“Lone Survivor” Comes to Texas Grand Ranch

Four men loaded into a Navy Seal Delivery Vehicle on a special reconnaissance mission. They’re in Afghanistan, it’s 2005, the peak of the War in Afghanistan.

As they embarked on Operation Red Wings, the four were expected to locate and eliminate Taliban leader Mohammad Ismail alias Ahmad Shah, but an unexpected audible turned their mission into a battle for their lives.

The four, including Marcus Luttrell, were discovered in their vehicle by local herdsmen and ambushed. Attacked from three sides, they took fire from PK machine guns, AK-47s, RPG-7s, and 82mm mortars. The attack pushed the SEALs farther away from their intended destination, but they continued to try to reach the their combat operations center but the connection was kept dropping  and static filled the space between gunshots.

Meanwhile, at homebase, concern for the four was growing, so a helicopter was sent to locate the men. However, before the men even knew help was arriving, enemy weaponry shot it down.

Three of the four team members were killed, Marcus Luttrell was the only survivor. He was left with a broken back, countless fractures and shrapnel wounds.

But determined to continue living, Luttrell adopted the motto, “never quit.”

“I will never quit,” Luttrell said. “My nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down i will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight.”

Evading the approaching enemy, Luttrell was helped by local Pashtun villagers to the nearest U.S. base, saving his life. As he returned to active duty, he was deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006, but was ultimately discharged when his knees were blown out and his spine was fractured, again.

The Recovery

Capturing the harrowing story in his book, Lone Survivor, Luttrell has transformed his tragic and heroic story into his personal mission to create a healing environment for veterans as they return to civilian life.

Luttrell attributes some of his continuous recovery to the love, warmth and support he received from his Texas homeland friends and family. Returning to the soil that comforted his falls as a child, Luttrell was able to find comfort from the war-related trauma and post-traumatic stress that he carried back with him.

In honor of his fallen team members, and all the veterans fighting for American freedom, he created the Lone Survivor Foundation,  to “restore, empower, and renew hope for our wounded warriors and their families through health, wellness, and therapeutic support.”

His “never quit” attitude that motivated his recovery each time he was knocked down is now being directed toward growing his foundation.

Land with a cause

By joining forces with Patten Companies, land buyers are able to own a stunning multi-acre property for that stands with a cause.

The very soil that created the foundation for his recovery is home to Texas Grand Ranch. Each property purchase creates awareness for the unseen wounds of war and generates the continued funding for organizations to offer treatments when government-funded programs fail.

To stand by that, Patten Companies will be donating  $25,000 donation to the Lone Survivor Foundation.