As he was preparing to fast rope from Super 67, Blackburn missed the rope, falling between 60-90 feet ( 18.29m-27.43m). The pair landed 100 meters south of the crashsite and, armed with sniper rifles and pistols, fought their way to the downed Black Hawk. Medal of Honor recipients For their efforts during the Battle of Mogadishu, Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. . 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. "When Master Sergeant Gordon learned that ground forces were not immediately available to secure the crash site, he and another sniper 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," his medal citation reads. When debris and enemy ground fires at the site caused them to abort the first attempt, Master Sergeant Gordon was inserted one hundred meters south of the crash site. Gordon wanted to be inserted to secure the crash site as hostile Somalis were converging on the area. He and Shughart were lowered to the ground, while their comrade Sergeant First Class Brad Halling stayed aboard to man a machine gun. [5], There was some confusion in the aftermath of the action as to who had been killed first. The Mission commander said that the situation was already too dangerous for the Delta snipers to safeguard the Blackhawk crew from the ground effectively But, they insisted! Thanks. They were only armed with their sniper rifles and pistols. Just as they fought and died together, the two operators were honored together as well. Michael Durant, the pilot of the second downed chopper, wrote in "In the Company of Heroes": "To me, they were like Batman and Robin, only much better, and they just walked up to my aircraft like they were out for a stroll in the park. Shortly after, Shughart was killed, the site was overrun and Durant was taken hostage. Body recovery in Mogadishu? (1993) : r/Military - reddit.com Gary Gordon and Sgt. Shughart's body was eventually recovered and is buried in Westminster Cemetery, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. After his father, Herbert Shughart, left the Air Force, the Shugharts moved to Newville, Pennsylvania, to live and work on a dairy farm. Where is Randy Shughart buried? Michael Durant was released after 11 days of captivity. 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. The men wanted to get on the ground, check for survivors and defend the crash of Six-Four. 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. I chose to get the FDE stock Standard Issue M1A from Springfield Armory. The blame for my son's death rests with the White House and with you. In attendance were a number of Navy officials and politicians, including Senator Bob Kerrey (D-NE) and John W. Douglass. Or was he Master Sgt. The story of Black Hawk Down began when Delta Force arrested 20 Somalis. Sergeant First Class Shughart pulled the pilot and the other crew members from the aircraft, establishing a perimeter which placed him and his fellow sniper in the most vulnerable position. Gary Gordon and Randy Shugart - Military Veterans of Disqus The bodies of 50 Somalis were later found surrounding the chopper. The peacekeepers then faced the task of overcoming the decades-long intertribal conflicts within the war-torn nation. Both Delta snipers, Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart, are portrayed in the Hollywood blockbuster Black Hawk Down. Im drawn to all the obvious ones that most people with the same interests are. [2] Several months later, he completed a pre-ranger course (currently known as SURT, Small Unit Ranger Tactics), was granted a slot to attend Ranger School, graduated, and earned the Ranger Tab. Sergeant First Class Shughart pulled the pilot and the other crew members from the aircraft, establishing a perimeter which placed him and his fellow sniper in the most vulnerable position. As a result, Ive found myself increasingly interested in recreations of famous guns used around the world. At the time, the United States was leading a UN mission to end the civil war and famine in Somalia. In 1993, Gordon's body was eventually buried and brought back to his hometown in Maine. The information and content are subject to change without notice. The term M1A is a proprietary title for Springfield Armorys M14-pattern rifle. Gordon and Shughart were a sniper team providing sniper cover from the air in helicopter Super Six-Two. In our content, you will see two faces regularly. Equipped with only his sniper rifle and a pistol, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader, while under intense fire from the enemy, fought their way through a dense maze of shanties and shacks to reach the critically injured crew members. They did that, even though large numbers of armed Somali militia were converging the area. Did we just find them one day? Scan this QR code to download the app now. Notice: Information contained herein is not and should not be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell securities. Randall Shughart was a US Army Delta Force soldier. 1st Class Randy Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions to secure the site of one of . Cookie Notice In 1992, a cease-fire opened the way for the United Nations to deliver food, protected by a coalition that included U.S. troops. You are not fit to command."[13]. The showdown pitted 160 special operations soldiers arriving in 19 helicopters and 12 vehicles against 3,000 Aidid men. [3] It is believed that Gordon was the first of the two to be killed by the surrounding mob. The M14 rifle is used by Delta Force Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart (Johnny Strong), most notably when he and MSG Gary Gordon (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) are covering the second crash site. Gary Gordon, A Hero Who Died In The Heat Of Somalia MSG Gary Gordon - Airborne Ranger in the Sky Godron, 33, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Mogadishu. Despite having inflicted heavy casualties against the Somalis, the two Delta snipers were too outnumbered and outgunned. Then there is Chief Instructor Grant LaVelle, who has decades of experience training Marines, police officers and citizens alike. He initially served with the 2nd Battalion of the 10th Special Forces, then became a sniper for the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, better known as Delta Force an elite Army anti-terror unit. The views During the assault, one of the Army's Black Hawk helicopters was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade. Several months later, he completed a pre-ranger course (currently known as SURT, Small Unit Ranger Tactics), was granted a slot to attend Ranger School, graduated, and earned the Ranger Tab. Guns like an M16A1, a Rhodesian baby poop camo-painted FAL, the FNC, the M1 Garand, etc., are all guns I hope to add to my gun safe one day. Gordon, however, repeated his request until he got permission. Were the bodies of Black Hawk Down recovered? - TimesMojo His request was denied twice before finally being approved on the third request. It is believed that Gordon was the first to be killed. [4] Command's position was that the snipers could be of more assistance by providing air cover. "Many believed that it would not last long and would encounter little opposition.". Shughart retrieved Gordon's CAR-15 and gave it to Durant to use. At Ft. Polks JRTC, the largest town inside of The Box is named Shughart-Gordon. After completing Special Forces training, Shughart was transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina and assigned to Delta Force. Shughart was buried in Carlilse, Pennsylvania and Gordon in Penobscot County, Maine. SGT. GORDON'S LAST RESCUE - The Washington Post ", Suddenly Durant heard Gordon say, "Damn. "Gordon was the epitome of the dependable individual who so believes in taking responsibility that he gives his life to protect his fellow men," Fred Borch, author of "For Military Merit: Recipients of the Purple Heart," told IBD. He was a soldier in the United States Army special operations unit, the 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force). In 1989, Gordon was with the outfit in Operation Just Cause, the invasion of Panama to capture its dictator, Manuel Noriega. Both mens bodies were recovered. 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. [3], Mission commanders denied Gordon's request twice,[1] saying that the situation was too dangerous for the snipers to protect the crew from the ground. After his third request to be inserted, Master Sergeant Gordon received permission to perform his volunteer mission. The thoroughness of the pages after the story in the book all seem to indicate that Mark Bowden wrote it very, very diligently. However, large numbers of armed, hostile Somalis were converging on the area. On October 3, 1993 members of the elite US Army rangers and SOCOMs Delta Force executed a mission to attempt the capture of Gen. Mohammed Farah Aidid. Equipped with only his sniper rifle and a pistol, Master Sergeant Gordon and his fellow sniper, while under intense small arms fire from the enemy, fought their way through a dense maze of shanties and shacks to reach the critically injured crew members. Mike Durant survived and is alive today. The Battle of Mogadishu | ASOMF 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved Aidid suffered a gunshot wound in the ensuing battle. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. Gary Gordon joined the US Army in December 1978. Authors may own the stocks they discuss. Gary Gordon and Sgt. The two sergeants were part of a sniper team aboard another Blackhawk, hovering. 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. The story of both Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon during Operation Gothic Serpent in Mogadishu is one of bravery and sacrifice. 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 . In 1993, Gordon's body was eventually buried and brought back to his hometown in Maine. Then a second Black Hawk was shot down, and militia members and an armed mob converged on the site. As a person with an interest in guns, movies and military history, its rewarding to take on projects where all those line up. . The story and the iconic look of Shugharts M14 make it one of the most famous military firearms in cinematic history as well as military history. During the mission, a Black Hawk helicopter (Super Six-One) providing air support was shot down. On October 3, 1993, during an assault mission to apprehend advisors to the Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid, a Black Hawk helicopter with the call sign Super Six-One was shot down in the city. The Army master sergeant's third request to commanders was approved with this warning: Undaunted, Gordon and Randy Shughart a fellow Delta Force sniper went into the Mogadishu maze with guns blazing and took down a slew of terrorists. Again, out of ammo, he was only able to retrieve one weapon and five rounds, which he gave to Durant and said Good Luck. Overhead, other Army helicopters came under fire from RPGs and had to withdraw. The ceremony was attended by Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) and Carmen Gordon, the master sergeants widow. His rifle was never recovered, so we dont know exactly what his was like although there are people who have done a lot of digging to give us a pretty good idea. Place and date: 3 October 1993, Mogadishu, Somalia. Meaning the part over the action is open but there are some Picatinny slots at the rear and front of the receiver. What is the most elite unit in the military? Charlie Warren, were severely wounded. Shughart was assigned to Delta Force and was 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. His M14 has a camouflage paint scheme and an Aimpoint CompM2/M68 reflex sight. In total 50 Somalian bodies were found at the location. "Master Sergeant Gordon's 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," Gordon's citation says.

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