The Battle of Mogadishu resulted in 18 soldiers killed five from Delta Force and 73 wounded. 1st Class Randy Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions to secure the site of one of . Gordon and two sergeant first class subordinates, Shughart and Brad Hallings, had been providing fire cover from another helicopter, but they knew this wasn't enough if the crew of the second downed chopper was to be saved. Just know that my build is like the movie version but in aesthetics only. Their 'Go bag'. This rifle is a fantastic foundation for a project like this. His actions saved the pilots life. [8], SFC Shughart's awards and decorations include:[9][10], On May 23, 1994, Shughart and Gordon were posthumously decorated with the Medal of Honor for protecting the crew of Super Six Four. His actions saved the pilots life. "MSG Gary Gordon is not only a hometown hero for Lincoln, he's an American Hero," the police department said on social media. Shughart and Gordon are dropped 100 meters from the site and the two men held off a horde of Somali attackers and ultimately saved the life of the lone survivor of the crash, Chief Warrant Officer Mike Durant. During the assault, a Black Hawk helicopter was shot down and the rescuers were ambushed. In the end, 19 American soldiers were killed, including six Delta Force operators, and 73 were wounded. Shughart left active duty and went into the Army Reserve in June 1980. Live The Armory Life. Gordon and Shughart were a sniper team for Delta Force and were assigned to over watch the operation, engaging targets from the Blackhawk. and opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the
Both men's bodies were recovered. At the time, the United States was leading a UN mission to end the civil war and famine in Somalia. After Aidid's forces killed 24 Pakistani soldiers that were part of the United Nations, the U.N. Security Council called for the militia leaders to be arrested or killed. ", The pilot wrote: "He sounded almost irritated, like this was just going to make things harder for him. MSG Gary Gordon - Airborne Ranger in the Sky After completing basic training, he successfully completed infantry AIT (advanced individual training), Airborne School, and in 1978 was assigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, at Fort Lewis, Washington. "This was an example of direct, honest communication and extremely high trust between a team leader and higher command," said Clayton Chun, author of "Gothic Serpent" and chairman of the Department of Distance Education at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. "The snipers' training, adaptive thinking, values and commander's confidence in them allowed them to unequivocally accept the very high risk and take action.". and our After his father, Herbert Shughart, left the Air Force, the Shugharts moved to Newville, Pennsylvania, to live and work on a dairy farm. Sergeant First Class Shugharts extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest standards of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit and the United States Army. They volunteered for sniper cover for Super 6-4 - the second downed Black Hawk MH-60L - during the [] Gary Gordon and Sgt. The story of courage and self-sacrifice is best portrayed in the heroic story of MSG Gordon and SFC Shughart. Law enforcement officers from Maine are investigating a possible vandalism case of a gravestone belonging to US Army Master Sgt. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Gary Gordon and Randy Shugart - Military Veterans of Disqus 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. 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. Shughart was assigned to 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force) and transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in June 1986. Sergeant First Class Shughart continued his protective fire until he depleted his ammunition and was fatally wounded. The main divergence in the movie is that more is that some people were shown doing things others did: In the end, the movie won 2 Oscars in 2001. Bush authorized the dispatch of U.S. troops to Somalia to assist with famine relief as part of the larger United Nations effort. Randall D. Shughart posthumously received the Medal of Honor and Gary I. Gordon for their heroic actions during the Battle of Mogadishu in October 1993. Two Delta Force operators Master Sgt. Deadly Price. It is believed that Gordon was the first to be killed. His teammate Randy Shughart retrieved Gordons CAR-15 and gave it to Michael Durant to use. ", Suddenly Durant heard Gordon say, "Damn. Shughart and Gordon were inserted approximately 100 metres (330 ft) from the crash site, armed with their sniper rifles and sidearms, and made their way to the downed Blackhawk. The USNS Shughart is currently the lead ship in her class, and is capable of carrying 48 track vehicles, 58 tanks, and over 900 trucks and other wheeled vehicles. . ", The police department said that while it may have been a case of vandalism that it could have also been a "work in progress" with gold lettering on the engravings. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from Kings University College at Western University, her portfolio includes coverage of digital media, current affairs, history and true crime. In her spare time, Clare likes to play Pokemon GO and re-watch Heartland over and over (and over) again. Unlike other members of the armed forces, the Delta Force is granted a lot of freedom in how they live and what they look like. Were the bodies of the American soldiers/pilots killed in - Quora Shughart was buried in Carlilse, Pennsylvania and Gordon in Penobscot County, Maine. "What happens with these is that over time the paint will fade," the mortician said to Insider. Randy and the Delta Force Team were assisting Army Rangers on Operation Gothic Serpent in October 1993 in Mogadishu, Somalia. . Concerning Shughart and Gordan, Durant made the comment Without a doubt, I owe my life to these two men and their braveryThose guys came in when they had to know it was a losing battle, There was nobody else left to back them up. What happened to the pilot in Black Hawk Down? He and his future wife, Carmen, met when she was visiting her grandparents, and they engaged in a three-year correspondence after he joined the Army. Place and date: 3 October 1993, Mogadishu, Somalia. An estimated half million Somalis were already dead, and hundreds of thousands more were facing possible starvation. In December 1983, Shughart returned to active duty and the following year attended Special Forces training. Master Sergeant Gordons sniper team provided precision fires from the lead helicopter during an assault and at two helicopter crash sites, while subjected to intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fires. "If our people had cleaned it, they might've done a light sand blast at best, but they would actually do the painting of the engraved parts by hand," he added. Your email address will not be published. Randy Shughart was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, into an Air Force family. The heroic actions of Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart on October 3 ultimately saved Michael Durant's life. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. Randy Shughart - Wikipedia [1] According to Durant's book In the Company of Heroes, the Somalis counted 25 of their militia dead after the firefight. 5 How many Delta Force died in Black Hawk Down? Russias Alpha Group compared to the Delta Force. On May 23, 1994, President Clinton awarded Gordon and Shughart the Medal of Honor, joining just 3,000 others in two centuries. Both Shughart and Gordon were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for their selfless sacrifice, the first time it had been awarded since the Vietnam war. On May 23, 1994, President Clinton awarded Gordon and Shughart the Medal of Honor, joining just 3,000 others in . Sergeant First Class Shughart's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest standards of military service and reflect great credit upon him-self, his unit and the United States Army. Randall David Shughart (August 13, 1958 October 3, 1993) was a United States Army Delta Force operator who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Mogadishu, during Operation Gothic Serpent in October 1993. Armed with their sniper rifles and sidearms, Shughart and Gordon were inserted approximately 100 metres (330 ft) from the crash site and made their way to the downed Black Hawk. Later investigation and reconstruction concluded that Gordon was the first to be killed. I recently watched Black Hawk Down and I was wondering how the military goes about recovering the bodies of those involved in the last helicopter crash? In 1993, Gordon's body was eventually buried and brought back to his hometown in Maine. 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. Two Delta Force operators Master Sgt. Durant is left sitting in a bunker without ammunition. Its on GunSpots YouTube channel right now. The Shughart-Gordon MOUT site was named for Medal of Honor recipients Sgt. Shughart and Gordon are dropped 100 meters from the site and the two men held off a horde of Somali attackers and ultimately saved the life of the lone survivor of the crash, Chief Warrant Officer Mike Durant. As for the Shughart M14, its an extremely iconic weapon, and Im proud to have one that resembles that legendary rifle. Both operators died in the battle. On October 3, 1993, they engaged in Operation Gothic Serpent, a joint-force assault mission to apprehend key advisers to Mohamed Farrah Aidid, a Somali warlord. Gary I. Gordon was born in Lincoln, Maine, and graduated from Mattanawcook Academy in 1978. They could have taken a belt of 7.62 ammo from the door gunner and delinked it. Just as they fought and died together, the two operators were honored together as well. By this time, more Somali militiamen were arriving intent on either capturing or killing the American servicemen. I'm hit. 1st Class Randall Shughart, a 35-year-old from Newville, Pa., who so loved the military that he made his wife, Stephanie, promise never to ask him to quit? The thoroughness of the pages after the story in the book all seem to indicate that Mark Bowden wrote it very, very diligently. The official citation states that Shughart had been killed first but Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, relates an account by Sergeant Paul Howe who heard Shughart call for help on the radio and noted that the weapon handed to Durant was not the distinctive M14 rifle that Shughart used. After their third request to be inserted, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader received permission to perform this volunteer mission. Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart were deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia as part of Task Force Ranger. It was of crew chief Cleveland. His request was denied twice before finally being approved on the third request. Editors Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. American Valor . Stories of Valor . Michael Durant . Interview | PBS Michael Durant Below is a excerpt of American Valor's interview with Michael Durant whose life was saved by Medal of Honor recipients Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider The mission was an assault mission to apprehend advisors to Mohamed Farrah Aidid, and it was to be a short operation. Master Sergeant Gary Ivan Gordon and Sergeant First Class Randall David Shughart, both members of the 1st SFOD-D, were part of the Task Force engaged in Operation Gothic Serpent (later known as Battle of Mogadishu) during the U.S. intervention in Somalia on October 3, 1993. Realtime quote and/or trade prices are not sourced from all markets. Positioned approximately 3.5 miles southeast of Self Airfield, Shughart-Gordon is the largest of the three sites. Randall Shughart was a US Army Delta Force soldier. Gordon, however, repeated his request until he got permission. When debris and enemy ground fires at the site caused them to abort the first attempt, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader were inserted one hundred meters south of the crash site. 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. Gary Gordon and Sgt. In 2003, Michael Durant published a book, In the company of heroes where he described events on that day on how he saw it. However, beyond that, it wasn't likely. On May 23, 1994, Gordon and Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States military's highest decoration for valor under . 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. At the same time, Gordon returned to Durant and calmly asked if there were more weapons (he was out of ammo) and then retrieved some from the down Blackhawk, and began to reengage the attackers. Several months later, he completed the pre-ranger course, obtained a spot at Ranger School and earned his Ranger Tab. Their aim was to capture key allies of the powerful Somali warlord, Gen Mohamed Farah Aideed. Did we just find them one day? Master Sergeant Gordon then went back to the wreckage, recovering some of the crews weapons and ammunition.