The bodies of 50 Somalis were later found surrounding the chopper. 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. [55] So, feel free to visit and check it out. 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. Police said the body had been found in a wooded area of Brighton, close to where the . 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 Aimpoint PRO has a nearly identical aesthetic to the CompM and can still be put in a singular scope ring should you desire that. Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. 5 How many Delta Force died in Black Hawk Down? What is the white stuff in my gas fireplace? You are not fit to command."[13]. While he entered into the Army Reserve in 1980, he returned to active duty in December 1983. Its not high like normal optic mounts for the M14 platform. While providing critical suppressive fire 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. The remains of a baby have been found in the search for the missing child of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon. Later investigation and reconstruction concluded that Gordon was first to be killed. 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. In the movie, there is a single scope ring at the front of the receiver holding an Aimpoint CompM. Shughart retrieved Gordon's CAR-15 and gave it to Durant to use. 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. Gary I. Gordon was born in Lincoln, Maine, and graduated from Mattanawcook Academy in 1978. Both Gordon and Shughart laid down their lives to save their brothers in arms. Marten, 35, or Gordon, 48, were arrested in Brighton at 9.30pm on . President George H.W. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. She swallowed tears as she described how she pored over the pictures, how she found contours that seemed so familiar, but not enough for her to say with certainty the soldier in the photograph was her son. Place and date: 3 October 1993, Mogadishu, Somalia. [5], There was some confusion in the aftermath of the action as to who had been killed first. 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. 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. That picture represents every parents nightmare, said Caroline Smith of Long Valley, N.J., who lost her 21-year-old son, Spc. As such, the US Army sent in its Special Forces to protect the humanitarian efforts and prevent the continued rise of the warlords. 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? Two elite Delta snipers, Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart volunteered to be inserted at the site by another Black Hawk, knowing help was far away down the hostile, roadblocked avenues of. 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. On the beach near the base, a memorial was held for those who were killed in combat.". Shell also rave about her three Maltese dogs whenever she gets the chance. 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. Gordon's body was eventually recovered and is buried in Lincoln Cemetery, Penobscot County, Maine. Gordon and Shughart were a sniper team providing sniper cover from the air in helicopter Super Six-Two. Who was the real hoot in Black Hawk Down? They were the only service members participating in Operation Gothic Serpent to receive the award, and were its first recipients since the Vietnam War. Upon its crash the Blackhawk wreck had become a focus of enemy attention as well as fire. In October 1993, elite American troops launched a disastrous raid in the Somali capital Mogadishu. 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 thoroughness of the pages after the story in the book all seem to indicate that Mark Bowden wrote it very, very diligently. If you feel like I left out Gary Gordon, fret not. The next thing you need to pull off the look is, of course, a 20-round magazine. The heroic actions of Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart on October 3 ultimately saved Michael Durants life. 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 . Honours and Awards Combat Infantryman Badge with Star (denoting 2nd award). After putting the gun back together, I ended up putting on a National Match leather sling to get the same look from the film. After his father, Herbert Shughart, left the Air Force, the Shugharts moved to Newville, Pennsylvania, to live and work on a dairy farm. Randy Shughart/Place of burial. M14. Both Delta snipers, Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart, are portrayed in the Hollywood blockbuster Black Hawk Down. How many Delta Force died in Black Hawk Down? Gary Gordon and Sgt. The Medal of Honor award on May 23, 1994, made Gordon and Shughart the only snipers to receive the high honor and the first since the Vietnam War, said retired Brig. He and Shughart were lowered to the ground, while their comrade Sergeant First Class Brad Halling stayed aboard to man a machine gun. When the smoke had cleared, its said that there were 25 dead Somali attackers scattered around the site. Randy Shughart would have been 60 years old today. Gordon's was the most mutilated out of all of the dead American's In the ensuing battle two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were shot down. The couple were discovered by cops in Brighton on Monday night - without their newborn baby . 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. The blame for my son's death rests with the White House and with you. 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. 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. 1 Were the bodies of Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon recovered? They become legends. In 1997, the Navy named roll-on/roll-off ship USNSShughart(T-AKR-295) in a ceremony at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego. So now, lets talk about the build. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to use this website. Most of those reached were these five soldiers parents; widows had moved, had newly unlisted numbers or took refuge behind the shields military families learn to erect. 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. This rifle is a fantastic foundation for a project like this. Shughart-Gordon Urban Operations Training Center ("MOUT Site"), US Army Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana. When they reached the downed Super 64, Gordon and Shughart extracted the pilot, Chief Warrant OfficerMichael Mike Durant, and the other crew members from the aircraft. Halling stayed behind to man a door gun as one of the helicopter's gunners had been wounded. What happened to the pilot in Black Hawk Down? 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 their third request to be inserted, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader received permission to perform this volunteer mission. It was intended to last an hour, but ended up extending into the next day. Again, out of ammo, he was only able to retrieve one weapon and five rounds, which he gave to Durant and said Good Luck. Shughart was buried in Carlilse, Pennsylvania and Gordon in Penobscot County, Maine. While its believed Gordon was the first to die, the official version states it was Shughart. Your email address will not be published. His M14 has a camouflage paint scheme and an Aimpoint CompM2/M68 reflex sight. In December 1983, Shughart returned to active duty and the following year attended Special Forces training. Mission commanders felt it too dangerous and believed the snipers would be of more assistance in the air. In 1992, a cease-fire opened the way for the United Nations to deliver food, protected by a coalition that included U.S. troops. In Clarksville, Tenn., Willi Frank thought she spotted her husband immediately in television footage. The two sergeants were part of a sniper team aboard another Blackhawk, hovering. Gary Gordon and Randy Shugart had crept up along the side of the helicopter and poked their heads into the cockpit. The opposition was much larger and better organized then originally thought and the mission began to take a turn for the worse. They did that, even though large numbers of armed Somali militia were converging the area. Their ammunition nearly depleted, Gordon and Shughart were killed by Somali militias gunfire. A smoke grenade gave Gordon and Shughart some cover as they fought their way 100 yards through a shantytown to the downed craft. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations.