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No doubt about it, the rifle in the movie is a full-length M14, similar to the Standard Issue M1A. In our content, you will see two faces regularly. They likely had an extra bag with ammo that they would have taken with them. The men wanted to get on the ground, check for survivors and defend the crash of Six-Four. 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. 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. 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. I didnt dive deep into what trigger Shughart would have had, or glass bedding of the action, etc. 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. Gary Gordon and Sgt. I chose to get the FDE stock Standard Issue M1A from Springfield Armory. 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. Shughart-Gordon Urban Operations Training Center ("MOUT Site"), US Army Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana. Prior to its hiatus, she also served as the Head of Content for UK YouTube publication, TenEighty Magazine. Gary Gordon and Sgt. 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. Born into a US Air Force family, he joined the Army while in high school. Privacy Policy. Durant acknowledged that he might have been wrong in his identification but was reluctant to push for the record to be changed since he was not sure. What is the white stuff in my gas fireplace? Medal of Honor recipients For their efforts during the Battle of Mogadishu, Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. 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. Delta Force operatives dont typically wear a uniform and, even when they do, the nature of that uniform is classified and no one outside of the Unit would be able to recognize it. The infamous picture of the US Soldier being dragged shirtless through the street was not either of the CAG Snipers. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Citation Reads:Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army. In 1993, Gordon's body was eventually buried and brought back to his hometown in Maine. 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. Again, out of ammo, he was only able to retrieve one weapon and five rounds, which he gave to Durant and said Good Luck. 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. First, let's give them their due. Hoot seems to be a merge of Hooten and Howe in the book, which features more prominently in the book than Hooten. *Real-time prices by Nasdaq Last Sale. Through negotiation and threats to the Habr Gidr clan leaders by ambassador Robert B. Oakley, all the bodies were eventually recovered. 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. Vehicles roll out of the city. All rights reserved. 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. The USNS Shughart is currently the lead ship in her class, and is capable of carrying 48 track vehicles, 58 tanks, and over 900 trucks and other wheeled vehicles. Like I said earlier, I didnt do anything that wasnt strictly aesthetic. He and Shughart were lowered to the ground, while their comrade Sergeant First Class Brad Halling stayed aboard to man a machine gun. In 1978, he was assigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Lewis, Washington. (from the Bowdens notes: this is because he was at most liberty to talk about the events). Brad Halling, a master sergeant in the U.S. Army special forces, or Green Beret, was part of a U.S. Blackhawk helicopter team that rapelled onto the Olympic Hotel in Mogadishu with the aim of capturing some top aides to fugitive warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. Grant served with and taught marksmanship for the United States Marine Corps. He joined the Army while attending Big Spring High School in Newville, entering upon graduation in 1976. Gordon's lesson is that when something is crucial, push hard. 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. By this time, more Somali militiamen were arriving intent on either capturing or killing the American servicemen. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. This rifle is a fantastic foundation for a project like this. 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. His actions saved the pilots life. In her spare time, Clare likes to play Pokemon GO and re-watch Heartland over and over (and over) again. Two Delta Force operators Master Sgt. The information and content are subject to change without notice. After their third request to be inserted, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader received permission to perform this volunteer mission. 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. He joined the Boy Scouts and played football in high school, graduating in 1978. They could have taken a belt of 7.62 ammo from the door gunner and delinked it. Both Delta snipers, Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart, are portrayed in the Hollywood blockbuster Black Hawk Down. It is believed that Gordon was the first to be killed. Oops, there's been an error. At the time, the United States was leading a UN mission to end the civil war and famine in Somalia. They were tasked to provide sniper support from the air during the battle, but things went wrong after two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down. Howe said that Gordon would not have given his weapon to someone while he could still fight. [2][3], Shughart was deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993 as part of Task Force Ranger. 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. In October 1993, elite American troops launched a disastrous raid in the Somali capital Mogadishu. 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. and our Their 'Go bag'. Honours and Awards. Atto is alleged to have masterminded the defeat of Aidid. Learn how you can make more money with IBD's investing tools, top-performing stock lists, and educational content. "He and Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the first Americans to receive our highest military decoration since the Vietnam War.". 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. 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. [8], SFC Shughart's awards and decorations include:[9][10], On May 23, 1994, Shughart and Gordon were posthumously decorated with the Medal of Honor for protecting the crew of Super Six Four. Bush authorized the dispatch of U.S. troops to Somalia to assist with famine relief as part of the larger United Nations effort. The pair landed 100 meters south of the crashsite and, armed with sniper rifles and pistols, fought their way to the downed Black Hawk. Who were the 2 soldiers in Black Hawk Down? By the fall of 1992, the nation of Somalia was war-torn and ravaged by famine. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Michael Durant, one of the Black Hawk pilots, was captured. The ceremony was attended by Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) and Carmen Gordon, the master sergeants widow. 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. It is believed that Gordon was the first to be killed. 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. It also should be noted that Shughart would have had an older Aimpoint, probably the Aimpoint 2000 according to my findings. Shughart went back around the helicopter's nose and held off the mob for about 10 more minutes before he was killed. 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. Writing Portfolio [55] Michael Durant was released after 11 days of captivity. His request was denied twice before finally being approved on the third request. The full "rescue scene" with Shugart and Gordon in HQ. Shortly afterwards, Shughart was killed and Durant was taken alive. Ray Dowdy and Staff Sgt. In 1993, Gordon's body was eventually buried and brought back to his hometown in Maine. "Shughart-Gordon". 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. 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. Shughart retrieved Gordon's CAR-15 rifle and gave it to Durant to use. ", The pilot wrote: "He sounded almost irritated, like this was just going to make things harder for him. As he was preparing to fast rope from Super 67, Blackburn missed the rope, falling between 60-90 feet ( 18.29m-27.43m). For more information, please see our Two Delta snipers fought and died in the Battle of Mogadishu. Gary I. Gordon and Randall D. Shughart were true warriors and the finest American heroes. The U.S. Army aimed to prevent that, with Gordon's Delta outfit landing in Mogadishu in the summer of 1993. Ridley Scott directed the movie. The initial insertion attempt failed and they had to insert about 100 meters away from the crash site. Shughart retrieved Gordon's CAR-15 and gave it to Durant to use. [3] It is believed that Gordon was the first of the two to be killed by the surrounding mob. Just know that my build is like the movie version but in aesthetics only. Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon fought their way to the downed Blackhawk. Michael Durant Below is a excerpt of American Valor's interview with Michael Durant whose life was saved by Medal of Honor recipients Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart. Gordon and Shughart lost their lives in the assault. Sergeant First Class Shughart continued his protective fire until he depleted his ammunition and was fatally wounded. In the movie, which was released in 2001, it looks as if the rifle has a split rail mount. [4], Armed with their sniper rifles and sidearms, Shughart and Gordon were inserted approximately 100 metres (330ft) from the crash site and made their way to the downed Black Hawk. Gary Gordon wouldn't give up while aiming to rescue fellow soldiers trapped in Somalia in 1993. . Sergeant First Class Shughart continued his protective fire until he depleted his ammunition and was fatally wounded. 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. [11], Herbert Shughart, Randall Shughart's father, attended the Medal of Honor presentation ceremony at the White House, where he refused to shake hands with U.S. President Bill Clinton. The next thing you need to pull off the look is, of course, a 20-round magazine. Get instant access to exclusive stock lists, expert market analysis and powerful tools with 2 months of IBD Digital for only $20! Concerning Shughart and Gordan, Durant made the comment Without a doubt, I owe my life to these two men and their braveryThose guys came in when they had to know it was a losing battle, There was nobody else left to back them up. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Raid: How Delta Force Took Out Notorious Terrorist? Shughart deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993 as part of Task Force Ranger operations. Their ammunition depleted, Gordon and Shughart were killed by Somali gunfire. Several months later, he completed the pre-ranger course, obtained a spot at Ranger School and earned his Ranger Tab. In the ensuing battle two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were shot down. Overhead, other Army helicopters came under fire from RPGs and had to withdraw. 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 thoroughness of the pages after the story in the book all seem to indicate that Mark Bowden wrote it very, very diligently. Randall Shughart was a US Army Delta Force soldier. 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. views and opinions of Springfield Armory. . It wasn't a scream or a plea, just a statement of fact, like someone who'd nicked himself with a vegetable knife. Both Gordon and Shughart laid down their lives to save their brothers in arms. Your email address will not be published. Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart were deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia as part of Task Force Ranger. As they monitored the downing of the 2nd Blackhawk it was evident that ground forces would not be available anytime soon to secure the crash site and protect the crew of four, whom all survived the crash. Undeterred, Gordon repeated his request until it was granted. 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 they reached Super Six-Four, they extracted Durant and the other crew from the helicopter and defended the aircraft. 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. 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. "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. Halling stayed behind to man a door gun as one of the helicopter's gunners had been wounded. 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. Later investigation and reconstruction concluded that Gordon was first to be killed. At his death, he was a non-commissioned officer in the United States Armys premier special operations unit, the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1SFOD-D), also known as Delta Force. Halling stayed behind to man a door gun as one of the helicopter's gunners had been wounded. On the first call, mission commanders denied their request to go there and protect the site of the downed helicopter until reinforcements arrived. The showdown pitted 160 special operations soldiers arriving in 19 helicopters and 12 vehicles against 3,000 Aidid men. SFC Brad Hallings assumed a miniguns control after a crew chief was injured and was not inserted with Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon. Two years later, the government of Somalia was overthrown and a civil war erupted. Both pilots were killed in the resulting crash and two of the crew chiefs, Staff Sgt. On that day, October 3, 1993, two American heroes Master Sgt. Eversmann is the clearest example of this. Stories of the Unsolved. 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. For their efforts during the Battle of Mogadishu, Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The Commands position was that three of them could be of more assistance by providing air cover. Gordon wanted to be inserted to secure the crash site as hostile Somalis were converging on the area. 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. 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. 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! 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. After his third request to be inserted, Master Sergeant Gordon received permission to perform his volunteer mission. It is unknown why he missed the rope. In attendance were a number of Navy officials and politicians, including Senator Bob Kerrey (D-NE) and John W. Douglass. Godron, 33, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Mogadishu. 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. Stories can drive us, inspire us, and we retell them for generations. Wolcott's body is finally recovered. Its also not forward of the action like scout optics. A combat search and rescue (CSAR) team was sent in to secure the survivors. 1st Class Randy Shughart provided precision sniper fire from the lead helicopter during a building assault and at two helicopter crash sites. Durant suffered a crushed vertebra in his back and a compound fracture of his left femur. On May 23, 1994, President Clinton awarded Gordon and Shughart the Medal of Honor, joining just 3,000 others in . After his father, Herbert Shughart, left the Air Force, the Shugharts moved to Newville, Pennsylvania, to live and work on a dairy farm. Make more money in stocks with 2 months of access to IBD Digital for only $20! The bodies of 50 Somalis were later found surrounding the chopper. The Somalis claimed 315 of their own died and 812 were wounded. In December 1983, Shughart returned to active duty and the following year attended Special Forces training. Gary Gordon joined the US Army in December 1978. Click the Go To Forum Thread link below to jump in and discuss this article and much more! I never saw or heard from him again.". In 1996 the US Navy named two ships after Shughart and Gordon in honor of their heroic actions. Sorry, an error occurred and we could not sign you up. Shughart's body was eventually recovered and is buried in Westminster Cemetery, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Legendary Delta Force operator Norm Hooten talks about his storied career, his scariest moment, and the one thing to always remember in a firefight. If youve never heard of this rifle or you dont understand the fascination with it, let me say that its not just the rifle its the story behind it. [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. Gordon and two sergeant first class subordinates, Shughart and Brad Hallings, had been providing fire cover from another helicopter, but they knew this wasn't enough if the crew of the second downed chopper was to be saved. Despite the fact that he was critically low on ammunition, he provided some of it to the dazed pilot and then radioed for help. However, beyond that, it wasn't likely. The MSG Gary Gordon and hisDelta Forcesniper teammatesSFC Randall Shughartand SFC Brad Hallings, who were providing sniper cover from the air, wanted to be dropped at the second crash site to protect the four critically wounded crew. The two sergeants were part of a sniper team aboard another Blackhawk, hovering. All content is protected by copyright and may not be used for commercial purposes without prior written permission. Its not high like normal optic mounts for the M14 platform. Master Sergeant Gordon then went back to the wreckage, recovering some of the crews weapons and ammunition. I recently watched Black Hawk Down and I was wondering how the military goes about recovering the bodies of those involved in the last helicopter crash? 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. The lowest optic mount I could find to give us that look is the ARMS #18 mount. 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. Who was the real hoot in Black Hawk Down? Were they given back along with the surviving pilot? United States Army Medal of Honor recipient (19581993), Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, List of post-Vietnam Medal of Honor recipients, "Randall D. Shughart, Sergeant First Class", United States Army Center of Military History, "For 8 Years, a Strained Relationship With the Military", "Cargo Ship Shughart (T-AKR 295) Named After Medal of Honor recipient", "Carlisle Barracks to dedicate Shughart Hall", "JFK Special Warfare Museum: Medal of Honor recipients", "Remarks by the President at Medal of Honor ceremony", "U.S. Army Infantry Homepage: National Infantry Museum Operation Restore Hope", "Naming of Randall D. Shughart United States Post Office Building in Newville, Pennsylvania", "Special Forces Association Chapter LXIV, SFC Randall Shughart Memorial Chapter, Carlisle, PA", "Veterans Memorial Grove and The Battle of Mogadishu Monument", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Randy_Shughart&oldid=1130617837, People from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Members of the United States Army Special Forces, American military personnel killed in action, United States Army Medal of Honor recipients, Battle of Mogadishu (1993) recipients of the Medal of Honor, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. At about 16:20, one of the Black Hawks, Super 61, piloted by CW3 Cliff Elvis Wolcott and CW3 Donovan Bull Briley, was shot down by an RPG-7. "MSG Gary Gordon is not only a hometown hero for Lincoln, he's an American Hero," the police department said on social media. Gary Gordon is buried in Lincoln Cemetery in Penobscot . For their acts, they were awarded the highest military decoration, Medal of Honor, for the first time after the Vietnam War. The mission was an assault mission to apprehend advisors to Mohamed Farrah Aidid, and it was to be a short operation. 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. The heroic actions of Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart on October 3 ultimately saved Michael Durant's life. The critical lesson is to never underestimate your enemy. While its believed Gordon was the first to die, the official version states it was Shughart. The Army task force did capture Aidid's advisers, but at high cost. Shortly after, Shughart was killed, the site was overrun and Durant was taken hostage. Their ammunition depleted, Gordon and Shughart were killed by Somali gunfire. On May 23, 1994, Gordon and Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States military's highest decoration for valor under . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Gary Gordon, a Special Forces soldier was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Mogadishu. Dylan Casey is a gun enthusiast with a digital media degree who is GunSpot's Creative Director. As for the Shughart M14, its an extremely iconic weapon, and Im proud to have one that resembles that legendary rifle.
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