The 2007 best-selling book (and 2013 film adaptation) Lone Survivor  tells the story of Navy SEAL and Houston native Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of a gun battle during a mission in Afghanistan in 2005. Luttrell was badly wounded, and wasn’t rescued until several days after the battle.  It’s a harrowing story, but as is true with all veterans, it’s just one episode in Luttrell’s journey through life.
He recovered well enough physically from the injuries he sustained to serve another tour of duty. But ultimately, he was medically retired. It was at that point, while spending time on his Texas ranch, Luttrell feels he truly healed from his wounds. And that revelation — of the need to heal holistically over time beyond what government services offered — is what led him to establish the Lone Survivor Foundation in 2010.
Houston Matters’Â Edel Howlin talks with Terry Jung, the Executive Director of the Lone Survivor Foundation, about how the foundation seeks to help veterans deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injuries, and other physical and emotional challenges related to military service. We also talk with clinical psychologist Rebecca Lancaster from the Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, about the value of such retreats for service members and their families as they work through the consequences of war.
