View Full Version : Battle Of Mogadishu
Oct 3/4th is the anniversary. Flags at half mast at the museum. As usual, I have conflicting feelings, those of the amazing heroism and fighting spirit of the US soldier who would not leave their people behind vs another reminder of how worthless the Clinton admin was for that and a whooooooole lot more, and how leaders fail to support their mil when they needed it most, and how we don't seem to learn lessons. I knew a few people there, and not often mentioned, there were four SEALs from ST6 in the middle of all that who all won silver stars for their efforts. The two Delta snipers - Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart - who were awarded the MOH (posthumously) for their sacrifices, just says it all about what they were willing to do under extremis circumstances.
But, had their been a few tanks and an AC130 gunship around as requested and denied, it would not have been the chit show it was. Cuz, we didn't wanna hurt any feelings of the locals and give the impression it was an invasion vs a humanitarian mission. F that, but I digress.
Last night, I watched a solid documentary on Task Force Ranger. It's all interviews with guys that were there through the entire COC, and it's worth a watch:
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Hawk-Down-Untold-Story/dp/B07Q3W2K9W
It's funny, Jocko came out with his podcast (Jocko Unraveling w/ Darryl Cooper) about the failure that was the pullout of Afghanistan, and I can't help but think that both failures, lie at the feet of the politicians in charge and not at the guys on the ground. There was a great discussion with Kyle Lamb and other veterans of Gothic Serpent (linked below) talking about how they could have done better, imagine if Joe Biden, or Gen Milley actually accepted the responsibility for their failures instead of continuously passing the buck on the failures of their command.
https://mwi.usma.edu/twenty-five-years-veterans-reflect-battle-mogadishu/
Through a roundabout way I have met a couple guys that were there. While Bowen wrote an awesome book, there were some inaccuracies but it is what it is.
When people think of Somalia and Mogadishu they think of just that event, they don't think of the Marines or the 10th mountain or the other US units that were before and after.
One of my 1st Sgts was a young Army infantryman with the 2-14 Infantry 10th Mountain that day and was on the rescue mission. He had some crazy stories of the firefights that day.
Sadly, 99% of people in this country have no idea about that event.
Through a roundabout way I have met a couple guys that were there. While Bowen wrote an awesome book, there were some inaccuracies but it is what it is.
When people think of Somalia and Mogadishu they think of just that event, they don't think of the Marines [I watched the SEALs land while I was at work one evening! They were pissed about the cameras filming them!] or the 10th mountain or the other US units that were before and after.
Yep. My retired SF buddy I mentioned in the other thread (the one who isn't a big 160th fan) was in Somalia after Gothic Serpent. It was a shit-show for quite some time.....well, uh, it is still a shit-show even now!
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2021-10-01/black-hawk-down-silver-stars-rangers-battle-mogadishu-3092676.html
A couple days ago they just gave out/upgraded 18 guys from that battle to Silver Stars. One of them, who was a Ranger (had combat experience in Panama for the invasion, Mogadishu, and several combat tours in the GWOT afterwards) said that fight was the most intense he had ever been in, bar none. In fact he said it wasn't even close.
Check out @bradhalling on Instagram. He was a Delta sniper on super 62 which took an RPG round and unfortunately lost a leg. He posts his memoirs from the battle this time every year.
Through a roundabout way I have met a couple guys that were there. While Bowen wrote an awesome book, there were some inaccuracies but it is what it is.
When people think of Somalia and Mogadishu they think of just that event, they don't think of the Marines or the 10th mountain or the other US units that were before and after.
Had a friend who was among the Marines to land on the beach for CNN.
I was in 4th grade when this happened. Our teacher’s son was one of the many Army Rangers involved in this battle. I’ll never forget the awe our whole class had for him when he came in to talk to us about his experiences that day. That dude could have walked on water in our eyes, we thought he was biggest super star on the planet.
Shame kids today probably would have had a very different reaction than our class had.
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Grand58742
10-05-21, 12:45
Edited for changes, thank you.
Averageman
10-05-21, 18:03
Just kind of "fact checking" someone; did the US forces have maintenance contractors on the ground?
Don't want to nitpick (solid post otherwise) but individuals don't "win" the MOH. They are awarded it.
Noted and edited.
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