Black Hawk Down

Effective leadership wins battles, but personnel have to be properly equipped. Today, Rangers and Delta Force commandos are still sent into harm’s way, fighting terrorism and doing what their country asks of them.

Washington has learned lessons from the Battle of Mogadishu in which so many people were killed and wounded. Rangers receive more training than they did before, including urban warfare. Soldiers simulate actual battlefield combat at Ft. Polk, Louisiana. Better technology (such as personal combat computers and drones which patrol for thirty-six straight hours) help to keep soldiers safe.

The lessons of Mogadishu, which benefit today’s fighting men and women, came at a price. That price was paid both by those who were injured and by those who died. The movie, Black Hawk Down, portrays the courage of those who fought. Many of the film's characters, however, are composites of real soldiers. Hereafter are links to information and pictures of the actual soldiers who died at Mogadishu.

• Donovan (“Bull”) Briley
  
  
• Daniel Busch
  
  
• James Manuel Cavaco
  
  
• William D. Cleveland ,Jr.
  
  
• Thomas J. Field
  
  
• Earl Fillmore
  
  
• Raymond Alex Frank
  
  
• Cornell Houston
  
  
• Gary Ivan Gordon, whose body was dragged through the streets of Mogadishu by a mob. He was awarded the Medal of Honor.
  
  
• J. Casey Joyce
  
  
• Richard Kowalewski, who was killed when an RPG went through his body. Dale Sizemore described what he saw as he identified his friend.
  
  
• Timothy (“Grizz”) Martin
  
  
• Dominick Pilla - the first soldier to die in the battle.
  
  
• Matthew Rierson, Delta Force Team Leader
  
  
• Lorenzo Ruiz
  
  
• Randall D. Shughart, who, like Gary Gordon, received the Medal of Honor.
  
  
• Jamie Smith, whose father lost a leg in Vietnam.
  
  
• Clifton P. Wolcott - pilot of the first downed Black Hawk, “Super 61"
  
  

These are the fallen heroes of Mogadishu, sent to do a job without proper equipment or sufficient backup. They are loved and remembered by their families. They will not be forgotten by their friends and country.

NOTE: We are exceedingly grateful to the Rangers who reviewed this story for accuracy.