On May 23, 1994, President Clinton awarded Gordon and Shughart the Medal of Honor, joining just 3,000 others in two centuries. Archived post. [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. Both Gordon and Shughart laid down their lives to save their brothers in arms. Master Sergeant Gordon continued to travel the perimeter, protecting the downed crew. [3], Shughart, Gary Gordon, and Sergeant First Class Brad Halling had been providing sniper cover from the air from Black Hawk Super Six-Two. Mission commanders denied their request; in fact, they said that the situation was already too dangerous for the three Delta snipers to effectively protect the Blackhawk crew from the ground because overwhelming Somali militias outnumbered them. The bodies of 50 Somalis were later found surrounding the chopper. Shughart was born August 13, 1958, in Lincoln, Nebraska, into a United States Air Force family of German descent. But, as you will see, this setup is very close to the one in the movie. 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. Before we find you.". His actions saved the pilots life. During his service, he participated in such missions as Operation Just Cause and the Persian Gulf War. 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. However, large numbers of armed, hostile Somalis were converging on the area. 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. Much of the food was hijacked by Mohamed Aidid's militia, and suddenly hundreds of thousands more Somalians were at risk of dying. "If anyone has any information about who did this, maliciously or with honorable intent, please contact us," the department said, adding that, "if you are the person who did this and did it as purely an act of vandalism, do the right thing and turn yourself in. His teachers thought he was smart, but his grades drifted because he was obsessed doodling "anything and everything military-related," his mother told a reporter. His request was denied twice before finally being approved on the third request. "Shughart-Gordon". After their wedding came a son, Ian, then a daughter, Brittany. The Somalis claimed 315 of their own died and 812 were wounded. Citation: Sergeant First Class Shughart, United States Army, distinguished himself by actions above and beyond the call of duty on 3 October 1993, while serving as a Sniper Team Member, United States Army Special Operations Command with Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia. While its believed Gordon was the first to die, the official version states it was Shughart. Instead of being buried in Arlington National Cemetery, his mother, Betty, said he would have "wanted to be brought home here," The New York Times previously reported. Randy Shughart/Place of burial. 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. When Gordon was eventually killed, Shughart picked up Gordon's weapon and gave it to Durant. In December 1992, the United States began Operation Restore Hope. Notice: Information contained herein is not and should not be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell securities. In 1989, Gordon was with the outfit in Operation Just Cause, the invasion of Panama to capture its dictator, Manuel Noriega. 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. Gary. In October 1993, elite American troops launched a disastrous raid in the Somali capital Mogadishu. Gary Gordon and Randy Shugart had crept up along the side of the helicopter and poked their heads into the cockpit. 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. Were the bodies of Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon recovered? Citation Reads:Rank and organization: Master Sergeant, U.S. Army. "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. As such, the US Army sent in its Special Forces to protect the humanitarian efforts and prevent the continued rise of the warlords. The Lincoln Police Department on Tuesday announced it was "with an extremely heavy heart" to report that the gravestone of Gordon, a native of the city, may have been vandalized within the last two weeks. What happened to the pilot in Black Hawk Down? If you feel like I left out Gary Gordon, fret not. 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. 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. Sergeant First Class Shughart continued his protective fire until he depleted his ammunition and was fatally wounded. This rifle is a fantastic foundation for a project like this. 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. 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. Content on this website is free to use and share, but please provide a link back to Spec Ops Magazine as a source. On 24 July 1996, Aidid and his men clashed with the forces of former allies Ali Mahdi Muhammad and Osman Ali Atto. certified instructor prior to handling any firearm and be sure to read your owners manual. 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. All rights reserved. Who were the 2 soldiers in Black Hawk Down? What is the white stuff in my gas fireplace? Undeterred, Gordon repeated his request until it was granted. 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. It is believed that Gordon was the first to be killed. In 1993, Gordon's body was eventually buried and brought back to his hometown in Maine. Randall Shughart was a US Army Delta Force soldier. Gary and Carmen talked about opening a furniture store, but also candidly discussed what would happen if he died. Gary Gordon, a Special Forces soldier was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Mogadishu. ", The pilot wrote: "He sounded almost irritated, like this was just going to make things harder for him. For their acts, they were awarded the highest military decoration, Medal of Honor, for the first time after the Vietnam War. Shughart was buried in Carlilse, Pennsylvania and Gordon in Penobscot County, Maine. As a Delta operator, he advanced to Team Sergeant. [1] According to Durant's book In the Company of Heroes, the Somalis counted 25 of their militia dead after the firefight. They were at the Black Hawk with the call sign Super 62 (Super Six Two). 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.". Sergeant First Class Shughart continued his protective fire until he depleted his ammunition and was fatally wounded. "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. . The ship was the first "Large Medium Speed Roll On/Roll Off (LMSR) ship" to undergo conversion from a commercial container vessel to a sealift cargo ship.[14]. The term M1A is a proprietary title for Springfield Armorys M14-pattern rifle. 1st Class Randy Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions to secure the site of one of . Shughart was deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993 as part of Task Force Ranger. Speaking about the pairs heroic efforts in Somalia, Clinton said: Gordon and Shughart knew their own chances of survival were extremely bleak. Cookie Notice Their ammunition depleted, Gordon and Shughart were killed by Somali gunfire. 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. SHUGHART-GORDON VILLAGE. 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. [5], There was some confusion in the aftermath of the action as to who had been killed first. I purchased an M1A with the sole purpose of creating a clone look-a-like rifle that matched the visual appearance of the M14 from the movie Black Hawk Down that was carried by the actor Johnny Strong as he played the role of Randy Shughart on screen. Master Sergeant Gordons 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, Gordons citation says. Grant served with and taught marksmanship for the United States Marine Corps. Two Delta Force operators Master Sgt. In 1993, Gordon's body was eventually buried and brought back to his hometown in Maine. Sorry, an error occurred and we could not sign you up. The Americans' "overconfidence played a part in the problems during the raid," wrote Chun. [7], In the 2001 film Black Hawk Down, Shughart was portrayed by actor Johnny Strong. 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. Later investigation and reconstruction concluded that Gordon was the first to be killed. Mike Durant survived and is alive today. Shell also rave about her three Maltese dogs whenever she gets the chance. By the fall of 1992, the nation of Somalia was war-torn and ravaged by famine. After their third request to be inserted, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader received permission to perform this volunteer mission. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. I pulled up a picture on Google of where the stripes were and attempted to match it. News outlets broadcasted searing images of mobs dragging the bodies of dead Army Special Operators and helicopter crewmen . On May 23, 1994, Gordon and Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States military's highest decoration for valor under . Live The Armory Life. Place and date: 3 October 1993, Mogadishu, Somalia. Gary Gordon and Sgt. Shughart retrieved Gordon's CAR-15 rifle and gave it to Durant to use. We have everything from small-caliber pistols to belt-fed machine guns. At one point, MSG Gordon and SFC Shughart requested permission to land near the second helicopter crash site and defend the crash site and four critically wounded helicopter crew members. Get market updates, educational videos, webinars, and stock analysis. During the mission, a Black Hawk helicopter (Super Six-One) providing air support was shot down. Let me say when it came to my build, I made it match the M14 seen in the film the best I could, rather than what Shugharts rifle would have actually been like. Trained as a combat engineer, he became a Special Forces engineer with the 2nd Battalion of the 10th Special Forces Group. 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. 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. How often do you need to soak a kokedama? 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 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. Randy Shughart was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, into an Air Force family. Master Sergeant Gordon immediately 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. Click the Go To Forum Thread link below to jump in and discuss this article and much more! The pilot of their helicopter said that anyone in their right mind would never have gone in, but they insisted on it because they were comrades in danger, because they believed passionately in the creed that says, I will not fail those with whom I serve., Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart died in the most courageous and selfless way any human being can act, he concluded. 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. Gordon, the sniper team leader, requested they be inserted at the 2nd crash site. Springfield Armory recommends you seek qualified and competent training from a 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. However, it added that the family "was never notified that this was happening.". 1st Class Randy Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions to secure the site of one of the Black Hawk crashes to recover survivors. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Once he committed to something, the way was clear. They acted as if they were in no particular rush, and they raised me up gently and carried me to an open spot on the ground to the right of the cockpit and set me down carefully in the dust. Helicopter with call sign Super 61 (Super Six One). In 2003, Michael Durant published a book, In the company of heroes where he described events on that day on how he saw it. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. 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. As militants swarmed closer to the crash site, finally they were allowed to get on the ground. Shughart retrieved Gordon's CAR-15 and gave it to Durant to use. As a Delta Force operator, he advanced to Assistant Team Sergeant. The U.N. declared an end to the mission in April 1994. Shughart left active duty and went into the Army Reserve in June 1980. While he entered into the Army Reserve in 1980, he returned to active duty in December 1983. Gary Gordon and Sgt. How many Delta Force died in Black Hawk Down? They volunteered for sniper cover for Super 6-4 - the second downed Black Hawk MH-60L - during the [] Charlie Warren, were severely wounded. Gary Gordon wouldn't give up while aiming to rescue fellow soldiers trapped in Somalia in 1993. I tried looking it up and all it said was that the bodies were dragged through the streets and I couldn't find anything about how the US eventually got the bodies back. 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. [6] Shughart's body was eventually recovered and is buried in Westminster Cemetery, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. I chose to get the FDE stock Standard Issue M1A from Springfield Armory. "What happens with these is that over time the paint will fade," the mortician said to Insider. 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. Howe said that Gordon would not have given his weapon to someone while he could still fight. On May 23, 1994, President Clinton awarded Gordon and Shughart the Medal of Honor, joining just 3,000 others in . Halling stayed behind to man a door gun as one of the helicopter's gunners had been wounded. Both operators died in the battle. Without a doubt, they saved my life. Durant is left sitting in a bunker without ammunition. His actions saved the pilots life. Gordon rarely talked about the details of his military career. Today, the CompM is not easily attainable, and I couldnt find a split mount like that either. 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. SFC Brad Hallings assumed a miniguns control after a crew chief was injured and was not inserted with Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon. 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. Immediately after the battle, the Somalis counted at least 25 of their men dead, with much more severely wounded.