Lone Survivor

by

Marcus Luttrell

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Lone Survivor: Epilogue Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
On July 18, 2006, Luttrell receives the Navy Cross for his heroism in combat. There, he shakes hands with President George W. Bush. Bush smiles in a way that seems to say, “We’re both Texans, right?” Bush shows Luttrell the Lone Star patch Luttrell sent him, and says that it’ll be in his future museum. Finally, he tells Luttrell to give him a call if he needs anything at all. Luttrell is awestruck to meet this “very great United States president.”
The memoir ends with a scene conveying Luttrell’s Texas roots, his pride in his own military service, his idolatry for Bush (and, more implicitly, the Bush administration’s policies)—in short, all the major themes of the book. Luttrell is a talented, undeniably brave soldier. Whether he’s right to condemn ROE, say that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, or praise America for its aggressive foreign policy during the War on Terror, though, is much more debatable.
Themes
Politics and the War on Terror Theme Icon
Bigotry and America’s Enemies Theme Icon
Machismo and the Navy SEALs Theme Icon
Survival and Trauma Theme Icon