I have the utmost respect for the two men and, as a gun enthusiast and creator, I wanted to do a project that could honor their memory. William Cleveland, 34, whose military heritage dated back to a soldier who died fighting on the Union side in the Civil War, and whose ambition since childhood was a life in uniform, like his father? As for the Shughart M14, its an extremely iconic weapon, and Im proud to have one that resembles that legendary rifle. How many Delta Force died in Black Hawk Down? Gordon and Shughart were a sniper team for Delta Force and were assigned to over watch the operation, engaging targets from the Blackhawk. Citation: Master Sergeant Gordon, United States Army, distinguished himself by actions above and beyond the call of duty on 3 October 1993, while serving as Sniper Team Leader, United States Army Special Operations Command with Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia. He chose to be a husband and father and never wavered in those roles. In Clarksville, Tenn., Willi Frank thought she spotted her husband immediately in television footage. What is the white stuff in my gas fireplace? Gary Gordon joined the US Army in December 1978. "Shughart-Gordon". Was Gary Gordon's body ever retrieved from Somalia. Gordon wanted to be inserted to secure the crash site as hostile Somalis were converging on the area. While providing critical suppressive fires at the second crash site, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader learned that ground forces were not immediately available to secure the site. 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. Sergeant First Class Shughart provided precision sniper fires from the lead helicopter during an assault on a building and at two helicopter crash sites, while subjected to intense automatic weapon fire and numerous rocket propelled grenades. The awful events of that day changed everything. Designed to support up to a battalion-level assault, this . Shughart retrieved Gordon's CAR-15 and gave it to Durant to use. When the smoke had cleared, its said that there were 25 dead Somali attackers scattered around the site. Realtime quote and/or trade prices are not sourced from all markets. His actions saved the pilot's life. His actions saved the pilots life. With the ARMS #18 mount and the Aimpoint PRO installed, we are now about 90% of the way to the finished product. My son had black eyebrows and eyelashes, Morford said. Randy Shughart was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, into an Air Force family. [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. Howe said that Gordon would not have given his weapon to someone while he could still fight. How many Delta Force died in Black Hawk Down? Army Commendation Medal. Gary Ivan Gordon (August 30, 1960-October 3, 1993), posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor. After his team member was fatally wounded and his own rifle ammunition exhausted, Master Sergeant Gordon returned to the wreckage, recovering a rifle with the last five rounds of ammunition and gave it to the pilot with the words, good luck. Then, armed only with his pistol, Master Sergeant Gordon continued to fight until he was fatally wounded. 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. And then she asked a reporter for the AP photograph. Master SergeantGary Ivan Gordon was born on August 30, 1960, and died on October 3, 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia. Was he Chief Warrant Officer Raymond Frank, 45, a pilot for 27 years who dearly loved flying? The thoroughness of the pages after the story in the book all seem to indicate that Mark Bowden wrote it very, very diligently. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? During Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia, Durant was the pilot of helicopter Super Six Four. His was the second MH-60L of two Black Hawk helicopters to crash during the Battle of Mogadishu on October 3, 1993. ", Chun said, "One removed the three other severely injured crew members, while the other provided covering fire and then they quickly assessed their situation. "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. Sergeant First Class Shughart provided precision sniper fires from the lead helicopter during an assault on a building and at two helicopter crash sites, while subjected to intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fires. Their 'Go bag'. Gordon rarely talked about the details of his military career. Salesforce Soars Late, Tesla Doesn't Unveil New EV, "For Military Merit: Recipients of the Purple Heart,". Gary Gordon, 33, whose funeral in Lincoln, Me., the papermaking town he left 15 years ago, drew hundreds of mourners? On that day, October 3, 1993, two American heroes Master Sgt. [6] Shughart's body was eventually recovered and is buried in Westminster Cemetery, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. How to Market Your Business with Webinars. Gary I. Gordon and Randall D. Shughart were true warriors and the finest American heroes. One was us and the other was his comrades. Shughart retrieved Gordon's CAR-15 rifle and gave it to Durant to use. I only tried to match it in appearance and not performance. Aidid was fatally wounded in a battle with a rival militia two years later. Legendary Delta Force operator Norm Hooten talks about his storied career, his scariest moment, and the one thing to always remember in a firefight. ", Suddenly Durant heard Gordon say, "Damn. 1 Were the bodies of Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon 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. He and Shughart were lowered to the ground, while their comrade Sergeant First Class Brad Halling stayed aboard to man a machine gun. When she buried her son in Ft. Benning, Ga., Caroline Smith learned from some of the men with him in battle that he had been shot and pulled inside a building. Positioned approximately 3.5 miles southeast of Self Airfield, Shughart-Gordon is the largest of the three sites. 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. Charlie Warren, were severely wounded. Spec Ops Magazine 2023 All Rights Reserved. Shortly after, Randy Shughart was killed, and Durant was taken alive. Engaged in combat with Aidids militia, the Ranger forces on the ground were unable to assist. possibly from the Somalian's anger from the defense the he and As a Delta Force operator, he advanced to Assistant Team Sergeant. While he entered into the Army Reserve in 1980, he returned to active duty in December 1983. The largest military subreddit on reddit. 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. Thanks. Later investigation and reconstruction concluded that Gordon was the first to be killed. Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart were the only soldiers participating in Operation Gothic Serpent (Battle of Mogadishu) to receive the militarys highest honor and the first Medal of Honor recipients since theVietnam War. The death toll was terrible enough, but one single, sickening sight--a still photograph of a mutilated dead soldier, tied with rope before a jeering crowd--chilled many who had continued to think charitably about the United States purpose in Somalia. Carmen Gordon wrote a letter to their children and had it published to help others coping with similar loss: "Your father had two families. If they had not come in, I wouldnt have survived. For their bravery and actions beyond the call of duty, the United States government awarded both Shugart and Gordon the Medal of Honor, the only snipers to have ever received the MOH. Randy Shughart would have been 60 years old today. Shughart was deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993 as part of Task Force Ranger. 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 full "rescue scene" with Shugart and Gordon in HQ. Two Delta Force operators Master Sgt. After completing the introductory training courses, Shughart completed AIT (advanced individual training), Airborne School, and in 1978 assigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, at Fort Lewis, Washington. I'm not sure if it's a permanent part but the Infantry Museum at Ft. Bennington has a ton of great history. While their heroic actions during the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia resulted in their deaths, they efforts allowed for the rescue of a fellow soldier. The optic is sitting right on top of the action. After their third request to be inserted, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader received permission to perform this volunteer mission. . Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart and Master Sergeant Gary Gordon, were two Delta Force snipers who were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions in the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. ", The pilot wrote: "He sounded almost irritated, like this was just going to make things harder for him. The Shughart-Gordon MOUT site was named for Medal of Honor recipients Sgt. On 24 July 1996, Aidid and his men clashed with the forces of former allies Ali Mahdi Muhammad and Osman Ali Atto. Despite the fact that he was critically low on ammunition, he provided some of it to the dazed pilot and then radioed for help. Gary I. Gordon was born in Lincoln, Maine, and graduated from Mattanawcook Academy in 1978. For their efforts during the Battle of Mogadishu, Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Theres an on-going debate on whos tougher: a Navy SEAL or a member of the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachments Delta Unit, a.k.a. Like I said earlier, I didnt do anything that wasnt strictly aesthetic. 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. Deadly Price The Army task force did capture Aidid's advisers, but at high cost. Sergeant First Class Shughart used his long range rifle and side arm to kill an undetermined number of attackers while traveling the perimeter, protecting the downed crew. Master Sergeant Gordon continued to travel the perimeter, protecting the downed crew. Out of all the bodies, Gary Gary Gordon and Sgt. Gordon's was the most mutilated out of all of the dead American's Who were the 2 soldiers in Black Hawk Down? If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Sergeant First Class Randall David Shughart, 2nd Battalion of the10th Special Forces Group, Mark Bowdens bestseller Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War. The opposition was much larger and better organized then originally thought and the mission began to take a turn for the worse. The events of this mission have been well documented in the book Blackhawk Down, and the movie of the same title that was based on the book. Though Delta Force generally chooses its candidates from within the Armymost Delta operators come from the 75th Ranger Regiment or the Special Forcesthe group also selects individuals from other branches of the military, including the Coast Guard, National Guard and even Navy SEALs. 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 . They set up a defense perimeter and gave Durant a rifle to protect their rear, since he was the only one in condition to help them. Were they given back along with the surviving pilot? Randall Shughart was a US Army Delta Force soldier. The men wanted to get on the ground, check for survivors and defend the crash of Six-Four. In December 1983, Shughart returned to active duty and the following year attended Special Forces training. (Photo Credit: US Army / Wikimedia Commons)Gordon wanted to assist the helicopter, but his request was denied. Overhead, other Army helicopters came under fire from RPGs and had to withdraw. My two sons and myself was all looking. Master Sergeant Gordon used his long range rifle and side arm to kill an undetermined number of attackers until he depleted his ammunition. Shughart and Gary Gordon, both Delta Force operators and snipers died in Mogadishu, Somalia in October 1993 after being inserted alone into a crash site for a Blackhawk helicopter which had been shot down while raiding a headquarters of Somali militiamen headed by Mohamed . The infamous picture of the US Soldier being dragged shirtless through the street was not either of the CAG Snipers. Warmer storms could cause problems, Jaguars, narcos, illegal loggers: One mans battle to save a jungle and Maya ruins, Dr. Simi is a TikTok star. Later investigation and reconstruction concluded that Gordon was first to be killed. Halling stayed behind to man a door gun as one of the helicopter's gunners had been wounded. BREAKING: Salesforce Soars Late, Tesla Doesn't Unveil New EV. They were at the Black Hawk with the call sign Super 62 (Super Six Two). Just know that my build is like the movie version but in aesthetics only. 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