Book Review: Lone Survivor

Matt and I went to see Lone Survivor a couple months ago. I had heard it was great but I couldn't get myself in the mood to go because with a title like "Lone Survivor" I had a pretty good idea how it turned out. Eventually Matt talked me into it and we went to the movie theater at Penn Square Mall where they have those cool reclining seats. The question we should all be asking is: "Why did it take until 2013 before they started doing this??! What a great idea!" I also wonder how they make as much money because there are less seats... but I'm not complaining. I watched the movie and at the end I wept. I had to wait a few minutes after it was over before to collect myself because I didn't think other people I passed in the mall would think "Oh, she must have just got out of Lone Survivor..."
It was even tough to talk about. Knowing that was a true story and there are so many stories that we will never hear about what our men and women go through, it's just awful.
Lo had a very similar reaction when she saw the movie and she immediately went and bought the book. When she was done she just left it at my house. I guess I am going to read it now!

I felt like I needed to include an actual picture of the author, Marcus Luttrell and give credit where credit is due outside of the Hollywood of it all. 

So here's a briefing of the book. Marcus explains that he grew up in East Texas (good grief this guys loves Texas. Like the only decent people on the planet live in Texas... If you know me you know how I feel about that). His family was a ranching family that had their ups and downs. From a young age, like a teenager he starts training to eventually become a SEAL. He went to Sam Houston University (and was actually a Delt-- Matt's a Delt) but he doesn't specifically say those two details so I Googled it for you. See, you can learn things from my blog. After college he went into training for the Navy SEALs. He dedicates a large portion of the book to the rigorous training required of the SEALs. He also unabashedly routinely asserts what a BAMF you have to be to become a SEAL. I will not unabashedly spell out the acronym for BAMF. You're going to figure that out or Google it for yourself.  This part of the book was tremendously interesting. I knew that the SEALS were extremely elite, but to learn in much more detail the requirements really held my attention. When I started reading I thought "I don't know... if I REALLY wanted this and I had trained for a long time I could probably have the endurance." And then I turned the page and that was all out the window. 200 words in and I was out. I kept thinking, "Gosh, you really have not only special physical ability and true intelligence for this, but a very special mindset to want to pursue it at all. You have to love your country in such a way you would literally lay anything on the line for it. All of your work could be gone in an instant. The opportunity cost both in terms of career and monetary opportunity cannot be even a consideration. You have to live with your momma knowing you could die entirely too soon." 

Earlier in the book he described his closest friends in the SEALs and many of their character qualities that he truly admired. Then the book moves into telling the story of Operation Redwing in which he and three other SEALs were sent to learn more about, take photos of and potentially kill a major Taliban leader. I am actually a little confused about that part. I am not sure if their ultimate goal was to kill him with their small team from a large distance or to gather more "intel" (for those of us who know the lingo). Well it didn't really matter because they came upon 3 unarmed goat herders and they had to decide whether or not they should kill them or let them go knowing they would run down to the village of Taliban and then the SEALs would be in serious trouble. Well after a discussion which included consideration for the Rules of Engagement and killing unarmed goat herders and the implications of such an act they decided to let them go. This led to a huge firefight and a truly remarkable fight for survival by Marcus Luttrell. I wont tell you everything because you really should read the book. 

Now let's do a compliment sandwich on this book because I really did enjoy it and I am glad I read it but I did take issue with a little bit of it and I personally think people should always think critically about what they read. Seriously, every single subject.  Hell if you don't question what I post in this blog some times... well you're not thinking hard enough about what you put in your brain. We should never just accept the things that people say because they are mostly likely full of it, and if not I say prove it. 

Anyway, the book is sort of chronological when he tells it, but it's also sprinkled with many of his present day feelings. Now, he's entitled to whatever belief system he wants. Not because he is a hero, but because he is the one who wrote the book and I chose to read it. And well, as far as I am concerned all good standing tax paying voting citizens are totally entitled to whatever belief system they want. I just don't necessarily have to agree.... or listen to it.  The biggest thing that got me what his repetitive aggression towards the "liberal media" which based on how I read it was who he blamed for what happened on that mountain. If they would not have feared the "liberal media" scrutinizing and ultimately leading to their prosecution for murder then none of that would have happened. Well.... I just don't see that as a sufficient explanation for what happened. All four of those guys were highly HIGHLY trained individuals to assess the situation and make the best decision. I have more faith in their training and knowledge than to think that the potential for the "liberal media" 8,000 miles away to truly influence their decision making especially when they were staring death the in face. Plus, he also alludes to a serious gut check and even discusses his faith in God in making the decision they made. But then again, when you go through something so terrible, you have to blame someone. He also made comments like "sorry liberals" which just didn't sit well with me mostly because I didn't get why comments like that were worth it to alienate a huge potential portion of his readership. This book (and movie) was such a good opportunity to get the American people to get a taste of what our incredible men and women go through out there because after a decade over there many of us tend to forget, or at least put it in the back of our mind. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't really consider myself much of a "liberal" because the strength of my ideology towards the left doesn't have sufficient strength for me to identify enough with that label. Now if that sentence in any way confused you please do yourself a favor and never call someone a "liberal" again because you likely don't actually get what the term means. All the time I'll tell someone I'm a Democrat and they say "Oh, I didn't know you're a liberal!" to which I want to reply "You don't actually know what that means and I refuse to sit here and try to educate you". Sorry... it's hard being a Democrat in Oklahoma (or Texas).  Anyway, what really bothers me is the implication that if I am a Democrat (or even a liberal) that I'm not a patriot.  The definition of Patriot: a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors.  While I myself do not foresee ever signing up for any armed forces, I cannot tell you how much I respect those who do.  My ENTIRE family has served in the military.  My brother Joe is the first person not to serve and I am glad that I do not have to live with the worry and heartache I would endure if he were over there fighting a war that I still have my questions about. And before anyone gets all huffy about me saying something like that, let me share with you a quote from Marcus Luttrell himself: 

"I mean, how the hell do you impose national government on a place like this? With no roads, no electricity, no mail, little communication, where the principal industry is goats' milk and opium, the main water company is a mountain stream, and all freight is moved by a mule cart, including the opium. You're whistling Dixie. It's never going to happen" (311-312). 

I learned exactly one thing from my comparative politics course (I'm sorry professor, that really just isn't my subject). The literature and analysis of data and assessments of wars (not just opinions because we have talked about how worthless those are) shows that before a country can democratize (which is what we're trying to get them to do over there, right?) they have to modernize.  Marcus talks about how they're hauling everything around on mules and camels. Can you imagine if someone was walking down the street with their camel? You would probably look around to see if you could be an extra in the film that someone is obviously shooting. 

A page over he says:

"Look at me, right now in my story. Helpless, tortured, shot, blown up, my best buddies all dead, and all because we were afraid of the liberals back home, afraid to do what was necessary to save our own lives.  Afraid of American civilian lawyers. I have only one piece of advice for what it's worth: if you don't want to get into a war where things go wrong, where the wrong people sometimes get killed, where innocent people sometimes have to die, then stay the hell of out it in the first place" (313). 

Even as a Democrat if someone said to me, "Well Shanna, these guys, Navy SEALS no less, are getting persecuted in the courts because they killed some unarmed goat herders outside of a known hostile Taliban village out of fear the entire village would destroy them" I would probably look at them like... What? Isn't that what happens in war?  I'm not saying killing them would be right or wrong, but in war I think the lines of right and wrong aren't the same thing as our day to day utopia that we live over here. I don't spend a lot of time questioning the decisions of our military. I question the decisions of the political figures and their own self-interest that puts our military in places they perhaps should not be... but the military itself I have a great deal of faith in. 

Ultimately, the book was definitely worth the read. It was really detailed and I had a hard time accepting that he remembered all of that but maybe he did. Maybe he had to fill in where he could.  I am glad that he lived under such incredible... truly unbelievable circumstances. Even before reading this book when I would see people obviously dressed in their military attire in places like the airport I would make it a point to look them in the eye and tell them I appreciated their service. I have had friends with spouses deployed and I send checks to contribute to their next care package.  If anyone is of the mindset that all Democrats aren't patriots I hope they tread lightly because if they run into one like me, they're going to realize real quick they've made assumptions about the wrong person. 

So go buy the book. It's $7.99 on the Kindle and $3.99 on iBooks. Hug someone that is or has served. Buy a new flag. Sit on your porch in peace and gratitude that you're never threatened when you do such a thing thanks to the sacrifice of others.

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