air attack on Taliban, 172–73
Reagan, Ronald, 25, 30, 39, 40, 49, 240
religious instruction
of children, 109
gender and, 43
among Pashtun tribe, 42–44
revenge
as badal, 71
and murder of Gulab’s father, 45–46, 48
and white station wagon incident, 71, 72
reward: for saving Marcus, 228–29
RPG-7 launcher, 20, 28–29, 81, 82, 89
Sabray (Pashtun village)
airlifting of Marcus from, 171–76
Al Qaeda in, 44–45
Azer Alam’s role in, 43–44, 45
culture of, 14, 112–13
description of, 4
electrical storm in, 142–43
and finding Marcus, 98–102
Gulab and family leave, 228, 229, 230–31
Gulab’s departure from, 175–76
Gulab’s home in, 110–11
Gulab’s last view of, 218
Gulab’s role in, 139
and helicopter incident, 76–78
and Marcus hiding in cave, 114–19
Massoud in, 56–58
mosque in, 46–47
moving of Marcus from, 132–35
and Pashtunwali principles, 99, 100, 101
peripheral damage of bombing of, 141–42
polarization in, 85
as protecting Marcus, 102–21, 123–24, 125–27, 131–35, 141–42, 143, 144–48
religious instruction in, 42–43
reputation of, 4–5
satellite photographs o
f, 188, 190
and Soviet retreat, 36–37
Taliban and, 98–102, 103, 108–14, 120–21, 123, 125–27, 129–30, 131–35, 141–48, 188
and Taliban battles with U.S., 81, 83, 87–88
Taliban capture and release of Marcus in, 111–14, 123
Taliban informers in, 109, 111, 118, 148
Taliban retaliation against, 143
and Taliban revenge killing, 168
U.S. forces in, 167, 171–76
U.S. help to villagers in, 229
and U.S. rescue of Marcus, 158, 160, 161, 162–63, 167, 168, 188–89
Sarawar, Dr.
and finding Marcus, 96–98
and medical treatment for Marcus, 96–98, 104, 105–6, 114, 127
and principles of Pashtunwali, 99
reputation of, 103
and saving/protecting Marcus, 100, 102, 103, 104, 105–7, 110, 117, 120
SEAL Team Five, in Iraq, 234–35
SEAL Team Six, 160
SEAL Team Ten, 160
SEALs, U.S. Navy
and beards, 90
friendship among, 140
Green Berets rivalry with, 161, 162
Marcus’s retirement from, 235
Ramp, Ceremony of, 221–22
recovery of, 137
reputation of, 181
and rescue of Marcus, 159, 160
SPECWARCOM of, 222, 235
See also specific person
search and rescue operations
characteristics of, 180–81
high-profile, 195–96, 208
See also 920th Rescue Squad, U.S.
Second Anglo-Afghan War, 51–53
September 9, 2001: Massoud assassination on, 60–61
September 11, 2001, 62–63, 65, 189
Shah, Ahmad (Taliban commander)
boldness of, 132
and destructiveness of American airpower, 167
Gulab’s negotiations with, 125–26, 139, 174
and June 2005 battle against U.S., 79, 80–88, 189–90
Marcus and Gulab’s meeting with, 150–55
and revenge killing, 168
and threats against Gulab and his family, 227
and U.S. air attack on Taliban, 172–73
and U.S. rescue of Marcus, 168, 189
See also Taliban
Shina (Gulab’s sister), 112
Sixty-Sixth Regiment of Foot (the Berkshire Regiment), British, 52
“Skinny.” See Macrander, Jeffrey L.
Soviet-Afghan war
Afghan refugees during, 50
casualties during, 8, 19–20, 26, 29, 33, 36, 37, 38
and changes in Soviet leadership, 39
crows feeding off corpses incident during, 12
Gulab as child fighter during, 3, 5, 6–8, 10–12, 13, 15–22, 24–25, 26, 27, 36, 38, 43, 45
Gulab’s views about, 39–40
as jihad, 14
Kabul government during, 33–34, 36, 37
mujahideen and, 6, 7, 11–13, 14–22, 24–25, 26, 28–32, 33–34, 36, 37, 38
mujahideen strategy against, 11–13, 15, 21–22, 36, 37