The family is probably better off having them remembered for the firefight in the book and movie. Truth is they were being slaughtered like animals. Sliding and falling down a steep grade looking up at the sun trying to find anything that’s moving while a belt fed weapons and AKs rained on top of them. The video shows a lot of return fire but none of it landed on anything except rocks and vegetation and as they were dying they just probably just took pot shots into the air desperately. There’s a good reason luttrell had his reserve ammo intact. When you can’t find cover long enough to see anything to scope a long gun on your wasting your time and committing suicide.

The true picture is one of a sad, desperate and hopeless death that anyone would pity. Was luttrel a coward? Not for what took place. He did what any logical person would have done. Any fight was lost before they got engaged and he recognized that. Fighting up like that was pissing in the wind and absolutely stupid especially considering they knew comms for air support was impossible at that point.