Introducing Morgan Luttrell: Husband, Father, Marine, Brain Scientist, and Legislator.
To truly understand the essence and resilience of Morgan Luttrell, it’s important to delve into the demanding tasks he and his identical twin brother undertook as teenagers on their family’s quarter horse ranch near Houston.
Every morning before the school bus arrived at 6 a.m., the two brothers had the responsibility of feeding and watering the family’s horses, which numbered around 70. And when they returned home from school, they had to tend to the horses once again.
In the summer, their duties expanded to include fixing fences and stacking hay in the scorching Texas heat.
“I’ll tell you what,” Mr. Luttrell shared. “If you want to humble somebody, if you want somebody to appreciate a hard day’s work, have them throw square bales of hay during the summer in Texas.”
Now 47 years old, Morgan Luttrell serves as a U.S. representative and resides in the Houston area. He is currently in his first term in Congress, representing Texas’ 8th Congressional District. In November 2022, he won the seat in his first attempt at elected office.
Mr. Luttrell stands out as he navigates the corridors of Capitol Hill, towering at 6 feet 5 inches and weighing 230 pounds, just like his brother.
He succeeded Kevin Brady in office, who held the seat for an impressive 13 consecutive terms from 1997 to 2023.
“My number one priority as a member of Congress, and in serving my district, is to work tirelessly towards securing the border, stopping the flow of fentanyl, and eradicating sex trafficking,” Mr. Luttrell emphasized. “It is an abomination.”
He continued, “I have been deeply involved with these issues, passionate about them, even before becoming a candidate or a member of Congress. I have dedicated my work in the nonprofit sector to addressing these issues. And now, we have the opportunity to advance legislation that will enhance border security, halt the influx of fentanyl into the U.S., and put an end to sex trafficking. It is an absolute necessity.”
Service and Sacrifice
Long before his political career, Morgan Luttrell had already established a remarkable record of service and sacrifice for his country.
Following in their father’s footsteps, he and his twin brother chose to serve in the Navy, both becoming members of the elite special forces Navy SEALs. They continued a proud family tradition of military service, with both men and women donning the uniform.
In 2009, while serving as a Navy SEAL officer, Mr. Luttrell suffered severe injuries in a training accident off the coast of Virginia. The Black Hawk helicopter he was traveling in crashed and exploded during a difficult landing in treacherous conditions, resulting in the death of one team member and injuries to eight others.
Mr. Luttrell endured six fractures in his back, damage to his spinal cord, and mild to moderate traumatic brain injury. He remained unconscious for two days and experienced post-concussive symptoms for about seven weeks. He spent two months in a body cast.
Despite his injuries, Mr. Luttrell continued to serve in the Navy until 2014 when the ongoing complications from the helicopter crash, including spinal cord and brain injuries, led to his retirement with a medical discharge.
This helicopter crash was the second tragic incident involving the Luttrell twins. On June 28, 2005, Morgan’s twin brother, Marcus Luttrell, and three other SEAL team members were ambushed by Taliban fighters during a mission in Afghanistan. While all three SEALs lost their lives, Marcus survived despite being shot, riddled with shrapnel, and sustaining a broken back.
A rescue helicopter sent to save the SEALs was shot down, resulting in the deaths of eight SEALs and eight members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, also known as Night Stalkers.
Twin Brother Rescued
Marcus Luttrell was ultimately found by friendly villagers who provided shelter until a second rescue mission evacuated him on July 2. This harrowing experience became the focus of the book “Lone Survivor” by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson, later adapted into a movie with Mark Wahlberg portraying Marcus.
On June 29, 2005, while in the final days of SEAL jump school training, Morgan Luttrell, himself a combat veteran, received the devastating news of the helicopter crash in Afghanistan and the loss of SEALs. Uncertain about his brother’s fate, Morgan experienced a phenomenon that many twins claim to have—an extrasensory connection.
“I hadn’t felt anything, so I knew he was alive,” Morgan Luttrell recalled. “I knew he was injured, and I also knew he was still with us.”
On July 3, 2005, back at the Luttrell family ranch in Texas, Morgan finally spoke to his brother for the first time since the ambush.
“He had been taken to Bahrain Naval Air Base,” Morgan Luttrell shared. ”And, you know, I got on the phone with him and I said, ‘I love you, Bro.’ And he said to me, ‘Bro, I had a really bad, bad day at the office.’
Morgan Luttrell has recounted the incredible story of his brother’s survival countless times, highlighting the joy his family felt upon learning that Marcus had made it out alive. He also emphasizes the tremendous loss suffered by the SEALs and Army special forces during the mission.
Studying the Brain
“The physical injuries, really, are the easy part,” Morgan Luttrell explained in a 2018 interview about his recovery. “With modern medicine, you can replace a leg, an arm, a lung, a liver, a heart—you name it, we can fix it. From the neck down, it’s a piece of cake. And I can run faster, jump higher, catch and shoot better. Easy day.”
However, Morgan Luttrell discovered that the most daunting challenges of recovery lay in the brain—the realm of the unknown. He realized that the brain’s intricate workings and the neurological impact of trauma were vast territories of medicine and science yet to be explored.
The pain and anguish stemming from this unknown territory inspired Morgan Luttrell to pursue a career as an academic and researcher focused on understanding and healing the brain.
He became a cognitive scientist specializing in the brain, building upon his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Sam Houston State University. He went on to earn a master’s and doctorate in cognitive neuroscience from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Morgan Luttrell continues his research on the brain and actively participates in organizations that support individuals with brain injuries. He dedicates his efforts to assisting military veterans dealing with brain trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Furthermore, Morgan Luttrell believes that the study of cognition and the brain may one day provide a scientific explanation for the extraordinary phenomenon experienced by him and other twins—an unexplainable connection that persists even when they are physically apart.
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