In a dramatic turn reminiscent of a scene from a John Wick movie, retired US Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell went to extraordinary lengths to track down the two men who had senselessly killed his beloved puppy. This high-speed pursuit was captured in a 911 emergency call, where the veteran could be heard driving at speeds exceeding 100 MPH.
Marcus Luttrell had a life-long dream of joining the US military
Marcus Luttrell was born in Houston, Texas, on November 7, 1975. With a strong desire to serve his country, he started preparing to become a US Navy SEAL at the young age of 14, mentored by US Army veteran Billy Shelton.
In March 1999, Luttrell enlisted in the US Navy and completed both Boot Camp and Hospital Corpsman A-school. Upon graduation, he was assigned to Basic Underwater/SEAL (BUD/S) Class 226. However, a fractured femur delayed his progress, leading to his graduation with Class 228 on April 21, 2000.
Afterward, Luttrell attended jump school and SEAL Qualification Training (SQT), where he earned his Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) 5326 Combatant Swimmer (SEAL) and Naval Special Warfare Insignia on February 2, 2001. He concluded his training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, by completing the six-month Special Operations Combat Medic (SOCM) course.
Deployed to Iraq
Marcus Luttrell was deployed to Iraq on April 14, 2003, as part of the US invasion triggered by the 9/11 attacks. Serving from 2003-05, he and SEAL Team 5 were tasked with quelling resistance and searching for weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).
Once that was completed, the team carried out the capture and elimination of terrorists. Their primary targets were supporters of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who had since gone into hiding.
Operation Red Wings
After his deployment to Iraq, Marcus Luttrell was reassigned to Afghanistan with SEAL Team 10, as a member of SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 (SDV-1). During this period, he participated in Operation Red Wings.
Luttrell and the SDV-1 Special Reconnaissance unit were on a mission to locate Ahmad Shah, positioning themselves on a steep ridge overlooking the militia leader’s area. Although they took measures to stay concealed, their position was discovered, and Taliban fighters launched an assault using 82 mm mortars, RPK machine guns, RPG-7s, and AK-47s.
In the intense firefight that ensued, everyone except Luttrell was killed, including a helicopter crew shot down during a rescue attempt. Luttrell was left unconscious and severely wounded, enduring a broken back, multiple fractures, and shrapnel injuries. Upon regaining consciousness, he evaded the Taliban with help from local Pashtun villagers and was eventually rescued by US Army Rangers and the Afghan National Army.
Ahmad Shah survived Operation Red Wings but was killed in a clash with Pakistani police in 2008.
Marcus Luttrell recovered from his injuries
Upon returning from deployment in the Middle East, Marcus Luttrell adopted a Labrador Retriever named DASY to honor his fallen comrades from Operation Red Wings. His bravery in Afghanistan earned him both the Navy Cross and a Purple Heart. He later wrote Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10, where he recounted his intense experiences from the mission.
The book’s release sparked controversy, especially regarding the number of enemy fighters he encountered during Operation Red Wings. Initially, Luttrell estimated there were 20-35 Taliban insurgents, but later, in Lone Survivor, he adjusted this figure to 80-200. These numbers differ a lot from those in the official reports.
In 2009, after recovering from his injuries, Luttrell rejoined SEAL Team 5 on active duty in Ramadi, Iraq. Sadly, he was medically discharged due to a spinal fracture and injuries to both knees.
Lone Survivor (2013)
In 2013, a film based on Marcus Luttrell’s book was released. Titled Lone Survivor, it features Mark Wahlberg as the retired US Navy SEAL, with Eric Bana, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster and Emile Hirsch as his comrades.
Lone Survivor is a dramatic retelling of Operation Red Wings. It was generally well-received, earning $154.8 million at the box office. The movie was named to the National Board of Review’s (NBR) list of the top 10 films of 2013 and received two Academy Award nominations for Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing.
Marcus Luttrell avenges his dog’s death
On the evening of April 1, 2009, Marcus Luttrell heard a gunshot. After checking to ensure his mother was okay inside the house, he went outside and saw DASY, his Labrador Retriever, dead from a gunshot wound to her left shoulder. Not far from his home, he noticed a suspicious vehicle parked along the side of the road, which he suspected held those responsible.
“I could tell [DASY] tried to get away because there was a blood trail,” Luttrell told the Houston Chronicle. “When I saw she was dead, the only thing that popped into my head was, ‘I’ve got to take these guys out.'” His beloved pet had been given to him by America’s VetDogs to help him emotionally recover from his experiences in the Middle East.
Despite still recovering from surgery, Luttrell grabbed his 9 mm pistol, crawled under a fence and snuck up on the vehicle. As the car sped away, the US Navy SEAL jumped into his pickup truck and began what quickly became a high-speed chase, with both vehicles clocking in at over 100 MPH. Luttrell called 911 during the pursuit and remained on the line as he followed the suspect vehicle. While he eventually lost sight of it, Texas Rangers soon caught up with and arrested those responsible.
Alfonso Hernandez and Michael Edmonds were charged with cruelty to a non-livestock animal, while the car’s driver was cited for not having a valid license. According to police, they’d been linked to at least five other area killings in the months leading up to the shooting. Edmonds pleaded guilty to the charges against him and received five years probation. Hernandez chose to stand trial, was found guilty and received the maximum sentence of two years in state prison. He was also fined $1,000.
Marcus Luttrell’s post-war activities
Following the war and the incident with DASY, Marcus Luttrell dedicated his life to working with US military veterans. In 2010, he established the Lone Survivor Foundation, whose mission is to “restore, empower, and renew hope for our wounded warriors and their families through health, wellness, and therapeutic support.”
Luttrell released a second book, Service: A Navy SEAL at War, in May 2012. He has also since found a new furry companion, in the form of another Labrador Retriever named Rigby, who continues to provide the same emotional support DASY did.
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Following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, Luttrell condemned how it went and criticizing the White House for how government and military officials handled the situation.