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. They were at the Black Hawk with the call sign Super 62 (Super Six Two). His actions saved the pilots life. Sergeant First Class Shughart continued his protective fire until he depleted his ammunition and was fatally wounded. Grant served with and taught marksmanship for the United States Marine Corps. Gordon, the sniper team leader, requested they be inserted at the 2nd crash site. In her spare time, Clare likes to play Pokemon GO and re-watch Heartland over and over (and over) again. Randy Shughart was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, into an Air Force family. 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. As a Delta Force operator, he advanced to Assistant Team Sergeant. The Battle of Mogadishu - ArcGIS StoryMaps 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. 5 How many Delta Force died in Black Hawk Down? 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. The bodies of 50 Somalis were later found surrounding the chopper. Were the bodies of Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon recovered? Im drawn to all the obvious ones that most people with the same interests are. In the movie, there is a single scope ring at the front of the receiver holding an Aimpoint CompM. Sergeant First ClassRandall David Shughart was born on August 13, 1958, and died on October 3, 1993. Police officers from Maine are investigating a possible vandalism case of a gravestone belonging to US Army Master Sgt. Gary Gordon and Sgt. 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. The pair landed 100 meters south of the crashsite and, armed with sniper rifles and pistols, fought their way to the downed Black Hawk. Gordon's body was eventually recovered and is buried in Lincoln Cemetery, Penobscot County, Maine. As the second Blackhawk, containing Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant, was hit and crashed, Master Sergeant Gary I. Gordon and Sergeant First Class Randall D. Shughart, were in a nearby Blackhawk monitoring radio traffic. On Oct. 14, 1993, in rain as the population of Lincoln stood by in honor, Gordon was buried in his uniform in a flag-filled cemetery. Some of the things happening in convoy getting lost seem to be consolidated onto McKnight. Their ammunition nearly depleted, Gordon and Shughart were killed by Somali militias gunfire. After his father, Herbert Shughart, left the Air Force, the Shugharts moved to Newville, Pennsylvania, to live and work on a dairy farm. Gary Gordon and Sgt. 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. Gordon rarely talked about the details of his military career. Ray Dowdy and Staff Sgt. Incredible Stories of US Servicemen Who Received the Medal of Honor After their third request to be inserted, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader received permission to perform this volunteer mission. [1] According to Durant's book In the Company of Heroes, the Somalis counted 25 of their militia dead after the firefight. SEAL Team 6, officially known as United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU), and Delta Force, officially known as 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D), are the most highly trained elite forces in the U.S. military. Meaning the part over the action is open but there are some Picatinny slots at the rear and front of the receiver. In December 1992, the United States began Operation Restore Hope. However, it added that the family "was never notified that this was happening.". These The two soldiers were killed after running critically low on ammunition. When the site was overrun by the Somali militia, Durant was the only survivor and was held hostage for 11 days until he was released to the Red Cross. *Real-time prices by Nasdaq Last Sale. Clare Fitzgerald is a Writer and Editor with eight years of experience in the online content sphere. The Shughart-Gordon MOUT site was named for Medal of Honor recipients Sgt. What is the most elite unit in the military? Born into a US Air Force family, he joined the Army while in high school. In December 1983, Shughart returned to active duty and the following year attended Special Forces training. Halling stayed behind to man a door gun as one of the helicopter's gunners had been wounded. He was not there at night since he was on the convoy that finally returned to base after failing to reach the crash site. ", Suddenly Durant heard Gordon say, "Damn. 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. As a person with an interest in guns, movies and military history, its rewarding to take on projects where all those line up. 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. 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. [7], In the 2001 film Black Hawk Down, Shughart was portrayed by actor Johnny Strong. Gary Gordon. 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 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. 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. Thanks. MSG Gary Gordon - Airborne Ranger in the Sky I made a video about cloning the Gordon Carbine, too. 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. Body recovery in Mogadishu? (1993) : r/Military - reddit.com ". 1 Were the bodies of Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon recovered? Several months later, he completed the pre-ranger course, obtained a spot at Ranger School and earned his Ranger Tab. "This was an example of direct, honest communication and extremely high trust between a team leader and higher command," said Clayton Chun, author of "Gothic Serpent" and chairman of the Department of Distance Education at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. "The snipers' training, adaptive thinking, values and commander's confidence in them allowed them to unequivocally accept the very high risk and take action.". Again, out of ammo, he was only able to retrieve one weapon and five rounds, which he gave to Durant and said Good Luck. certified instructor prior to handling any firearm and be sure to read your owners manual. After his father, Herbert Shughart, left the Air Force, the Shugharts moved to Newville, Pennsylvania, to live and work on a dairy farm. 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. Shughart retrieved Gordon's CAR-15 and gave it to Durant to use. Master Sergeant Gordons sniper team provided precision fires from the lead helicopter during an assault and at two helicopter crash sites, while subjected to intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fires. The ceremony was attended by Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) and Carmen Gordon, the master sergeants widow. Cookie Notice 2023 Springfield Armory. The information and content are subject to change without notice. Just as they fought and died together, the two operators were honored together as well. By the fall of 1992, the nation of Somalia was war-torn and ravaged by famine. 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. On the beach near the base, a memorial was held for those who were killed in combat." 22 Were the bodies of Black Hawk Down recovered? - TimesMojo [55] Ownership data provided by Refinitiv and Estimates data provided by FactSet. Heroes Under Fire: Gary Gordon, Randall Shughart, and the Battle of The blame for my son's death rests with the White House and with you. 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. [6] Shughart's body was eventually recovered and is buried in Westminster Cemetery, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. But, as you will see, this setup is very close to the one in the movie. 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. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. The two sergeants were part of a sniper team aboard another Blackhawk, hovering. Sergeant First Class Shughart continued his protective fire until he depleted his ammunition and was fatally wounded. . The Lincoln Police Department said that while it may have been a case of vandalism, it also could have also been a "work in progress" with gold lettering on the engravings. Michael Durant was released after 11 days of captivity. Live The Armory Life. Shughart deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993 as part of Task Force Ranger operations. M14. Master SergeantGary Ivan Gordon was born on August 30, 1960, and died on October 3, 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia. TRENDING: Tech Stock In Buy Zone As It Joins Sector Leaders' Final Four. They become legends. If you feel like I left out Gary Gordon, fret not. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to use this website. This rifle is a fantastic foundation for a project like this. 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. The lowest optic mount I could find to give us that look is the ARMS #18 mount. Gordon and Shughart were a sniper team for Delta Force and were assigned to over watch the operation, engaging targets from the Blackhawk. 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. In 1993, Gordon's body was eventually buried and brought back to his hometown in Maine. Shughart was buried in Carlilse, Pennsylvania and Gordon in Penobscot County, Maine. and our Master Sergeant Gordon then went back to the wreckage, recovering some of the crews weapons and ammunition. Place and date: 3 October 1993, Mogadishu, Somalia. "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. Shughart was assigned to Delta Force and was transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina in June 1986. Ridley Scott directed the movie. Sorry, an error occurred and we could not sign you up. Shughart-Gordon Urban Operations Training Center ("MOUT Site"), US Army Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana. Gary Gordon and Randy Shugart - Military Veterans of Disqus At the time, the United States was leading a UN mission to end the civil war and famine in Somalia. For more information, please see our Gary Gordon and Sgt. The optic is sitting right on top of the action. In 2003, Michael Durant published a book, In the company of heroes where he described events on that day on how he saw it. By most accounts, Gordon was killed first, with Shughart returning to an injured Mike Durant to give him Gordon's carbine. Bush authorized the dispatch of U.S. troops to Somalia to assist with famine relief as part of the larger United Nations effort. They volunteered for sniper cover for Super 6-4 - the second downed Black Hawk MH-60L - during the [] On May 23, 1994, President Clinton awarded Gordon and Shughart the Medal of Honor, joining just 3,000 others in . In the movie, which was released in 2001, it looks as if the rifle has a split rail mount. Anyway, for my build, I did the ARMS #18 mount because it had the appropriate height. Gary Gordon is buried in Lincoln Cemetery in Penobscot . The only way to rescue survivors was for the Gordon-Shughart-Hallings copter to go in. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider When Gordon was eventually killed, Shughart picked up Gordon's weapon and gave it to Durant. The bodies of 50 Somalis were later found surrounding the chopper. 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.
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