On that day, October 3, 1993, two American heroes Master Sgt. Gary Gordon and Sgt. 1st Class Randy Shughart provided precision sniper fire from the lead helicopter during a building assault and at two helicopter crash sites. They volunteered for sniper cover for Super 6-4 – the second downed Black Hawk MH-60L – during the now-famous Battle of Mogadishu.
Sgt. 1st Class Randall Shughart and Master Sgt. Gary Gordon served as Special Forces sniper team members with Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia. On Oct. 3, 1993, then both Gordon and Shughart volunteered for further dangerous duty as they tried to hold off the advancing Somalis while subjected to intense fire from automatic weapons and from rocket-propelled grenades. Despite their best efforts, to defend their fellow Americans, both Gordon and Shughart were killed during the battle.
After their deaths, their bodies were shamefully mistreated. Video footage of those events were shown as the headline on American newscasts.
Today’s the 23td anniversary of their heroic act and they already become legends and eternal American heroes. Here is the quote which describes who they were and what they fought for.
“It was terribly risky, maybe even hopeless. But one or two properly-armed, well-trained soldiers could hold off an undisciplined mob indefinitely. Shughart and Gordon were experts at killing and staying alive. They were serious, career soldiers, trained to get hard, ugly things done. They saw opportunity where others could see only danger. Like the other operators, they prided themselves on staying cool and effective even in extreme danger. They lived and trained endlessly for moments like this. If there were a chance to succeed, these two believed they would.”
More details about Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart can be found HERE.
Source Article from http://www.special-ops.org/20373/gary-gordon-and-randy-shughart-fallen-heroes-of-mogadishu-23-years-later/
