Decorated US Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell Avenged Dog’s Death After Unprovoked Shooting
Photo Credit: 1. Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images 2. GreatAmericans DotCom / YouTube
In a move reminiscent of the John Wick films, retired US Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell took extreme measures to corner the men who’d murdered his beloved dog. The entire incident was captured on a phone call to 911, during which the decorated veteran reached speeds of over 100 MPH.
Marcus Luttrell had a life-long dream of joining the US military
Marcus Luttrell at the Conservative Political Action Conference, 2021. (Photo Credit: Brandon Bell / Getty Images) Marcus Luttrell was born on November 7, 1975 in Houston, Texas. Always destined to serve his country, he began training to become a US Navy SEAL when he was just 14 years old, enlisting the help of US Army veteran Billy Shelton.
In March 1999, Luttrell enlisted in the US Navy and attended both Boot Camp and Hospital Corpsman A-school. Upon graduating, he was transferred to Basic Underwater/SEAL (BUD/S) Class 226. However, a fractured femur delayed his completion of the program, meaning he graduated with Class 228 on April 21, 2000.
Luttrell then attended jump school and SEAL Qualification Training (SQT), earning his Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) 5326 Combatant Swimmer (SEAL) and Naval Special Warfare Insignia on February 2, 2001. To finish his training, he was sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina to complete the six-month Special Operations Combat Medic (SOCM) course.
Deployed to Iraq
US Navy SEAL positioned in Ramadi, Iraq, 2007. (Photo Credit: John Moore / Getty Images) 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
US Navy SEALs who took part in Operation Red Wings: Matthew Axelson, Daniel R. Healy, James Suh, Marcus Luttrell, Eric S. Patton and Michael P. Murphy. (Photo Credit: U.S. Navy / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain) Following his deployment to Iraq, Marcus Luttrell was sent to Afghanistan with SEAL Team 10, as part of SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 (SDV-1). It was during this time that he was involved in Operation Red Wings.
Luttrell and the men of the SDV-1’s Special Reconnaissance element were searching for Ahmad Shah, and had hunkered down in the rocks along a steep ridge overlooking the militia leader’s position. While they’d hoped their presence would remain unknown, it quickly became clear that they’d been seen, as Taliban fighters took aim with 82 mm mortars, RPK machine guns, RPG-7s and AK-47s.
All but Luttrell were killed in the assault, including a helicopter crew shot down during an attempted rescue. The US Navy SEAL was left unconscious and severely injured, suffering a broken back, several fractures and shrapnel wounds. Once he’d regained consciousness, he managed to evade the Taliban with the help of local Pashtun villagers, and was eventually rescued by US Army Rangers and the Afghan National Army.
Ahmad Shah survived Operation Red Wings, but was later killed in a firefight with Pakistani police in 2008.
Marcus Luttrell recovered from his injuries
Marcus Luttrell. (Photo Credit: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images) Upon returning from the Middle East, Marcus Luttrell was given a dog – a Labrador Retriever he named DASY, in honor of the comrades he lost during Operation Red Wings. For his actions in Afghanistan, he was awarded the Navy Cross and a Purple Heart. He later published Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10, about his experiences during the deadly mission.
The book has been shrouded in controversy, with debates over the number of enemy fighters Luttrell and his comrades took on during Operation Red Wings. While he estimated after the fact that the size of the Taliban force was between 20-35 rebels, in Lone Survivor he wrote that their numbers could have been anywhere from 80-200. While official estimates differ, they all present amounts that are far lower than Luttrell’s initial total.
In 2009, after recovering from his injuries, Marcus Luttrell returned to full duty and was deployed as part of SEAL Team 5 to Ramadi, in Iraq. However, he was formally discharged after suffering another spinal fracture and injuries to both knees.
Lone Survivor (2013)
Lone Survivor, 2013. (Photo Credit: waryrwmn / MovieStillsDB) In 2013, a movie based on Marcus Luttrell’s book was released. Titled Lone Survivor, it sees actor Mark Wahlberg portray the retired US Navy SEAL, and also stars Eric Bana, Taylor Kirsch, Ben Foster and Emile Hirsch as his comrades.
Lone Survivor is a dramatic retelling of Operation Red Wings. It was generally well-received upon its release, earning $154.8 million at the box office. Along with being named to the National Board of Review’s (NBR) list of the top 10 films of 2013, it also received two Academy Award nominations, for Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing.
Marcus Luttrell avenges his dog’s death
Marcus Luttrell’s dog, DASY. (Photo Credit: GreatAmericans DotCom / YouTube) 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
Marcus Luttrell at the Republic National Convention, 2016. (Photo Credit: Alex Wong / Getty Images) 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.
Fleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz – His Leadership During WWII Won The War in the Pacific
Admiral Chester William Nimitz contributed to the success of the United States Navy from his beginnings at Annapolis 1905 to this very day. His accomplishments, contributions, and 61 years of service led to advancements in command strategy, naval education, goodwill measures, and the engineering and building of gas, diesel, and nuclear engines for navy vessels – especially submarines.
His leadership during WWII won the war in the Pacific and on September 2, 1945, Nimitz signed for the United States when Japan formally surrendered on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
Birth
Chester William Nimitz was born in Fredericksburg, TX in 1885 – six months after his own father’s death.
His primary male role model was his hardy, sea-loving grandfather, who had been a German Merchant Marine, one of the first Texas Rangers, and a Confederate captain. His grandfather’s experiences and advice were influential in the building of Nimitz’s character and achievements. His grandfather told him “the sea – like life itself – is a stern taskmaster. The best way to get along with either is to learn all you can, then do your best and don’t worry – especially about things over which you have no control.”
The former Nimitz Hotel now serves as the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, TX His childhood home was the Nimitz Hotel in Fredericksburg, TX which was built with the essence and elements of a ship so that Grandfather Nimitz would feel connected to the sea he missed so much. The young Chester had as his home and playground a ship’s bridge and a pilot house that looked out not over the sea, but out on the Texas hills.
Burgeoning
1905 Nimitz’s first choice of school was West Point, and he applied at the age of 15. Unfortunately, there were no appointments available. On the advice of his Congressman, he studied hard for the one appointment available at Annapolis. He graduated from the Naval Academy 7th in his class of 114 in 1905. He had left high school to attend and did not receive a high school diploma until decades later when he was an admiral.
His classmates said of him that he was “a man of cheerful yesterdays and confident tomorrows”.
Commanding the Sea
With General MacArthur and President Roosevelt By 1908, he was an ensign that had served on four ships before running the fifth, the Decatur, aground on a sandbar in the Philippines. He was court-martialed and received a letter of reprimand.
A fast learner, he started instruction in the First Submarine Flotilla in January of 1909 and had command of the flotilla by May. He also had the command of the USS Plunger, the USS Snapper, and the USS Narwhal by November of 1910. By the end of 1911, he was Commander 3rd Submarine Division Atlantic Torpedo Fleet.
Over the next several years, Nimitz proved himself through several endeavors. In 1918, during WWI, he was appointed Chief of Staff to Admiral Samuel S. Robinson – the Commander of the Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet – and was awarded a Letter of Commendation for meritorious service. That October, he was appointed a senior member of the Board of Submarine Design.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, he served on various naval vessels and was appointed the chief of the Bureau of Navigation in 1939.
On December 17th, 1941 (ten days after Pearl Harbor), Roosevelt promoted him to Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet with the rank of Admiral.
When the Pacific theater was divided into three areas of command in 1942, Admiral Nimitz was given command over all sea, air, and ground units of the Pacific Ocean Areas as their Commander in Chief.
Admiral Nimitz was victorious in the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway, and the Solomon Islands Campaign.
An Act of Congress in 1944 recognized his contributions and created the grade of Fleet Admiral which would be the highest rank in the Navy and to which President Roosevelt promoted Nimitz the day following that act.
In 1945 he was named Commander in Chief of the United States Fleet.
Contributions
Signing the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri When Nimitz was first married, before WWI, he and his wife spent time in Germany and Belgium where he was educated on the building of diesel engines. He used that training to build the diesel engines of the Maumee when he returned to the U.S., becoming the executive and engineer officer of that vessel. It was the first diesel engine used in a surface Navy vessel.
The Maumee, with Nimitz on board, was the first vessel to conduct underway refuelings. It served as a refueling ship for Navy destroyers on their way across the Atlantic during WWI.
While bolstering his education with naval command training at the Navy War College in the 1920s, Nimitz worked on a hypothetical plan for how to win engagements in a Pacific War. That plan was later used in the Pacific Theater during WWII.
Nimitz helped win the war with not only battle strategy, but maintenance plans – by creating forward repair stations and maintenance squadrons.
During WWII, he organized his single fleet into separate “staff” with supporting directives, so that while one did this, the other could do that. By having one staff commanding and the other planning upcoming assaults, the Japanese were continuously deluded into thinking the Navy fleet was much larger. This ingenious plan led to the future honing of command procedures.
Legacy
The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 transits into San Diego prior to mooring at Naval Air Station North Island. Nimitz is preparing for a 2009 regularly scheduled Western Pacific Deployment. Admiral Nimitz was the US signer of the peace treaty with Japan after their surrender in WWII aboard the battleship Missouri.
His influence, expert knowledge of submarines, and support of Captain Hyman G. Rickover’s proposal for a nuclear submarine led to the building of the first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus.
He was the last officer to ever serve as Fleet Admiral, he was Chairman of the Presidential Commission on Internal Security and Individual Rights, a roving ambassador for the United Nations, the first professor of Naval Science at the University of California, a regent of the University of California, and in retirement was Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy in the Western Sea Frontier.
Admiral Nimitz submitted an affidavit to the Nuremberg Trials supporting unrestricted submarine warfare which both he and German Admiral Karl Donitz had employed during the war. This affidavit may have been one of the reasons Donitz was only required to serve 10 years.
He won more awards and received more decorations than can be listed here, including several Gold Stars. Roosevelt declared October 5th “Nimitz Day”. He was present for a parade in his honor on that day in 1945 and on October 17th, 1964 on “Nimitz Day” at the University of California.
Nimitz participated in fundraising to help restore the Japanese Imperial Navy battleship, the Mikasa, with the intention of restoring goodwill with Japan.
Nimitz is featured on a United States stamp and several things have been named after him including ships, schools, foundations, museums, freeways, military institutions, hills, summits, a glacier, musical compositions, eight schools, and even the town of Nimitz, WV.
The Five Sullivan Brothers Died Serving Aboard the Same Ship in the Pacific
For any family, the loss of a sibling, child or relative during war is devastating. For Thomas and Alleta Sullivan, their entire lives changed when their five sons died on the same day aboard the same ship – the greatest loss for any one family in wartime history. The deaths of the Sullivan brothers rocked the United States and heavily influenced the assignment of family members during the Second World War.
The Sullivan brothers’ early life
The Sullivan brothers lived an average middle-class life in Waterloo, Iowa, as their parents, Thomas and Alleta Sullivan, were fortunate to have paying jobs during the Great Depression. The eldest brother, George, was born in December 1914. Next was Francis, born in 1916, followed by Joseph (1918), Madison (1919) and Albert (1922).
They also had one sister, Genevieve.
Sullivan brothers during their military physicals, 1942. (Photo Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images) The brothers were incredibly close, working together at the Rath Packing Plant and spending evenings playing sports at the vacant lot next to their home. Family and religion were their main guiding principles, and “we stick together” was their motto.
Prior to America’s entry into the Second World War, George and Francis had both served in the US Navy, with the former being discharged as a Gunner’s Mate Third Class and the latter being a Seaman First Class. When word came that one of their friends had perished in the sinking of the USS Arizona (BB-39) during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, all five decided to enlist, but with one condition: they be kept together. The Navy agreed, despite a policy in place that kept siblings apart.
Less than a month later, the Sullivan brothers were sworn in and left for basic training.
Service in the Pacific Theater
After serving in the Atlantic, the light cruiser USS Juneau (CL-52) was deployed to the Pacific in August 1942. The Sullivan brothers were assigned to the vessel and participated in a number of naval engagements throughout the Guadalcanal Campaign. This included the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands that October.
That November, Juneau was tasked bringing reinforcements and supplies to the Solomon Islands during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. At the same time, the Japanese had sent a resupply ship to the other side of the island.
On November 12, the American ships, including Juneau, destroyed enemy aircraft attacking from above. During the melee, which continued into the night, the cruiser was struck by a torpedo launched from the Japanese destroyer Amatsukaze (1939). At dawn, the vessels traveled back to base. Juneau was forced to retire, due to the damage she’d suffered.
USS Juneau (CL-52), 1942. (Photo Credit: US National Archives / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain) The cruiser’s damage made her an easy target for the Imperial Japanese Navy vessels, allowing the submarine I-26 to launch a torpedo at her ammunition supply area. This caused an explosion, which sunk Juneau in just 42 seconds.
Capt. Gilbert C. Hoover, commander of the American task force, described what he saw as Juneau was struck, “When the torpedo hit, there was a large single explosion and the air was filled with debris, much of it in large pieces… The whole ship disappeared in a large cloud of black, yellow black, and brown smoke. Debris showered down among ships of the formation for several minutes after the explosion to such an extent as to indicate erroneously a high-level bombing attack.”
Six-hundred and eighty-seven men died in the sinking and the events that followed, including all five Sullivan brothers. Between 100-140 crew members survived the initial blast and were left in the water, but several logistical errors meant the search for them was delayed for days. While they waited to be rescued, the survivors were subjected to hunger, thirst and shark attacks.
Eight days after the sinking, only 10 crewmen were rescued by a PBY Catalina.
What happened to the Sullivan brothers?
The survivors described the heart-wrenching final moments of the Sullivan brothers. Frank, Joe and Matt were killed instantly in the explosion, while Al drowned the following day.
George, the eldest, survived for several days before becoming delirious from Hypernatremia – a high concentration of salt in the bloodstream caused by seawater. Others believe his overwhelming grief over the loss of his brothers drove him to madness. He ultimately left the raft he was on and slipped into the water, never to be seen or heard from again.
Poster featuring the Sullivan brothers aboard the USS Juneau (CL52) during World War II. (Photo Credit: Hulton Archive / Getty Images) The loss of Juneau was kept a secret for security purposes, but once letters stopped arriving from the boys, Tom and Alleta grew worried. Aletta wrote to the Bureau of Naval Personnel in January 1943, mentioning a rumor she’d overheard that all five of her sons had been killed in action.
Her letter was answered by none other than President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who explained the brothers were missing in action. However, his response came one day after three men in uniform – a doctor, a lieutenant commander and a chief petty officer – arrived at the Sullivan home. “I have some news for you about your boys,” said one of them to Tom. “Which one?” He asked.
“I’m sorry,” the officer replied. “All five.”
The Sullivan brothers’ legacy
News of the tragic loss of the Sullivan brothers garnered worldwide attention. Pope Pius XII sent a silver religious medal and rosary with a touching letter of condolence, and President Roosevelt declared the next ship built would be named in their honor.
Thomas and Alleta Sullivan with Adm. Clark H. Woodward as he presents them with posthumous Purple Hearts for their five sons. (Photo Credit: Bettmann Archive / Getty Images) Two destroyers were ultimately named The Sullivans: USS The Sullivans (DD-537), the first US Navy ship to be named after more than one person, and USS The Sullivans (DDG-68). The motto for both was “we stick together.” Additionally, “the Fighting Sullivan Brothers” became a symbol of sacrifice and service for American war posters.
Their sister, Genevieve, honored her brothers by enlisting in the US Naval Reserve as a Specialist (Recruiter) Third Class. Along with her parents, she visited hundreds of manufacturing plants and shipyards during the war to encourage employees to produce more weapons to speed along the end of the conflict.
The death of the five brothers, as well as the four Borgstrom brothers over the course of just a few months, helped inform 1948’s Sole Survivor Policy. This allowed for the exemption of a sole surviving son from the draft if they’d already lost a family member to military service.
USS The Sullivans (DD-537), 1962. (Photo Credit: Naval History and Heritage Command / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain) More from us: The Residents of Graignes Saved the Lives of Over 100 American Paratroopers
In 2018, the final resting place of the Sullivan brothers was unearthed when the USS Juneau was discovered by Vulcan Inc., an ocean exploration company owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The wreck was found on St. Patrick’s Day – a strange coincidence relating to the brother’s Irish heritage. Their bodies were never recovered, but the five are memorialized at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Inseparable in life, the five Sullivan brothers are also together in death.
The “Red Zone” – Land Still Abandoned Due to the Dangers Left by the First World War In the aftermath of the First World War, large areas of northeast France were left in ruin. Years of constant siege warfare along…
Before Becoming a Big-Name Actor, Richard Todd was a Paratrooper Who Fought at Pegasus Bridge Photo Credit: 1. Sgt. Christie, No. 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit / Imperial War Museums / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain 2. Silver Screen…
The Potsdam Giants: A Prussian Infantry Regiment Of Nothing But Very Tall Soldiers Frederick William I inspecting his giant guards known as The Potsdam Giants, a Prussian infantry regiment No 6, composed of taller-than-average soldiers. Frederick William I of Prussia,…
Ellen DeGeneres cuts a very casual figure as she drives around Montecito in her Ferrari… while preparing to embark on her stand-up tour Ellen DeGeneres cut a very casual figure as she made her way around Montecito on Tuesday morning. The…
Heavily tattooed OnlyFans star, 23, with multiple piercings on her FACE slams TJ Maxx for rejecting her for a job – accusing retailer of unfairly judging her dramatic look A woman has accused TJ Maxx of rejecting her for a…
Praying, turning the engine off by accident and letting KIDS play with the controls: The worst blunders made by pilots before a crash revealed Every time we board a plane, we put our lives in the hands of the pilot….