Marcus Luttrell

The Norfolk Forum 2015-2016

Marcus Luttrell is the author of the #1 New York Times best-selling book, Lone Survivor, which tells the harrowing story of four Navy SEALs who journeyed into the mountainous border of Afghanistan and Pakistan in Operation Redwing. An unparalleled motivational story of survival, the book is also a moving tribute to the friends and teammates who did not make it off the mountain.

In January 2014, Luttrell's amazing story made the leap to the big screen with the blockbuster film, Lone Survivor, directed by Peter Berg and starring Mark Wahlberg as Luttrell. The film, like the book, is an incredible account of teamwork, fortitude and modern warfare. Leading Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell joined the U.S. Navy in 1999 and became a combat-trained SEAL in 2002. After serving in Iraq for two years, he was deployed to Afghanistan in the spring of 2005.

As a SEAL, Luttrell was trained in weapons, demolition, and unarmed combat. He also served as platoon medic. After recuperating from the near-fatal injuries of Operation Redwing, he redeployed to Iraq for a second tour and retired in 2007, earning the Navy Cross for combat heroism by President George W. Bush. Many of these experiences are highlighted in his follow up bestselling book, Service. In it, Luttrell turns his focus from his own experiences as a combat-trained Navy SEAL to the nature of service on America's battlefields and the soldiers who give their lives to defend their nation and each other.