The Lion of Sabray Read online

  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 capture and release of, 111–14, 123

  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