Master Seargent Gary Gordon (1SFOD-D) and Seargent First Class Randall David "Randy" Shughart (1SFOD-D). Both men were posthumously awarded their nations highest honor, the congressional medal of honor for their actions in the Battle of Mogadishu on October 3, 1993.
United States Navy SEAL's
We've all heard of them, those people who have beaten the odds to find success in whatever it is they were attempting. From athletes and soldiers to everyday people. Every so often there comes a story of that one person who, despite the odds against them, chose to ignore them and push on. I have known in my lifetime more than a few individuals who have pushed the limits to overcome whatever it was in front of them. Someone may know a family member who overcame a serious health diagnosis to live a healthy life. Still someone else may have heard of the untested athlete who, despite the barriers, succeeded in their dreams of playing on a college or professional team. They are the warriors of our generation, the king Davids who went out to slay that Goliath who stood towering in front of them. One of these men was United States Army Sergeant First Class Randall David "Randy" Shugart. Randy Shughart joined the Army in 1976, where he quickly earned the coveted "Ranger" tab gien to the Army Rangers. In 1984, he was accepted into Army Special Forces training and, upon graduation, was assigned to 1ST Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta (1SFOD-D) in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. For those unfamiliar with Army culture or history, the men of 1SFOD-D are the elite troopers of the often mysterious Delta Force. A unit so cloaked in secrecy that, until recently, the United States government had formally denied its very existance. It was into this world of special forces warfare to which Randy Shughart charged ahead. The courage and dedication which Randy Shughart exibited through his army career were put to the test on October 3, 1993. It was here, during the Battle of Mogadishu, Somalia of "Black Hawk Down" fame, that Randy Shughart and his 1SFOD-D comrade Gary Gordon were faced with that ultimate decision of following direct orders, or possibly saving the lives of their comrades under fire.
Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Isreal, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will stike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Isreal. Then all this assembly will know that the LORD does not save with sword or spear; for the battle is the LORD's, and He will give you into our hands."
1 Samuel 17: 45-47 NKJV
As Shugharts helicopter hovered over the crashed remains of another, he and Randy Gordon covered the survivors with sniper fire from above. On the ground, Army Chief Warrant Officer Micheal Durant, the pilot of the downed bird, prepared for what he thought was his final fight as dozens of armed Somali militia rushed to the scene of the crash. Seeing the oncoming mob, Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon requested to be dropped into the crash site not once, not twice, but three times. Knowing that Durants very survival may depend on having protection on the ground. Eventually, they were granted permission to drop into the crash site to assist the injured Micheal Durant, under the stipulation that command was not even sure when they would receive reinforcements. Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon dropped into this hell in hopes of saving their comrade. Inserted barely 100 meters from the crash site, Shughart and Gordon fought their way to Durants defense. There had remained some controversy as to the events which followed, but it was agreed that Gary Gordon died first in the defense of his comrade. It is said that Randy Shughart was heard requesting help over the radio, minutes later Randall David Shughart gave his life in defense of his wounded comrade.
Lost in this trail of events is that realization that Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon did not have to drop into a combat zone. In fact, they were denied permission three times before it was agreed they were to do so. What is it within a man that would push him into such violent circumstances? It's hard for me to believe that it is pride alone which drove Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon to the defense of their comrade. In an instant, something within them moved these men to act. Those among us who fight their own battles each and every day may not be faced with the life and death struggle of Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon, but something within them drives them forward as it did these two men. The human spirit is seldom denied.
~Scott~
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It will also be noted that the man who instituted, fought for and created the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta was a man by the name of Charles "Chargin Charlie" Beckwith. He personally led the failed rescue attempt of our American hostages in Iran in 1979. Much was learned and instituted from this failure. Today, these troopers of 1SFOD-D, the "D boys," are one of our most elite fighting units.
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