1 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 1: It's that time, time, time, time, luck and load. 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:36,559 Speaker 2: So Michael Verie Show is on the air. Marcus Latrell 3 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 2: is our guest. Twenty years after Operation Red Wings. Of course, 4 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 2: his diary would be published and Lone Survivor would be 5 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 2: a bestseller, the movie would be made, and a nation 6 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 2: was riveted. We were at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, 7 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 2: and I think that really humanized. The two guys from 8 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 2: that time that I grew to have such a credible 9 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 2: respect for were Marcus Attrell and his peers, his Navy seals, 10 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 2: and Chris Kyle. And I think the entire country was 11 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 2: absolutely and still is riveted by this story. So it 12 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 2: has become a firefight. Tell me, Marcus, what happens from there. 13 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 1: Once that thing started, it was kind of a free 14 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: for all that they had us covered on three sides, 15 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,400 Speaker 1: so the only way we could go was down the mountain, 16 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: and then a couple hours into that, they had come 17 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 1: up from the base of the mountain from the village, 18 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: so they had it in a three hundred and sixty 19 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: degree loop. It wasn't really anywhere we could go, which 20 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: means you had to keep moving the entire time. The 21 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: hardest thing to hit of the moving target, but because 22 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: of the terrain and the altitude, just making the movement 23 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: was tough enough. By a couple hours into it, everyone 24 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: was so exhausted that and shot up that they just 25 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: systematically picked us apart one by one as we were 26 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: going down the mountain. And then at the end of 27 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: the day, I would I had slipped into this ravine 28 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: and kind of was laid in between these rocks, and 29 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: I just laid there. I was paralyzed from the waist down. 30 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:10,959 Speaker 1: I'd been shot up pretty bad and fragged, and my 31 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: back was broken and stuff. And as the sun went down, 32 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: I just laid there and I couldn't move. I waited 33 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: and waited, and then eventually I started to crawl out 34 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 1: of there and just started moving. And I crawled all 35 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,799 Speaker 1: night into the next morning and halfway through the next 36 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: day before the villagers found me. It was right next 37 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:35,959 Speaker 1: to a waterfall in the river. 38 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:41,079 Speaker 2: You've talked about not knowing how far you went, and 39 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 2: you know you weren't at yourself, as my grandmother would say, 40 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 2: but if you were to estimate how far you crawled, 41 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 2: what would that be? 42 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: Oh, so we know now they've done a map study 43 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: and I've gotten debriefed by everyone who had anything to 44 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 1: do with the mission, and I crawled about seven miles. 45 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 2: And you started how much after or after sundown or 46 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 2: after it got dark, Probably. 47 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:09,119 Speaker 1: About almost a couple hours afterwards. I just started making 48 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: a movement when I couldn't hear anything, and when I 49 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: thought that day a Matta had returned to base, I 50 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:14,920 Speaker 1: just started moving. 51 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 2: And there was zero chance you would have survived. If 52 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:19,359 Speaker 2: you'd stayed there, they would have found you. 53 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: Right absolutely, because the helicopter had gotten shot down, which 54 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 1: brought more reinforcements from them, and so the mountain was 55 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: saturated with the Taliban and the al Qaeda. They kind 56 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: of worked together in that area of the Hornet's nest 57 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: is where we were at, and we had slipped in 58 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: there under the cover of darkness. So when the sun 59 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: came up and everybody was making movement, it was it 60 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: was saturated. 61 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 2: When you saw the I'm assuming you saw the chinook 62 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 2: shot down. 63 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: I didn't. That's how loud it was that I couldn't 64 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: hear it or see it get shot down and roll 65 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 1: down the mountain. I had my ear drum has been 66 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: busted out. I was bleeding out everywhere, so I didn't. 67 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: I didn't know that. I found that out when I 68 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: was in the village and the Taliban got a hold 69 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: to me. They told me one of the guys was 70 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: wearing one of my wedding ring. He said it was 71 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: from one of my buddies. He was trying to tell 72 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 1: me that they had shot a helicopter down and that 73 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: a bunch of the seals had died. But I didn't 74 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: I wouldn't believe it. And then when I got back 75 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 1: to when y'all finally found me and brought me back, 76 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: is when I when I got the news that was solid. 77 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 2: I'm gonna ask a stupid question, why couldn't they get 78 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:33,919 Speaker 2: the coms up? You know, you talk about this in 79 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:36,359 Speaker 2: the book, and that's a central theme to the movie. 80 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:40,039 Speaker 2: Why couldn't they manage to get comms back to the base? 81 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 2: I mean, was the equipment not good enough or what 82 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 2: was the issue? 83 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: Now, all that has to do with location and where 84 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: we were set up, and they're just intermittent. Sometimes they 85 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 1: come in and sometimes they come out. There's no really 86 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: solid answer for why that happens. I know today with technology, 87 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 1: you can you can It's the same premise to why 88 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: your cell phone while you lose signal in certain areas, 89 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: like we don't Why can't I say right here and 90 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: then go two feet to the right and not have 91 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: or I can make communications. It's the same principle. But 92 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: go way back when you're get into two thousand and five, 93 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 1: you're dealing with the Tatcom radio and then the planes 94 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: moving overhead and the relays that we had back and forth. 95 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:17,839 Speaker 1: It was just intermittent. That's just the way it works. 96 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: That's why we have checkpoints and waypoints as we're going along. 97 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 1: So if we do miss the calm window, then there's 98 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 1: another checkpoints when we get to that we can radio 99 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 1: back in before everyone starts losing their mind and trying 100 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: to come get us. 101 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 2: Do you remember the first hit you took? 102 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh yeah, you don't forget it absolutely, what's happen? Well, 103 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:43,599 Speaker 1: you until you get hit, you don't know. You just 104 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: have this anticipation of what it feels like. And now 105 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: there's a difference between when you have this mentality of 106 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: when you're hunting men. I remember having that like it 107 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 1: kind of flowed through me. Well, my job when we 108 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 1: went out was to hunt things down, and then it's 109 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: a completely different feeling when someone's hunting you and there 110 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:07,160 Speaker 1: and and they got you in their site to a 111 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 1: lot of times you couldn't see where any It was 112 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: so loud and at this and you couldn't you didn't 113 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 1: have any idea where the bullets were coming from. So 114 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 1: I remember thinking when I got hit that first time, 115 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: and I fell and knocked me out, and when I 116 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:22,039 Speaker 1: came to the smell, that's the one thing that they 117 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: couldn't You can't duplicate as the smell of death when 118 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,840 Speaker 1: that's around, And how the ground was on fire too, 119 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: and I remember the smoke and all that stuff like that. 120 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,280 Speaker 1: It just kind of hit me, hit me pretty hard, 121 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: and and then it just changed the dynamic the way 122 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 1: you the way you move. 123 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 2: Told me, you told me one time that as brutal 124 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 2: as the movie is, it's two hours long, and the 125 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 2: firefight lasted far longer than that, and of course you're 126 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 2: in the middle of it, and the smells and the 127 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 2: sounds and all that. What is the thing that the 128 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:56,040 Speaker 2: movie was least able to convey that you remember vividly. 129 00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: Bringing me out of there. If I, if I, if there, 130 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:02,840 Speaker 1: if there'd be another movie made, it would be about 131 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 1: the ending the way that what it took to get 132 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:09,040 Speaker 1: me out of there, and and pay respect and give 133 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: acknowledgement to everything that went to pulling me out, that 134 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:14,679 Speaker 1: that in itself was is a story because it happened 135 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,239 Speaker 1: at night. In the in the movie they made Los Survivor, 136 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: it was a daytime rescue, and in reality, it was 137 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: at night, and I mean it was a free for all, 138 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: crazy scenario storms and everyone was out there. It was 139 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: probably the most intimidated, intimidating time because I didn't you know, 140 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: you think I'm getting rescued, but then there's a chance. 141 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: There's always a chance you can die. And when they 142 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 1: finally got me onto the helicopter we left out of there, 143 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 1: it was there was a roller coaster of emotions for sure. 144 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: But the one thing that we didn't capture in the film, 145 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: and like I said, it didn't have enough time, was 146 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: the ending how they actually had and what they had 147 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: to go through to rescue. Everyone who was in theater 148 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: was involved to getting me out of there, for sure, 149 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 1: and then to follow on to get all the guys 150 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 1: off the mountain. And my remember, our teammate was still 151 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:07,760 Speaker 1: laying out there. We had a helicopter go down and 152 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: had fifteen guys on it. They had to recover all 153 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 1: those guys they were taking fire. It was it was 154 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: a crazy scenario. 155 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 2: All these chairs can rolling around. Damn it all right? 156 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 2: This is Mark Chestnut and Jar Bizar of Talk Radio. 157 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:33,439 Speaker 2: Marcus till Trail is our guest twenty years after Operation 158 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 2: Red Wings. Hard to believe it's been twenty years. He 159 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:40,199 Speaker 2: has agreed to stay with us a little extra because 160 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 2: everything I want to know won't make it into this segment. 161 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 2: I could talk to him for hours on end and 162 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:49,400 Speaker 2: have There's so many things he can't tell or doesn't 163 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 2: tell that are fascinating about all of this and his 164 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 2: incredible life. Marcus till Trail is our guest. Marcus, you 165 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 2: mentioned that the extra of you, the rescue of you, 166 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 2: didn't get covered properly in the movie because you couldn't 167 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 2: give everything justice. What are some things we didn't see? 168 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: Okay? So I was the great There's a hodgepodge of 169 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 1: the guys who finally found me, and if you, if 170 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: you could have seen them, I made it look something 171 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: straight out of a movie. When they came in there, 172 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: they were beat up just to get to me. Was 173 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: was was an event just just to find me. And 174 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: then once they found me, they had to they surrounded 175 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: the village, and then the village was surrounded by the 176 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 1: Taliban and the al Qaida, just to keep me safe. 177 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 1: And then they had moved me down the mountain into 178 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: this little ravine area. I hadn't thought about this in 179 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 1: a minute. And we sat up and it was dark. 180 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 1: So by now the sun had gone down, and the 181 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 1: helicopter had to come in from the base of the mountain, 182 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 1: and it was we were so high up on the 183 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 1: mountain that they had all it was was fuel and ammo. 184 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:00,680 Speaker 1: And I remember they had some water on there for 185 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:02,720 Speaker 1: the guys, because the guys who found me were out 186 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:07,840 Speaker 1: of water. And then a firefight ensued, and then above 187 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: the mountain where a bunch of fish wing aircraft were 188 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: dropping ordnance down on the bad guys. And then in 189 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:17,199 Speaker 1: the distance at the base of the mountain, so down 190 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:19,199 Speaker 1: the mountain it was a river, and the helicopter was 191 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:21,319 Speaker 1: coming up the river, and the colsign of the guy 192 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 1: who was flying the bird's name of Spanking and Jeff Pearson, great, 193 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: great fricking guy. And and here you'll tell you it 194 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:31,440 Speaker 1: was so dark and by this time they had juiced 195 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: me up, so I was kind of having a good time, 196 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:35,439 Speaker 1: Like I wasn't feel any pain anymore, and I was 197 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 1: just kind of sitting there watching all of our guys 198 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 1: do their thing, and it was it was the most 199 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 1: amazing thing to watch them work. Normally, when you're in 200 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: something you don't you can't anticipate with that. But when 201 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:48,080 Speaker 1: I had a chance to step back and actually watch 202 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: our guys go to war, and it was awesome. And 203 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 1: then that helicopter bo it came up over the side 204 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 1: of that cliff and the dust kicked up, and so 205 00:10:57,360 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 1: it was called a brown eye. We couldn't see anything 206 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 1: when he came to land. The ravine we were on 207 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: was about as wide as the helicopter itself. And he goes, 208 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 1: and that dust came up. I couldn't see nothing. And 209 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:11,720 Speaker 1: then there was Pj's in the back of the bird 210 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 1: trying to land it, trying to tell them how far 211 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:16,319 Speaker 1: from the ground they were, and nobody could see an ink. 212 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: And the helicopter actually had rotated, so when the nose 213 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: came over, it had spun around and the tail was 214 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: facing us. And then he goes, there was a plant 215 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 1: hanging from one of the houses. It was on the 216 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: side of the mountain. He goes, I was kind of 217 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 1: looking at that thing and I just sat it down, 218 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:34,840 Speaker 1: and he did. He stuck it well. The Green Berets 219 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: they picked me up and were carrying me towards the HILO, 220 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:39,000 Speaker 1: and I was dressed up in man Jamie, so I 221 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,199 Speaker 1: looked like an agha and they pulled me up at 222 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 1: the tail so you don't come up on the tail rotor. 223 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:46,840 Speaker 1: So the PGS turned around to actually take a shot 224 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 1: at us, and they had their lasers up and their 225 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 1: lasers hit our glint tape and that's how they knew 226 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 1: that not to shoot. So almost got killed on the rescue. 227 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 1: They told me that later. I was like, I'm glad 228 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:00,200 Speaker 1: you didn't shoot me. And then they threw me on 229 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 1: the helicopter and we sat there for a while because 230 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:04,520 Speaker 1: they had to unload the water for all the guys 231 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:05,960 Speaker 1: who were still on the mountain because they had to 232 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 1: go on a follow on mission. They didn't even come 233 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: home with me. And then we sat there and then 234 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: the helicopter I remember, dumped off the side of the mountain. 235 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:17,760 Speaker 1: That PJ came up. He asked me, He's like, who's 236 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: your Superhero and I was like Spider Man, and I 237 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 1: asked him my dog's name. I told him that it's 238 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,720 Speaker 1: kind of verification code. And we went back and we 239 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:29,120 Speaker 1: landed and they're still in a firefight. We landed on 240 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:33,839 Speaker 1: a base and then they transferred me from a helicopter 241 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 1: to a C one thirty medical bird and kind of 242 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 1: laid me down and started going to work on me. 243 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 1: And then they flew me from there to Toboggram Air 244 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 1: Force Base where the rest of my platoon and all 245 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 1: the seals are waiting on me to get back. 246 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 2: But then, how does that look when when they bring 247 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 2: you in? What tell me about that? 248 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:56,559 Speaker 1: So the ramp dropped off the helicopter or shoot me 249 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 1: on the back of the plane, and they had to 250 00:12:58,040 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: pick me. I couldn't really walk, so they picked me 251 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:03,120 Speaker 1: up and we're carrying me down at ivy stuck out 252 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,079 Speaker 1: of me and they they said they abandoned me up 253 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:09,719 Speaker 1: and uh, I remember there was a lady standing by 254 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 1: the ramp and she covered her face and started crying. 255 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 1: I guess I looked worse than I thought. And then 256 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 1: they transferred me to these van There was a bunch 257 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 1: of vans sitting there and they put me in one 258 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: of those and then they took me to the hospital. 259 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: And then while I was in the hospital, they was 260 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: when we kind of started the debrief I tried to 261 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:26,560 Speaker 1: tell them because all my guys were still out there. 262 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 1: I tried to tell them where I was and in 263 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: relation to where they thought we were, and it just 264 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 1: it all started from there. And then I was in 265 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: the hospital for a minute. 266 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 2: Go ahead, are you able to talk at that point? 267 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 2: I mean, what does that look like? 268 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 1: I was? Was I was able to talk? Uh. The 269 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:47,840 Speaker 1: villagers did a great job of taking care of me. 270 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 1: I mean they doctored me up twice a day, banaged 271 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:54,199 Speaker 1: my wounds, made sure my pain TIRRT, my pain was down. 272 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 1: So I was really I had a doctor in the 273 00:13:56,720 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: village and they just they say, my life for sure. 274 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: And then when I got back the all the army 275 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 1: guys started working on me, and then we started doing 276 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 1: the debriefs so they could go out and find our 277 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 1: other guys and bring them back. And I think that 278 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 1: took about two weeks to find all the guys. I'm 279 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 1: not mistaken, so and then I got transferred back to 280 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 1: the States. 281 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 2: In the movie, there is a conflict within the village 282 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 2: of the you know, Gulab brings you back, and that 283 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 2: not everyone in the village wants you there because that 284 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 2: brings problems on them. Tell me a little bit about 285 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:33,160 Speaker 2: your reception in the village to the extent you remember it. 286 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: Just like that. Well, there was there was something in 287 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 1: there that didn't want me in there, and I could 288 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 1: tell immediately who they were. They weren't trying to hide 289 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: that for sure. And then there were the villages and 290 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: the elder and Gulab. They were making sure that I 291 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:49,560 Speaker 1: stayed safe, and they put a rotating guard on me. 292 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 1: I was in there for almost five days. And then 293 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 1: there was some people in the villageho were trying to 294 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 1: sell me, because the Taliban would show up every day 295 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 1: negotiating for my head, and they would tell me about it, 296 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:04,960 Speaker 1: sit down in my room and have these little powwows 297 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 1: and these meetings, and then, which is kind of frustrating 298 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 1: because I didn't speak the language. Well, I didn't understand 299 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 1: what they were saying, but I could get the concept 300 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,000 Speaker 1: of what was going down. And then eventually when the 301 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 1: when the Green Berets and rangers found me, I was 302 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 1: tucked in underneath this rock and a riverbed, and they 303 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: were They moved me around the village systematically and strategically 304 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 1: all day and every day through the night. So the 305 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 1: Taliban would get a beat on the room that I 306 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 1: was in and they started shooting in there or firing 307 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 1: RPG at the wall, and then the villagers would move 308 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 1: me somewhere else. So it was it was kind of 309 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: chaotic and stressful, for sure. 310 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 2: It's amazing to think that after everything you had survived, 311 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 2: that you could have been killed at that moment or 312 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:48,920 Speaker 2: at the moment you're being rescued. I mean that that's 313 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 2: just just just insane. So the moment they came to 314 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 2: get you, do you remember the first thing they said to. 315 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: You, Sook call my name out. I'll never forget it. 316 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:02,360 Speaker 1: I heard it in English the first time. And uh, 317 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 1: I was draped over these two guys and my head 318 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: was down and they were having to drag me through 319 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 1: the through the mountains, and I looked up and this 320 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 1: old boy came down the mountain and two of them. 321 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 1: I could see me very vividly, and I grabbed that guy. 322 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:14,320 Speaker 1: I mean, I never heard a man like that. I 323 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 1: was gonna get in here, but I was going to 324 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 1: make sure he was real, because I was real sick 325 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: by then, and uh, and he called me by my name, 326 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 1: and uh, they picked me up and and took me 327 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 1: into this this stable. Uh, right underneath on the side 328 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 1: of the mountain, there was a stable down there they 329 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 1: would keep the huels in. And they laid me down 330 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: in there and started a bandaging me up. And then 331 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: that's when the beeps me for the first time. And 332 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 1: uh they got me out of there. Yeah, that happened, 333 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 1: but it was it was It was crazy for sure. 334 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 2: Michael Barry Show, marceetell Is our guest. Our conversation continues 335 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 2: about the rescue. If you've read the book and seen 336 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:59,000 Speaker 2: the movie, obviously in a matter of minutes, they can't 337 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 2: capture what actually happened. You know, you've alluded to a 338 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 2: number of things, Marcus, I'd like to rewind and let's 339 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 2: talk about how Gulab discovers you at the water. You know, 340 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:13,520 Speaker 2: there's a scene in the movie where you threaten to 341 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,560 Speaker 2: pull the pin. You have no belief that this guy 342 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 2: is going to drag you to his village and that 343 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:21,399 Speaker 2: they're going to care for you, which they did and 344 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 2: save your life. Walk me through that process from you 345 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:27,680 Speaker 2: interacting with him to you getting to the village and 346 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:30,919 Speaker 2: then the eventual rescue and how long all this takes. 347 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:35,080 Speaker 1: So the sun had come up the following day and 348 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:39,199 Speaker 1: I somehow had crawled and Michael, I don't know how 349 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:40,719 Speaker 1: I did this, but I managed to get to the 350 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 1: top of this cliff where there's a waterfall. But I 351 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: couldn't I was so thirsty. This is what was driving me. 352 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: I didn't want to die thirsty. I know that sounds absurd, 353 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:55,240 Speaker 1: but when you thirst will do something completely different to 354 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 1: a man than pained and hunger. I mean, I'd never 355 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 1: been that thirsty. And when I tried to reach into 356 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: the waterfall, I started sliding down the side of the mountain. 357 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:08,679 Speaker 1: I took it kind of took off, and I flipped 358 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 1: into the river and I actually knocked myself out again. 359 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:17,440 Speaker 1: And when I came to, I crawled into I remember 360 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:19,399 Speaker 1: I crawled back up a little ways because I had 361 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:23,760 Speaker 1: seen a place that looked pretty, pretty inviting to drink 362 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 1: some water. And I got there and I probably had 363 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 1: two steps out of that waterfall before someone was screaming 364 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 1: at me. And they were screaming at me on the 365 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:35,280 Speaker 1: ledge that I had just fallen off of excuse, so 366 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:37,159 Speaker 1: I kind of like thought that they were following me. 367 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 1: And then above that there was a couple of guys 368 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 1: with Ak's maneuvering around and I could hear him screaming 369 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 1: and like they were trying to track me down. So 370 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: they started hunting me. So I made a move and 371 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 1: started crawling down into the lake, into the river and 372 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:54,199 Speaker 1: through over these rocks and stuff, and I managed to 373 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:57,159 Speaker 1: get into this crevice, into this ravine. It's hard to explain, 374 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:02,159 Speaker 1: and I couldn't go anywhere. They bottlednick me and I 375 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 1: turned around to shoot, and the guy saw me and 376 00:19:05,359 --> 00:19:07,960 Speaker 1: he ducked, and then I swung around on the other 377 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 1: two and they saw me, so they sat down. And 378 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:15,679 Speaker 1: then right after that happened right over the ravine I 379 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:18,640 Speaker 1: was sitting under is when Gulac came over the rocks. 380 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:20,280 Speaker 1: He was kind of just sitting there and he was 381 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 1: screaming at me, and he was screaming American. He's an American, American. 382 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:29,040 Speaker 1: And I thought about this a minutement. So they thought 383 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 1: I was the Taliban. They were trying to hunt me 384 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:32,200 Speaker 1: down and kill me because they thought I was the enemy. 385 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 1: But in reality, when they found out when they got 386 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:35,679 Speaker 1: it close enough, they realized I was an American, so 387 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 1: that's what he was telling him, don't shoot He's an American. 388 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 1: And I kind of wasn't putting that together. I turned 389 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 1: around to engage to shoot him, and he put his 390 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:48,639 Speaker 1: hands up and he was saying, okay, okay, okay. And 391 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:50,640 Speaker 1: I don't know why I didn't kill him. I don't 392 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:53,439 Speaker 1: know why didn't kill this guy? My God, I mean, 393 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:54,400 Speaker 1: I had my faith yield. 394 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:57,640 Speaker 2: What weapon did you have left at that point? 395 00:19:58,560 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 1: I had my rifle, That's the only I had. 396 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:01,119 Speaker 2: You still had your rifle? 397 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 1: Okay, I still had him. I couldn't throw that thing away. 398 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,440 Speaker 1: I mean it would leave my body and slide down 399 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 1: the mountain or flip off of me, and I tore 400 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 1: my lanyard, but I would always manage to get God 401 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:16,360 Speaker 1: was like, hey, you know you need that. So when 402 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 1: I turned around, go ahead. 403 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:21,879 Speaker 2: Go ahead, I'm sorry, no, no, you go ahead. 404 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:26,240 Speaker 1: Well, he finally walked up on me and I lowered 405 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:29,159 Speaker 1: my weapon, and he was he was like okay, okay, okay, okay, 406 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:34,119 Speaker 1: and he's like, shampoo hydrate is what he's saying to me. 407 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:36,800 Speaker 1: Shampoo hydrate. I'll never forget that I was like, I mean, 408 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 1: that sounds really good, but I was like, I need 409 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:40,359 Speaker 1: some water. 410 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:43,199 Speaker 2: So why do you think you didn't kill him? What 411 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:45,359 Speaker 2: did you know about him that he wasn't out to 412 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:45,920 Speaker 2: do you harm? 413 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,399 Speaker 1: I don't know a look on his face. He just 414 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:51,879 Speaker 1: had this look on his face like he didn't want 415 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:53,800 Speaker 1: to like he wasn't there to hurt me. You can tell. 416 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 1: And once you're out there long enough and you hunt hunt, 417 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:58,400 Speaker 1: you know, we fight these guys long enough, you can tell. 418 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 1: Even when we capture and have them with us, they 419 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:03,239 Speaker 1: would still look at you like they want to kill you. 420 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 1: And once you see that, you'll never forget it. You 421 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:08,720 Speaker 1: can anticipate with a man thinking just about the look 422 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 1: on his face and within his eyes. His eyes kill 423 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 1: a lot. And then these kids started coming out from 424 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:20,240 Speaker 1: behind him. Two and then these some more adults started 425 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:23,399 Speaker 1: walking up. And I lowered my weapon and I had 426 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 1: a grenade with me, and I pulled that thing and 427 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:26,400 Speaker 1: I pulled the pin. I kind of put it down 428 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: by my hip, and then they brought me some water, 429 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:31,399 Speaker 1: so I started drinking that, and they started looking at 430 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: my wounds and like patching me up. And then they 431 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:37,879 Speaker 1: picked me up and carried me down into the village. 432 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: They sat me down, they gave me more water, and 433 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:43,840 Speaker 1: then they picked me up and carried me into this 434 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 1: room and they stripped me naked, and there wasn't much 435 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 1: left in my uniform anyway, and they docked me up, 436 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 1: cleaned off my wounds, and then dressed me up in 437 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 1: instead of Man Jamie's. That was almost the first day. 438 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 2: And what was hurting the worst at that point, Well, 439 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 2: i had. 440 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:06,919 Speaker 1: A lot of facial damage, and then I'd broken my 441 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:09,720 Speaker 1: right hand. My thumb had been separated from the from 442 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 1: the where it was supposed to be. I couldn't feel 443 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 1: my lower extremities. It was weird. I busted my back 444 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: up real bad, and I've been shot in the button 445 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:20,480 Speaker 1: that frag hanging out of my legs, but I couldn't 446 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: really feel that Because I didn't, I was kind of paralyzed. 447 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:26,800 Speaker 2: Was it was a blessing and a curse at that time. 448 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 2: Are you at that moment do you think you're going 449 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 2: to die? You're just fighting on for some crazy reason, 450 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:34,440 Speaker 2: but do you are you certain you're going to die 451 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:35,720 Speaker 2: or are you holding out hope? 452 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:39,919 Speaker 1: No, that would only cross my mind when I was 453 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:45,640 Speaker 1: in a gunfight, and then even then on the first 454 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:48,160 Speaker 1: day for sure, but the second day I just kind 455 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 1: of got it in my head that I was getting 456 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 1: out of there. I wasn't gonna I wasn't gonna lay 457 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:55,480 Speaker 1: down and die. I was gonna the way our training 458 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:58,200 Speaker 1: goes and everything that kicks in, a lot of people 459 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 1: they can't anticipate that, like what do you do when 460 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 1: this happens? And what do you think when this happened? 461 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:06,119 Speaker 1: Does a trust me? It kicks in and I just 462 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 1: kept that. Ultimately, I did change the diplomacy. I mean 463 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 1: I kind of changed my attitude a little bit just 464 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:14,440 Speaker 1: because they were helping me and I wanted them to 465 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: know that I appreciated all that. So I you know, 466 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 1: I was on my manners and I was real polite. 467 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 1: I did everything I could. I started throughout the week. 468 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:24,240 Speaker 1: I started doctor and their kids like they would bring 469 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 1: their kids to me. I never told him I was 470 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:28,960 Speaker 1: a steal I told him I was a doctor. Okay, 471 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 1: I'm not. I'm not a stealing a doctor. And I 472 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: don't know if they bought that or not, but you 473 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 1: do have it. I did, and I did, and that 474 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:41,440 Speaker 1: helped me because when I would work on them Uh. 475 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 1: In the beginning, I didn't know if it was working 476 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:45,680 Speaker 1: or not, but they kept bringing me people, so it 477 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 1: worked in my advantage. And then they were calling me 478 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:52,320 Speaker 1: doctor Marcus. That weren't doctors. 479 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 2: Universal talk to me about the original the core for guys, Danny, Axe, 480 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:02,639 Speaker 2: Murphy and you. Why was each one of you chosen? 481 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:05,040 Speaker 2: What was your role within the group, What were your 482 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:06,159 Speaker 2: skill sets? 483 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 1: Danny was our communicator. He could work the radios real well. 484 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:14,480 Speaker 1: We weren't on the same delivery team, but he was 485 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 1: East Coast, I was West coast. But it doesn't matter. 486 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 1: When we throw us together, we work well together. I'd 487 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:23,120 Speaker 1: known Danny since we were in pre training, so we've 488 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 1: been buddies for a while. Acts as our primary sniper 489 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:28,880 Speaker 1: and our point man. It was his job to get 490 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:30,679 Speaker 1: us in and out of the target, and then he 491 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:34,399 Speaker 1: was obviously had the overwatch with the sniper rifle. Michael 492 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 1: was our lieutenant. He was our officer in charge, so 493 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:39,439 Speaker 1: he was overall command and control. And then I was 494 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:42,359 Speaker 1: also the medic and rear security. And then I was 495 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:44,360 Speaker 1: the LPO of the platoons, so I was running it 496 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 1: and then that was our team. That's how we were 497 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 1: set up recon teams are really small, usually four to. 498 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:53,840 Speaker 2: Six men, and are there are there particular skill sets 499 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 2: that brought you all together? I mean, you know, of 500 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:58,160 Speaker 2: all the guys that could have been chosen, how were 501 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:00,640 Speaker 2: you four guys chosen? They had to have a strategy 502 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:02,000 Speaker 2: behind that, I'm assuming. 503 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:05,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, it was the qualifications that we have through 504 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 1: in the seal teams you get you get to go 505 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 1: to multiple schools, so me being the medic, and then 506 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:12,199 Speaker 1: I was also a sniper, and I was also a 507 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: calm guy, and then I was also a j Tech 508 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:16,080 Speaker 1: which means I could talk to the planes and drop bombs, 509 00:25:16,119 --> 00:25:20,320 Speaker 1: so that that was really useful in that environment. And 510 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:25,480 Speaker 1: then acts being a sniper, a point man, nanny with 511 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:27,959 Speaker 1: the with the comms and the communication. So we it's 512 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 1: kind of like redundancy. So if one of us gets 513 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:31,879 Speaker 1: or goes down, the other guy can step up and 514 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:34,800 Speaker 1: do his job. And we had just trained up together. 515 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,280 Speaker 1: It was our it was our primary mission set, so 516 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: they utilize us in that capacity. 517 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 2: You've got the Michael Berry's show. Marcus Latrell is our 518 00:25:45,040 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 2: guest twenty years after Operation Red Wings, when when this 519 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:54,639 Speaker 2: was over and and you came home, you you convert 520 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,640 Speaker 2: your diary to what becomes a book. You go back 521 00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 2: to Iraq, and first time I ever talked to you 522 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:04,439 Speaker 2: about this, which is well over ten years ago, the 523 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:07,760 Speaker 2: thing that really just wrenched my gut was that you 524 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:11,399 Speaker 2: committed to go and talk to Patsy, to go and 525 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,639 Speaker 2: talk to the families about what had happened. You wanted 526 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 2: them when did that happen and how did that go down? 527 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:24,399 Speaker 1: I'd gotten back, but it happened pretty quick, and I 528 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:26,160 Speaker 1: was sitting I was in the hospital for a while, 529 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:28,080 Speaker 1: and then the rest of my at platoon came back 530 00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 1: from Iraq, and then they had like a week or 531 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:35,919 Speaker 1: two of downtime, and then the command actually facilitated that movement. 532 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: They lined out where we were going, when we were going, 533 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:41,240 Speaker 1: and how we were going to get there. So they 534 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:42,919 Speaker 1: flew us back to the States. We were in Hawaii. 535 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:45,080 Speaker 1: They flew us back into the States and we started 536 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:47,160 Speaker 1: and we went from family each family member and told 537 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:50,159 Speaker 1: them what happened. I told him face to face. I 538 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:52,240 Speaker 1: wanted they needed to hear it from the command. Wanted 539 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 1: that to make sure because there was all kinds of 540 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:57,639 Speaker 1: stories going around there's about what had happened, how it 541 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:00,239 Speaker 1: went down. I mean still to this day, but they 542 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:01,920 Speaker 1: know the real story. 543 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:03,560 Speaker 2: How hard was that to do? 544 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:14,240 Speaker 1: I was rough? That was rough. Just yeah, it's just tough. 545 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:17,600 Speaker 1: Like our CaCO officers, the officers that are actually in 546 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:19,639 Speaker 1: charge of go around and tell the families that his 547 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:21,960 Speaker 1: son's been injured or he's dead. I mean, I don't 548 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 1: That's got to be probably the hardest job in the military. 549 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:28,960 Speaker 1: So I really wasn't trained for that. And I you know, 550 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,800 Speaker 1: I love those guys. So when their family I understand. 551 00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:35,479 Speaker 1: Look if I if I could love, if I had 552 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:37,200 Speaker 1: to lose everything I had right now just to bring 553 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 1: all of them back to their family members could have 554 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 1: my wood. That may sound mean or crazy, but I 555 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 1: because they're great people and their sons are great men, 556 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 1: and I that was that's part in combat. But the 557 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:56,080 Speaker 1: families have always been great to me. They're they're they're 558 00:27:56,119 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: good to me. They've watched out for me, they've never, 559 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:02,639 Speaker 1: you know, never try to tear me down. So that 560 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:03,320 Speaker 1: was a blessing to me. 561 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 2: You know, the book and then the movie and your 562 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:12,320 Speaker 2: story and you as the frontman for all of this 563 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:17,680 Speaker 2: has to have been the greatest boon to recruiting before 564 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 2: Donald Trump was president in Cinvil War two. I would 565 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:26,160 Speaker 2: imagine there were a lot of young Marcus Latrell wannabe's 566 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:28,960 Speaker 2: who said, I want to do what that guy has done. 567 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:30,200 Speaker 2: Has the Navy ever told you. 568 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:33,280 Speaker 1: That, Yes, sir, all the time. That's why I carry 569 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,680 Speaker 1: myself the way I do. I realized that the opportunity 570 00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:40,920 Speaker 1: and the position that I was put in God, God 571 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: has a plan for everything. I had no idea I 572 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:46,080 Speaker 1: was going to be doing this. But it may have 573 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 1: been twenty years, but I think about it every day, 574 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:49,760 Speaker 1: from the minute I wake up the minute I go down. 575 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 1: I'm constantly trying to better myself, collect wisdom, sharping my discipline, 576 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 1: starting my manners and everything that I do. Since I 577 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 1: am an example, once put that cross on me that 578 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:05,360 Speaker 1: changed my life forever. Seals are usually kind of in 579 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 1: the shadows, but I was. I was brought up, you know, 580 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 1: kind of into the light in front of everybody, and 581 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:12,640 Speaker 1: I had extensive training from the military that I'm still 582 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 1: with them. I mean, they've been watching out for me 583 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:19,440 Speaker 1: forever and they still do. And I, you know, thank 584 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 1: you doesn't really do it. It works on almost everything 585 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:24,280 Speaker 1: else in there. I don't have any words to describe 586 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:26,040 Speaker 1: how how how much it means to me and how 587 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 1: thankful I am not only put the military, but for 588 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:33,160 Speaker 1: our people, like the American people and especially Texas. I mean, 589 00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 1: you've been around me for a long time. You see it. 590 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:38,160 Speaker 1: One of the reasons I'll go on public. Man, it's 591 00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:42,000 Speaker 1: it's so overwhelming how nice people are to me and 592 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 1: what they do for me and I and it only 593 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 1: it keeps getting stronger. That hasn't faded away. So uh. 594 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 1: And I'm trying to be a good father and raise 595 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:54,400 Speaker 1: my kids. But then and turn that around. The one 596 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:56,760 Speaker 1: thing I've preached them is how great our people are. Hey, look, 597 00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 1: that's why I'm so hard on them. I was like, 598 00:29:58,520 --> 00:29:59,920 Speaker 1: when you walk out in public and you went across 599 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:01,840 Speaker 1: that's one of our people. Man, you better show some 600 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:04,600 Speaker 1: say because of what they They saved my life. Y'all 601 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:07,000 Speaker 1: saved my life. Y'all brought me back and gave me 602 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:11,800 Speaker 1: everything I got. So I never anticipated that. I didn't 603 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,640 Speaker 1: grow up to expect that. It just kind of I 604 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 1: got put into it, and man, I'm so thankful for it. 605 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:19,960 Speaker 1: I don't even know what to stay most of the time. 606 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:25,440 Speaker 2: Marcus Latrell is our guest for those who don't know 607 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:28,360 Speaker 2: what became of you after all of that. Talk about 608 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,320 Speaker 2: your personal life, Melanie, the whole story. 609 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:35,600 Speaker 1: Okay, So anybody who still runs around me and knows 610 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:37,240 Speaker 1: anything knows the one thing that I got in the 611 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:39,160 Speaker 1: hook up, the greatest hook up I got was my wife, 612 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:42,720 Speaker 1: and she's absolutely, hands down the most amazing thing ever. 613 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 1: And then I have three kids. My oldest son, Hunter, 614 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:49,920 Speaker 1: he's twenty seven, he's out of college and got a 615 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 1: great job in World Traveler was it was a blessing 616 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:57,240 Speaker 1: day to get him. And then I have Acts and 617 00:30:57,240 --> 00:31:01,880 Speaker 1: then Adelaide. So most of my day is spent when 618 00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:03,560 Speaker 1: I get up in the morning, I'm really trying to 619 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 1: be a good father. I want to do that. I 620 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:08,000 Speaker 1: want to be good at that so bad. I work 621 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:11,880 Speaker 1: hard at it and I actually study it so right. 622 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:13,640 Speaker 1: When I got back, I was on the road so much. 623 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:16,840 Speaker 1: I lived out of a suitcase, wrote three hundred days 624 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:18,680 Speaker 1: out of the year. And then when you bring a 625 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:20,440 Speaker 1: wife and a family into the picture, it kind of 626 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:23,640 Speaker 1: changes everything. So she she does a great job of 627 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:26,160 Speaker 1: watching out for me every single day. She's she's such 628 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:29,440 Speaker 1: a blessing to me. And then those kids make me 629 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:31,720 Speaker 1: a better human beat. That definitely phases in a man's 630 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:34,320 Speaker 1: life when he's growing up. The life that I had 631 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:37,320 Speaker 1: before being a teen guy running and gun and is 632 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:39,840 Speaker 1: not conducive to being a family man out in civilian world. 633 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: Those two things kind of butt heads. So the hardest 634 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:46,640 Speaker 1: thing I probably had to go through was getting rid 635 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:50,000 Speaker 1: of that, was letting go of that old being a steal, 636 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 1: that whole ego that goes with that, the bravado and 637 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 1: everything that comes into that package. I mean, I don't 638 00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:00,440 Speaker 1: wear the same watches anymore, the same sunglasses. I don't. 639 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:01,840 Speaker 1: I try not to talk like that anymore. 640 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:03,720 Speaker 3: Matter of fact, when I get around my teammates, you 641 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:05,720 Speaker 3: want to talk about dragging me back to the old days, 642 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:08,120 Speaker 3: it's I get so fired up when I see them 643 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:11,680 Speaker 3: that I know I can't stay around very long because 644 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 3: how much I loved that life. It was it was 645 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:16,239 Speaker 3: my heart and my soul. When I got done with that, 646 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:20,560 Speaker 3: I literally had to retrain myself to be a civilian again, 647 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:23,280 Speaker 3: starting with with just who I was, and then trying 648 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:24,840 Speaker 3: to be a good husband and what that looked like, 649 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:28,800 Speaker 3: and then a good father. I I I get on 650 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:31,640 Speaker 3: the internet and around the people that I see who 651 00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:34,480 Speaker 3: are great fathers. You're a good father. I mean your boys, 652 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:39,160 Speaker 3: look at them, and then Rick Perry all that just 653 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:41,480 Speaker 3: you know, I got to take examples of the men 654 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 3: that are around us, the pillars that are around us, 655 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:45,560 Speaker 3: and copy that, try to mimic what they do and 656 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:49,400 Speaker 3: put that into my routine and live it out, not 657 00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:51,520 Speaker 3: year by year, but kind of moment by moment and 658 00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 3: then transferred to the next one. And it's it's been great. 659 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 3: I truly love it. 660 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:02,239 Speaker 2: You've been at your father in law's home when you 661 00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:06,200 Speaker 2: host a lot of Navy seals, and I've described you 662 00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:10,360 Speaker 2: as the mayor of Silville. It really feels to me, 663 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 2: and I'm a complete outsider that this experience and all 664 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:16,720 Speaker 2: the public attention because you know the scenes where y'all 665 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:19,680 Speaker 2: are training as Navy seals, people have a lot better understanding. 666 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 2: As you've told me, people die in Navy seal training 667 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:26,040 Speaker 2: and are brought back to life the difficulty of this training. 668 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:28,560 Speaker 2: You know, I think back to Officer and a Gentleman 669 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 2: and that Apocalypse now and what movies do to to 670 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:37,680 Speaker 2: really make the public focus on these sorts of things. 671 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:40,600 Speaker 2: And I think your case and then Chris Kyle got 672 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:45,960 Speaker 2: folks really aware of the personal toll these things take 673 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,680 Speaker 2: and the preparation these things take. It's not a movie. 674 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:52,200 Speaker 2: It's real life. And I guess there's not a question there, 675 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:54,080 Speaker 2: but I would ask for your reaction to that. 676 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 1: For sure before we let y'all. Fee is one thing 677 00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 1: and the behind the scenes, just like like a regular movie. 678 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:04,160 Speaker 1: I mean, you see the the overall finished product, but 679 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:05,880 Speaker 1: you want to know what what it took to make 680 00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:08,520 Speaker 1: that thing, and that's where we The only way you 681 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:10,720 Speaker 1: can actually see that is to be in the community itself, 682 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:16,279 Speaker 1: and it's it's the greatest fraternity that I that I 683 00:34:16,360 --> 00:34:18,360 Speaker 1: was able to be a part of being in the fields. 684 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:28,200 Speaker 1: Hey me, thank you, and good night. H