New Book Details Navy SEAL Danny Dietz, Fellow SEALs

Fallen Navy SEAL Danny Dietz

The book by Marcus Luttrell, the only survivor of Dietz's team, is a tragic tale:

A new book out Tuesday documents the worst disaster in the history of the Navy SEALs. The disaster left 19 dead, including a SEAL from Colorado.

"Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL" was written by the only SEAL to live through a 2005 firefight in Afghanistan – Marcus Luttrell.

Nineteen service members, including Navy Seal Danny Dietz of Littleton, were killed.
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Luttrell writes the SEALs encountered a couple of goat herders, who they knew could report them to the Taliban. The team took a vote and decided not to kill them.

"I'd say about 45 minutes later about 120 Taliban fighters walked up on top of us," he said, "one of my teammates, Danny Dietz, had stayed back up on top of the ridge and was trying to call in the QRF, Quick Reactionary Force, to come in and help us out. Once we set up a new position, Danny had rolled back down to us. He'd been shot two, three times by the time he'd gotten to us."

Luttrell writes that his heart nearly broke when Dietz died in his arms. He also says he regrets not killing the goat herders, even though it would have violated the rules of engagement.

"Everyday, it'd be worth me doing the time in prison if my buddies were still alive."

Luttrell survived the ambush by crawling injured for several miles to reach some Afghani villagers who ended up hiding him from the Taliban until he could be rescued.

A memorial to Danny Dietz is being unveiled in Littleton on July 4.

In April, efforts to block the Dietz memorial were highlighted here first, followed by a storm of criticism of those who wanted to block the memorial because it "glorifies violence".

We'll have pictures of the memorial after it is unveiled.