The Super Six Four Rescue Set

BHD015

King & Country

In the mid afternoon of October 3, 1993 a mixed force of U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Force operatives descended on a location in downtown Mogadishu to capture key leaders belonging to Mohamed Farrah Aideed’s militia.
Almost immediately things began to go wrong both on the ground and in the air when the first Black Hawk helicopter, callsign ‘Super Six One’ was hit by an RPG and crash landed near the outskirts of the target area.
Just over twenty minutes later a second Black Hawk, ‘Super Six Four’, was also brought down by an RPG.After falling heavily onto the ground other American helicopters flying over the area saw signs of life and some movement in the badly damaged chopper.
Amazingly, the four-man crew survived the initial hard landing and although badly injured were trying to get out of the wreckage. At the same time the area’s angry local residents together with many of Aideed’s militia began to surge towards the remains of ‘Super Six Four’.
As the situation went from bad to worse two very brave Delta Force snipers, Master Sergeant Gary Gordon and Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart flying in ‘Super Six Two’ insisted on landing to support the survivors of ‘Super Six Four’ despite knowing they might be on their own for a long time before any kind of a rescue.
Once on the ground, Gordon and Shughart helped the injured crewmembers as best they could and then attempted to secure the area around all of them even as the hostile mobs of Somalis attempted to get closer. Despite intense enemy small arms fire and a constant barrage of rocks and stones the two Delta snipers kept the mob at bay with accurate and disciplined shooting for a limited time.
Mike Durant, one of the downed pilots even had his MP5K submachine gun and did his best to protect his fellow wounded crew members and the Delta guys rear. Tragically it was not enough.
Durant only had two magazines of ammunition for his MP5K and soon ran out.Then Gordon followed by Shughart died from gunshots along with the three other Black Hawk crew members, only Mike Durant was left.
As the Somali civilians and militiamen swarmed over the lone survivor the American pilot prepared to die. This looked like the end.
Incredibly, Mike Durant did survive this onslaught and was eventually, after 11 days, released to International the Red Cross but that’s another story… Here is K&C’s simple tribute to him and the amazing bravery and fortitude of Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart, both of whom were posthumously awarded America’s highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.