I read Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell this summer, and I loved it. It's become my favorite book I've read... ever! That's a pretty huge accomplishment. ;) But anyways, when the College of Charleston had an essay for their honors college about a recent book I've read, I immediately knew what I would write about. I'm pretty proud of it, so I figured I'd publish it here. :)Prompt: Consider the books you have read in the last year or two either for school or for leisure. Please discuss the way in which one of them has changed your understanding of the world, other people, or yourself.
When I picked up Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell, all I knew was the subject: Navy SEALs. I never imagined I was about to discover the most eye-opening book I had ever read before. I have always had the utmost respect for the members of our Armed Forces. Coming from a military family including grandfathers, uncles, cousins, and a brother, I had an idea of what these men and women did for us. I knew they fought for our freedom, and I knew that they endured long periods of time without their loved ones in order for us to stay with ours. What I did not know was the intricate details of their jobs such as the politics they dealt with and their loyalty.
Luttrell is a part of our nation’s most elite group of men: the Navy SEALs. He has endured intense physical and mental training in order to have the SEAL title, and he fully deserves every ounce of respect and trust just as every other SEAL does. One might be surprised about the small amount of respect and trust these men get from our government: “And those ROE are very specific: we may not open fire until we are fired upon or have positively identified our enemy and have proof of his intentions. Now, that’s all very gallant…How about when a bunch of guys brandishing AK-47s come charging over the horizon straight toward you? That situation might look simple in Washington…” (Luttrell 37). When a group of our Armed Forces is approached by a group of unidentifiable men with large weapons, does our government really expect them not to fire upon the assumed enemy? How would YOU react if any person came at you with a gun? Luttrell allowed me to realize the politics these men deal with. If they shoot a potential enemy whom the government deems an “innocent civilian,” they could very well be prosecuted for murder. I now firmly believe that these men should be given the rights needed to perform their missions sufficiently; I’m sure a trained Navy SEAL is intelligent enough to decide when his life is in danger and when it is not.
Just as any branch, company, division, or platoon, the Navy SEALs are extremely dedicated and passionate about the job they do. There is no way any person could make it through their intense training without being fully committed to the purpose of the SEALs. During their training a philosophy is beat into their brains: “‘I will never quit…My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates…I am never out of the fight’” (Luttrell 235). The SEALs are not only out there fighting for the American citizens, but they are also fighting for each other. They fight to protect our freedoms, and they fight to keep each other alive. Even when they don’t agree with the purpose of the war, they’re still loyal: “Search me. But everything’s cool with us. Tell us what you want, and we’ll do it. We’re loyal servants of the U.S. government” (Luttrell 169). These men are given orders. They may not agree with them, they may not like them, they may know they will probably be killed during the mission, but they do it anyways. No matter what the orders may be, these men perform their duties professionally, thoroughly, and loyally. Before Luttrell opened my eyes to the world of the SEALs, I never realized how dedicated so many members of our military are. Have you ever stopped to think about what they do daily in order to protect America? Leaving their families behind, they gear up and ship out—that alone shows immense amounts of dedication.
The Navy SEALs and every other member of our Military from the Coast Guard to Sailors to Infantrymen, fulfill their job requirements everyday so we can peacefully live at home. Luttrell showed me what being a member of the military really entails. Not only do they have to protect our freedoms, but they also have to deal with politics. Not only do they have to protect our freedoms, but they want to do so; some of these men have dreamt of protecting their country since the time they were in elementary school. I’ve realized that just because these men sign up to protect us, doesn’t mean we should take them for granted. Make sure the next time you pass a serviceman or woman, you thank them for the wonderful job they do of protecting our country.
