Riches of Mason

The Lone Survivor is still proving to be one of the best books I may ever read. It is engaging, funny, and inspiring. Every sentence I read from this book makes me want to get up from our spoiled lives and help our country. In this way, the book is very similar to John F. Kennedy's speech. It makes the listener, or in this case the reader, want to help their country and achieve patriotic feelings. This is done very well because of the way Luttrell describes his mission. When Luttrell is in a dire situation of thirst, he states, "I was breaking the thinnest tree branches off and sucking them for liquid. I sucked at the grass when I found some, hoping for a few drops of mountain dew. I even tried to wring out my socks to find just a taste of water" (Luttrell 260). This passage from the text is engaging because of the way Luttrell explains it. It's almost like a story. The passage is also inspiring because it makes the reader not only guilty of what we take for granted, but also what there is to do for our country. The sentences provoke the audience to simply stand up, walk to the nearest Naval Academy, say "I want to join the forces".

When I read books, I learn at least one thing. Last night, while reading my book, I realized how lucky we really are to be living in Mason--with food, water, shelter, and blankets. Luttrell's depiction of the land he fought on is simply devastating and downright scary. He is in a position where he is being hunted down, with no water, no food, and little shelter. It makes me sick about what I do everyday-- Wake up, eat, play, eat, sleep. I realized that what we take for granted, others take for undeserved riches.

This page shows where Operation Red Wings was held.