That picture represents every parents nightmare, said Caroline Smith of Long Valley, N.J., who lost her 21-year-old son, Spc. Gary Gordon, however, concluded that there was no way the downed Black Hawk crew could survive on their own because they were outnumbered and critically wounded. Upon reaching the downed Blackhawk, which was under intense fire, Gordon and Shughart pulled the crew from the wreckage and proceeded to setup a defensive parameter. The ceremony was attended by a number of officers and politicians including Shughart's commanding officer at the time of his death; John W. Douglass, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition; Senator Bob Kerrey; and others. After completing basic training, he successfully finished infantry advanced individual training (AIT). Shughart deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993 as part of Task Force Ranger operations. It was second ship to undergo conversion from a commercial container vessel to a Large Medium Speed Roll-On/Roll-Off (LMSR) sealift ship. . Master Sergeant Gordons extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest standards of military service and reflect great credit upon, his unit and the United States Army. The heroic actions of Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart on October 3 ultimately saved Michael Durants life. Potter, 75, was deputy command officer of the Army's Special Command Operations. Carmen Gordon wrote a letter to their children and had it published to help others coping with similar loss: "Your father had two families. But even then, of the bodies she saw, she wasnt really sure which might be Ray Franks. Were they given back along with the surviving pilot? Gary I. Gordon and Randall D. Shughart were true warriors and the finest American heroes. 1st Class Randy Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions to secure the site of one of the Black Hawk crashes to recover survivors. The scenario-based is on Mark Bowdens bestseller Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War. He kept repeating his request twice until he finally received permission to engage. Today we remember one of our most famous Special Operations warriors. They acted as if they were in no particular rush, and they raised me up gently and carried me to an open spot on the ground to the right of the cockpit and set me down carefully in the dust. The two sergeants were part of a sniper team aboard another Blackhawk, hovering. Hoot seems to be a merge of Hooten and Howe in the book, which features more prominently in the book than Hooten. But Durant will not publicly even attempt to put a name on the face in the photograph. Two Delta Force operators Master Sgt. Joe Gradisher, a Pentagon spokesman assigned to field questions about Somalia. So they pretty much said give us the remains or we will fuck your shit up? After his father, Herbert Shughart, left the Air Force, the Shugharts moved to Newville, Pennsylvania, to live and work on a dairy farm. The information and content are subject to change without notice. Gordon and Shughart were a sniper team providing sniper cover from the air in helicopter Super Six-Two. He enlisted in the U.S. Army the same year at age 18, and after serving with the 2nd Battalion of the10th Special Forces Group, he was chosen to join the 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force) as a sniper. He joined the Boy Scouts and played football in high school, graduating in 1978. My two sons and myself was all looking. Michael Durant was released after 11 days of captivity. ", Chun said, "One removed the three other severely injured crew members, while the other provided covering fire and then they quickly assessed their situation. [1], Shughart joined the United States Army while attending Big Spring High School in Newville, entering upon graduation in 1976. Army Commendation Medal. She studied CNNs continuous reports, mesmerized, sure each time she could pinpoint that achingly familiar indent of Rays back surgery scar, the particular way he wore his short, graying hair. Mogadishu. It's a shame they were abused like that. The initial insertion attempt failed and they had to insert about 100 meters away from the crash site. You dont need an individuals name to express horror at the treatment of the bodies.. Your email address will not be published. The battle was a disaster for coalition troops and resulted in a major strategic victory for Somali National Alliance forces, with American, Malaysian and Pakistani forces suffering heavy losses. The largest military subreddit on reddit. Charlie Warren, were severely wounded. . Among her accomplishments are being the Founder of the true crime blog, Stories of the Unsolved, which garners between 400,000 and 500,000 views annually, and a contributor for John Lordans Seriously Mysterious podcast. The term M1A is a proprietary title for Springfield Armorys M14-pattern rifle. Their ammunition depleted, Gordon and Shughart were killed by Somali gunfire. Once on the ground, they were armed with only their weapons and sidearms. Despite having inflicted heavy casualties against the Somalis, the two Delta snipers were too outnumbered and outgunned. [4], Armed with their sniper rifles and sidearms, Shughart and Gordon were inserted approximately 100 metres (330ft) from the crash site and made their way to the downed Black Hawk. After his third request to be inserted, Master Sergeant Gordon received permission to perform his volunteer mission. Sergeant First Class Shughart continued his protective fire until he depleted his ammunition and was fatally wounded. Dylan Casey is a gun enthusiast with a digital media degree who is GunSpot's Creative Director. SHUGHART-GORDON VILLAGE. I tried looking it up and all it said was that the bodies were dragged through the streets and I couldn't find anything about how the US eventually got the bodies back. Their ammunition nearly depleted, Gordon and Shughart were killed by Somali militias gunfire. In October 1993, elite American troops launched a disastrous raid in the Somali capital Mogadishu. Randy and the Delta Force Team were assisting Army Rangers on Operation Gothic Serpent in October 1993 in Mogadishu, Somalia. Their names were MSG Gary Gordon and SFC Randal (Randy) Shughart. and opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart were deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia as part of Task Force Ranger. Deadly Price. Master Sergeant Gordon continued to travel the perimeter, protecting the downed crew. Their ammunition nearly depleted, Gordon and Shughart were killed by Somali militias gunfire. Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant, who was taken prisoner when his helicopter was shot down and later released, offers the five families at least some comfort: He believes all five men were dead before the Somalis got to them. Kyle Hockenberry: For Those I love I will sacrifice, Austin Miller: From Delta Force operator to 4-star General, Understanding the Differences Between Delta Force and Green Berets, The Day of the Rangers: An unforgettable moment in military history. Stories of the Unsolved. The story of both Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon during Operation Gothic Serpent in Mogadishu is one of bravery and sacrifice. Delta Force operatives dont typically wear a uniform and, even when they do, the nature of that uniform is classified and no one outside of the Unit would be able to recognize it. Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon fought their way to the downed Blackhawk. I'm not sure if it's a permanent part but the Infantry Museum at Ft. Bennington has a ton of great history. Michael Durant was released after 11 days of captivity. When the smoke had cleared, its said that there were 25 dead Somali attackers scattered around the site. Speaking about the pairs heroic efforts in Somalia, Clinton said: Gordon and Shughart knew their own chances of survival were extremely bleak. Anyway, for my build, I did the ARMS #18 mount because it had the appropriate height. From the start of the mission up until nightfall, the movie sticks close to the book. The Airborne & Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, NC (near Fort Bragg, the home of Delta) has the rotor hub form "Super 61", the first Blackhawk to be shot down. (Photo Credit: US Army / Wikimedia Commons)Gordon wanted to assist the helicopter, but his request was denied. Wikipedia says this: "Aftermath After the battle, the bodies of several of the conflict's U.S. casualties (Black Hawk Super 64's crewmembers and their defenders, Delta Force soldiers MSG Gordon and SFC Shughart) were dragged through Mogadishu's streets by crowds of local civilians and SNA forces. The bodies of 50 Somalis were later found surrounding the chopper. How to Market Your Business with Webinars. Was he Sgt. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Who once felt warm in those arms? Mike Durant survived and is alive today. Did we just find them one day? Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? In 2003, Michael Durant published a book, In the company of heroes where he described events on that day on how he saw it. Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader unhesitatingly volunteered to be inserted to protect the four critically wounded personnel, despite being well aware of the growing number of enemy personnel closing in on the site. Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart were the only soldiers participating in Operation Gothic Serpent (Battle of Mogadishu) to receive the military's highest honor and the first Medal of Honor recipients since the Vietnam War. The pilot of Gordon and Shughart's Black Hawk first attempted to land right next to the crash site of Super Six-Four, but the LZ was too hot - a flood of small arms fire, RPGs, and an excess of ground debris and fire made insertion impossible.So instead of putting down in the middle of the action, Gordon and Shughart jumped from the hovering helicopter 100 meters from the crash site, getting . Nearby operational command sent a ground team with chopper support to rescue the men, but it made slow progress in heavy fighting with Aidid's militia. During the assault, one of the Army's Black Hawk helicopters was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade. Sergeant First Class Shughart continued his protective fire until he depleted his ammunition and was fatally wounded. Shughart was buried in Carlilse, Pennsylvania and Gordon in Penobscot County, Maine. Master Sgt. Background. On 24 July 1996, Aidid and his men clashed with the forces of former allies Ali Mahdi Muhammad and Osman Ali Atto. The Pentagons position is this: Naming the man in the picture serves no purpose, and would only pain those who loved and lost him. I highly recommend seeing this exhibit (and the rest of the museum). At one point, MSG Gordon and SFC Shughart requested permission to land near the second helicopter crash site and defend the crash site and four critically wounded helicopter crew members. It wasn't a scream or a plea, just a statement of fact, like someone who'd nicked himself with a vegetable knife. While its believed Gordon was the first to die, the official version states it was Shughart. Later investigation and reconstruction concluded that Gordon was first to be killed. After putting the gun back together, I ended up putting on a National Match leather sling to get the same look from the film. Both operators died in the battle. He joined the Army while attending Big Spring High School in Newville, entering upon graduation in 1976. Both operators died in the battle. *Real-time prices by Nasdaq Last Sale. 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