Leave No Man Behind: The Untold Story of the Rangers' Unrelenting Search for Marcus Luttrell, the Navy SEAL Lone Survivor in Afghanistan

by Tony Brooks, Bob Welch

Overview

A story of courage, perseverance, and patriotism behind the 75th Ranger Regiment's rescue mission following one of the deadliest Special Ops incidents in Afghanistan-a grueling search for twelve Navy SEAL casualties and eight downed Night Stalkers . . . but just one lone survivor

On June 28th, 2005, a four-man Navy SEAL reconnaissance team under Operation Red Wings was ambushed in northeastern Afghanistan-as depicted in the book and film Lone Survivor. A quick reaction force was dispatched. Turbine 33, carrying eight Navy SEALs and eight members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, was struck by a rocket propelled grenade-careening the dual rotor Chinook toward the rugged peak of Sawtalo Sar.

The result was the single deadliest incident in Special Operations history at the time.

Commanders called on the largest element of US Special Forces, the 75th Ranger Regiment. The rescue mission: Operation Red Wings II.

Author Tony Brooks gives a first-hand account of the daring recovery of Turbine 33 and the subsequent search for the remaining compromised Navy SEAL recon team-one of whom was Marcus Luttrell, the lone survivor. The Rangers were up against lack of intel, treacherous terrain, violent weather, and an enemy that was raised to fight.

Tony Brooks lived-and many of his fellow Rangers died-by the axiom, "Leave No Man Behind." He is the first to tell the story other books and films have omitted, one of overcoming overwhelming odds to accomplish a mission: to bring every American soldier home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635767797
Publisher:	Diversion Books
Publication date:	01/10/2023
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	293,417
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

After enlisting in the U.S. Army in 2003 at the age of 21, Dr. Anthony "Tony" Brooks graduated from Infantry and Airborne school followed by the four-week Ranger Indoctrination program, officially checking in to the 2nd Ranger Battalion in Fort Lewis, Washington, in September 2004. He deployed to eastern Afghanistan in April 2005, based at Bagram Airfield. His first mission was Operation Red Wings II. Tony subsequently deployed to the Ramadi region of Iraq.

He is now owner/operator of a chiropractic clinic and creator of Ranger Pure, a healthy lifestyle social venture. He was featured on a Discovery Science channel episode and a Smithsonian Air and Space documentary as a subject matter expert on Operation Red Wings and is also featured in the Backbone docuseries. Dr. Brooks lives in Everett, Washington.

Bob Welch is a speaker, author, award-winning columnist and writing teacher who has served as an adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Oregon in Eugene. He is the author of more than 20 books. He and his wife, Sally, parents of two and grandparents of five, live in Eugene, Oregon.

Table of Contents

Author's Note ix

Prologue: Bird Down on Sawtalo Sar xiii

1 Out of the Wheelhouse 1

2 Readily Will I Display the Intestinal Fortitude 13

3 Two Deaths and a Unicorn 29

4 To Afghanistan 45

5 Welcome to War 51

8 Sawtalo Sar 71

7 Breaking Bush 83

8 Bird Down on Sawtalo Sar: Part II 91

9 Soldiers and the Sacred 107

10 A Ring is Forever 115

11 Death Watch 123

12 The Lure of Danger 135

13 The Stars Aligned 147

14 Revenge of the JDAMS 157

15 Under the Waterfall 163

18 A Hand in the Rubble 171

19 Manna from Heaven 183

18 Luttrell, Dietz, and Murphy 191

19 Fourth of July 201

20 Coming Home 207

Epilogue 217

Acknowledgments 223

Index 225

About the Authors 233