Posted: 12/18/2010 1:44:50 PM EST
[#7]
Quoted: I'm watching the movie & had a few questions. During the night part, why not just mark YOUR side with the strobe & tell the pilots to hit anything that's not it?
Also felt pretty rotten when Shugart/Gordon got taken. My mother asked me to ask ya'll if their remains were recovered*.
And why did Garrison take the blame for the raid?
I found the book on sale for $2 but haven't started it yet. *I was flabbergasted that she wanted to see this film. She's the type who prefers movies like "Secondhand Lions". Pretty quick thinking on their feet plus there were four chalks of Rangers at three locations, Operators on the move as 'reinforcements', and it's easier to strafe a blinking beacon then everywhere but the blinking beacon plus SSG Matt Eversman was able to direct their strafing runs to the highest concentration of militia.
Don't feel 'rotten' for those brave warriors. MSG Gary Gordon and SFC Randy Shugart knew what they were up against, were inserted 'of the own accord', and kept the advancing horde at bay as long as humanly possible, and possibly saved the life of CW3 Mike Durant.
MSG Gordon's personal decorations include:
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Medal of Honor[/url], Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medals (x2), Good Conduct Medal (x4), Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, Special Forces Tab, French Army Mountaineering Badge, the Royal Danish Parachutist Badge and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. [url=http://www.ar15.com/#cite_note-JFKMuseum-0][1][/url][edit] Medal of HonorOn May 23, 1994, both Gordon and Shughart posthumously received the Medal of Honor in recognition for the actions they took and the sacrifices they made to help protect the life of Durant and the crew of Super Six Four. They were the only soldiers participating in Operation Gothic Serpent to receive the military's highest honor, and the first Medal of Honor recipients since the Vietnam War. [url=http://www.ar15.com/#cite_note-AMOHW-8][9][/url] Their medals were presented to their wives Stephanie Shugart and Carmen Gordon by President of the United States Bill Clinton in a ceremony at the White House. [url=http://www.ar15.com/#cite_note-ceremony-1][2][/url][edit] Medal of Honor citationCitation:
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. Master Sergeant Gordon's sniper team provided precision fire from the lead helicopter during an assault and at two helicopter crash sites, while subjected to intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fires. When Master Sergeant Gordon learned that ground forces were not immediately available to secure the second crash site, he and another sniper 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. After his third request to be inserted, Master Sergeant Gordon received permission to perform his volunteer mission. 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. Equipped with only his sniper rifle and a pistol, Master Sergeant Gordon and his fellow sniper, while under intense small arms fire from the enemy, fought their way through a dense maze of shanties and shacks to reach the critically injured crew members. 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. Master Sergeant Gordon used his long range rifle and side arm to kill an undetermined number of attackers until he depleted his ammunition. Master Sergeant Gordon then went back to the wreckage, recovering some of the crew's weapons and ammunition. Despite the fact that he was critically low on ammunition, he provided some of it to the dazed pilot and then radioed for help. Master Sergeant Gordon continued to travel the perimeter, protecting the downed crew. 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. His actions saved the pilot's life. 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.[url=http://www.ar15.com/#cite_note-AMOHW-8][9][/url]
MSG Shughart's personal decorations include:
[edit] Medal of Honor ceremonyOn May 23, 1994, Shughart and Gordon were posthumously decorated with the Medals of Honor in recognition for the actions they took and the sacrifices they made to help protect the life of Durant and the crew of Super Six Four. They were the only soldiers participating in Operation Gothic Serpent to receive the U.S. military's highest honor, and the first Medal of Honor recipients since the Vietnam War. [url=http://www.ar15.com/#cite_note-AMOHW-2][3][/url][edit] Medal of Honor citationCitation:
[div style='margin-left: 40px;'] [div]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. 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. While providing critical suppressive fires 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. 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. After their third request to be inserted, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader received permission to perform this volunteer mission. 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. Equipped with only his sniper rifle and a pistol, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader, while under intense small arms fire from the enemy, fought their way through a dense maze of shanties and shacks to reach the critically injured crew members. 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. Sergeant First Class Shughart used his long range rifle and side arm to kill an undetermined number of attackers while traveling the perimeter, protecting the downed crew. Sergeant First Class Shughart continued his protective fire until he depleted his ammunition and was fatally wounded. His actions saved the pilot's life. Sergeant First Class Shughart'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. [url=http://www.ar15.com/#cite_note-AMOHW-2][3][/url]
MG William Garrison took the blame because that is what GOOD Commanders do they never blame their subordinates, peers, or superiors. They will chew your ass up in private, in formation, or to your face but to the outside world it is ALWAYS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. Don't mistake Responsibility with fault.
Read the book it is awesome you should have read the book first though.
*This was posted in Red, White, & Blue for a reason.[/span] |
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