The 'Lone Survivor' brings it for Trump
In keeping with Donald Trump’s machismo-fueled presidential run, one of the first speakers on opening night of the Republican National Convention was former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, whose mix of Texas swagger and conservative politics have made him a hero among many Republicans.
Luttrell, who was the only survivor when his SEAL team was ambushed by Taliban fighters in a 2005 operation, did not disappoint. To cheers of “USA, USA!” he gave the Republican faithful some of his trademark down-home American cheerleading.
“I was fortunate in life to be born from a patriotic family,” said Luttrell “[They] taught me to love this country and the people that make it up — unconditionally. To fight for any woman, fight beside any man,” said Luttrell, who told his tale of survival and grit in the blockbuster book “Lone Survivor,” later made into the movie of the same name.
Trump, who has made security a cornerstone of his campaign, has amped up his rhetoric on terrorism and the threat of radical Islam in the wake of a recent spate of ISIS or ISIS-inspired terrorist attacks at home and abroad. Tonight’s convention speeches are being delivered under the banner of “Making America Safe Again.”
Luttrell touted Trump as the man who could make America strong again.
“I had a chance to spend time with Mr. Trump and I know he understand what it’s gonna take to fix this,” he said. “The only way we’re going to keep America safe is to have an elite military made up of the warriors and prepared by the toughest training we have to offer, and backed up by the nation that puts those people in harm’s way.”
But the speech was surprisingly short on paeans to Trump, and Luttrell said nothing about his rival for the presidency, Hillary Clinton. Instead, he seemed more preoccupied with helping America’s veterans and touting the virtue of shared national sacrifice.
“I was allowed to walk with giants,” Luttrell said. “Now we’re looking for the next generation of giants. Who among you will love something more than you love yourself, who among you is going to step up and take the fight to the enemy because it’s here?”
After his ordeal on an Afghan mountaintop, Luttrell was rescued by Pashtun tribesmen invoking their ancient moral code requiring them to protect and defend a guest. He credited one in particular, Mohammad Gulab, with saving his life. The two men formed a close bond. Gulab would sometimes call Luttrell in the middle of the night from Afghanistan — although he did not speak English — just to hear the sound of his friend’s voice. Gulab visited Luttrell’s Texas ranch and Luttrell tried to help Gulab get a book deal. But lately that relationship has frayed, with Gulab contending that Luttrell did not make a serious effort to help him and his family get a visa to move to the U.S. Gulab has since alleged that Luttrell exaggerated many of the details of his harrowing survival tale.
