Date: January 25th, 2026 3:42 PM
Author: zippy cracking internal respiration brunch
Here is the kicker- the cherry on top of this mess. Luttrell was NOT THE LONE SURVIVOR.
The recon team gets ambushed, and immediately Dieztz is hit in the hand and abdomen, Murphy is hit in the central body area, and Axelson is hit in the head and chest. Wounded, they return fire, and around or before this time, Luttrell had fled or, as he says, “was separated.”
Murphy (or Deitz) moves from cover to get a better line of sight to send a “troops in contact” message. He is hit multiple times, fatally, but returns to cover and continues to fight until he succumbs to his wounds. Deitz is hit in the head as well around this period and dies, leaving Aexleson, who has fired all of his rounds and is using his sidearm at this point.
The Chinook shows up to save them and goes down, and this prompts an “all hands” response immediately with Army Rangers. SEALs, Marines, and rescue personnel will secure the area by the following day. Then, a few days later, they find Luttrell, who was only 0.7 miles away in a village. Luttrell tells them that the other 3 members of his recon unit are dead.
With confirmation that all 3 recon SEALs are dead from Luttrell, the mission changes. The Army/Navy goes from a rapid search and rescue to a more measured and secure one. This is now a “recovery of remains,” and enough have died. Progress is slowed, and everything is done with more caution.
The Rangers found Axelson 12 days after the battle. However, the men involved stated that Axelson was near a creek and that his body did not appear to have been “exposed” to the elements for 10+ days. It appears he had only been dead a few days. He had survived the battle, too.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5826449&forum_id=2],#49617825)