Lone Survivor_ The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 ( PDFDrive )

announcement from the SEAL HQ in Hawaii, my home base. All he found was
confirmation of the MH-47 crash and four other SEALs missing in action.
However, one of the Hawaiian newspapers was reporting the death of all four of
us. At which moment I guess he believed it was true.
Shortly after 2:00 a.m. in Texas, the SEALs began to arrive at the ranch from
Coronado. Lieutenant John Jones (JJ) in company with Chief Chris Gothro flew
in, with Bosun’s Mate Teg Gill, one of the strongest men I know. Lieutenant
David Duf-field arrived from Coronado right afterward, with John Owens and
Jeremy Franklin. Lieutenant Josh Wynn and Lieutenant Nathan Shoemaker came
in from Virginia Beach. Gunner’s Mate First Class Justin Pitman made the
journey from Florida. I should stress that none of this was planned or
orchestrated. They just came, strangers mingling with friends, united, I suppose,
in grief for a lost brother.
And there to greet them all with my mom and dad was the mighty figure of
Billy Shelton. No one had ever seen him in tears before. It’s often that way with
the toughest of men.
Chief Gothro immediately told my parents he did not give a damn what the
media said. There was no confirmation that any of the original four-man SEAL
team was dead, although it was highly likely they had not all survived. He knew
about Mikey’s last call: My guys are dying out here. But there was no certainty
about any of it. He told Mom to have faith, told her no SEAL was dead until
there was a body.
And then Morgan arrived and told them all straight-out I was alive, and that
was an end to it. He said he’d been in contact with me, had felt my presence. He
thought I may have been injured, but I was not dead. “Goddamn it, I know he’s
not dead,” he said. “If he was, I’d know.”
By now there were 150 people in the front yard, and the local sheriffs had
somehow cordoned off the entire ranch. No one could enter the property without
passing through these guardians. There were police cruisers parked along the
wide dirt road which leads to the house. Some of the officers were inside the
perimeter fences, praying, at short services conducted by two naval chaplains
who had arrived from Coronado in the small hours. Just in case, I guess.
Some time before 0500 my mom answered the front door to see SEAL
lieutenant Andy Haffele, with his wife, Kristina, standing there. “We wanted to
help, any way we could,” said Andy. “We just got here from Hawaii.”
“Hawaii!” said Mom. “That’s halfway around the world.”
“Marcus once saved my life,” said Andy. “I had to be here. I know there’s