They become legends. Who were the 2 soldiers in Black Hawk Down? The bodies were returned in poor condition, one with a severed head. On that day, October 3, 1993, two American heroes Master Sgt. And on the GunSpot Academy, you can find high-quality original content. It was later reported Durant initially misidentified who was killed first, but did not wish to change the official record. 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. In her spare time, Clare likes to play Pokemon GO and re-watch Heartland over and over (and over) again. JOINT READINESS TRAINING CENTER MOUT COMPLEX: Combat Training Center Deadly Price. Randy Shughart would have been 60 years old today. The award read in part: "Master Sergeant Gordon's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty reflect great credit upon him, his unit and the United States Army.". Once on the ground, they were armed with only their weapons and sidearms. "Many believed that it would not last long and would encounter little opposition.". With all of the ground forces still trying to help Super Six-One, there was no one left to help at the crash site of Super Six-Four. Heroes Under Fire: Gary Gordon, Randall Shughart, and the Battle of His actions saved the pilots life. Gary I. Gordon was born in Lincoln, Maine, and graduated from Mattanawcook Academy in 1978. Gary Gordon wouldn't give up while aiming to rescue fellow soldiers trapped in Somalia in 1993. [2][3], Shughart was deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993 as part of Task Force Ranger. The showdown pitted 160 special operations soldiers arriving in 19 helicopters and 12 vehicles against 3,000 Aidid men. Make more money in stocks with 2 months of access to IBD Digital for only $20! In spite of these deficiencies, however, Black Hawk Down is a very realistic, historically accurate portrayal of modern war and tells a relevant and powerful story in an almost flawless example of an American war movie. During the assault, one of the Army's Black Hawk helicopters was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade. Gordon's body was eventually recovered and is buried in Lincoln Cemetery, Penobscot County, Maine. SGT. GORDON'S LAST RESCUE - The Washington Post Citation Reads:Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army. 1 Were the bodies of Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon recovered? The Lincoln Police Department said that while it may have been a case of vandalism, it also could have also been a "work in progress" with gold lettering on the engravings. These Spec Ops Magazine 2023 All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. When the smoke had cleared, its said that there were 25 dead Somali attackers scattered around the site. 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. A Black Hawk helicopter with the call sign Super Six-One was shot down first, and later that day the Black Hawk helicopter Super Six-Four was shot down. Master SergeantGary Ivan Gordon was born on August 30, 1960, and died on October 3, 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia. Springfield Armory recommends you seek qualified and competent training from a As a person with an interest in guns, movies and military history, its rewarding to take on projects where all those line up. Available Ranger forces on the ground could not assist the downed helicopter crew of the second crash site as they were already engaged in heavy combat with Somalis militia and making their way to the first crash site. Gordon, however, repeated his request until he got permission. After all that is said and done, the build is complete. 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. Two Delta snipers fought and died in the Battle of Mogadishu. After completing Special Forces training, Shughart was transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina and assigned to Delta Force. In October 1993, elite American troops launched a disastrous raid in the Somali capital Mogadishu. It also should be noted that Shughart would have had an older Aimpoint, probably the Aimpoint 2000 according to my findings. Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart were deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia as part of Task Force Ranger. They become legends. Please re-read the annotations in Black Hawk Down (book) Mcase07 ( talk) 20:28, 14 April 2008 (UTC) [ reply] 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. Required fields are marked *, Visit our friends and partners at Nortrack for tracking and other tactical training. Shughart's dead body is torn from the Black Hawk: the mob tears the top of his uniform off and carries him through the street with his bare chest facing up. Gordon and Shughart lost their lives in the assault. While its believed Gordon was the first to die, the official version states it was Shughart. For the sling, I actually got an older used sling so that it had that worn aesthetic to make the rifle look like its seen some hard use. Despite the fact that he was critically low on ammunition, he provided some of it to the dazed pilot and then radioed for help. Gordon wanted to be inserted to secure the crash site as hostile Somalis were converging on the area. Helicopter with call sign Super 61 (Super Six One). 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. Incredible Stories of US Servicemen Who Received the Medal of Honor Both operators died in the battle. [3], Shughart, Gary Gordon, and Sergeant First Class Brad Halling had been providing sniper cover from the air from Black Hawk Super Six-Two. 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. 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. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. On Oct. 3, Gordon was the sniper team leader during Operation Gothic Serpent, an American operation that targeted Aidid's key advisers in the slums of Mogadishu. When the site was overrun by the Somali militia, Durant was the only survivor and was held hostage for 11 days until he was released to the Red Cross. Who fell out of the helicopter in Black Hawk Down? Halling stayed behind to man a door gun as one of the helicopter's gunners had been wounded. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Shughart (1958-93) was buried in Carlisle. He and Shughart were lowered to the ground, while their comrade Sergeant First Class Brad Halling stayed aboard to man a machine gun. Live The Armory Life. MOGADISHU (Reuters) Somali insurgents dragged soldiers bodies through the streets of Mogadishu before burning them on Wednesday in heavy fighting that killed at least 16 people and injured scores more, witnesses said. Again, out of ammo, he was only able to retrieve one weapon and five rounds, which he gave to Durant and said Good Luck. Gary Gordon. Were they given back along with the surviving pilot? Get market updates, educational videos, webinars, and stock analysis. 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. It was intended to last an hour, but ended up extending into the next day. 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. 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. 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. Anyway, for my build, I did the ARMS #18 mount because it had the appropriate height. 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. Building the Black Hawk Down M14 - The Armory Life Or was he Master Sgt. Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart: The real heroes of the Battle of Mogadishu When superiors reluctantly approved the mission, Gordon grinned and gave a thumbs up, but Hallings had to stay behind to man the minigun because its operator was wounded. Shughart retrieved Gordon's CAR-15 and gave it to Durant to use. It's a site that collects all the most frequently asked questions and answers, so you don't have to spend hours on searching anywhere else. 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. Following the announcement, the Lincoln Police Department received an outpouring of support for repairing the gravestone. Just as they fought and died together, the two operators were honored together as well. 5 How many Delta Force died in Black Hawk Down? 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 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. Shughart retrieved Gordon's CAR-15 and gave it to Durant to use. The pair landed 100 meters south of the crashsite and, armed with sniper rifles and pistols, fought their way to the downed Black Hawk. They did that, even though large numbers of armed Somali militia were converging the area. I only tried to match it in appearance and not performance. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. (Photo Credit: US Army / Wikimedia Commons)Gordon wanted to assist the helicopter, but his request was denied. 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. [3] It is believed that Gordon was the first of the two to be killed by the surrounding mob. 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. Gordon and Shughart were a sniper team for Delta Force and were assigned to over watch the operation, engaging targets from the Blackhawk. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. Shughart retrieved Gordons CAR-15 and gave it to Durant to use. I used an Aimpoint PRO for the optic and I kept the original mount on the Aimpoint PRO; I just removed the spacer to make it sit lower. In reality, the helicopter was not evading RPG fire, as portrayed in the movie. Randy Shughart - Wikipedia In December 1983, Shughart returned to active duty and the following year attended Special Forces training. Once he committed to something, the way was clear.