Joined again by Sayre Payne a business litigation attorney from Cincinnati. Sayre and I worked together during our time in 2nd BCT, 101st Airborne Division and I think he added some great context to the story of the Battle of Mogadishu. 03OCT1993: While serving as a sniper with Special Operations Command, part of Task Force Ranger, MSG Gary Gordon and SFC Randall Shughart were tasked with providing precision fires in support of Operation Gothic Serpent. The operation soured when a Blackhawk was shot down over Mogadishu, forcing a change in mission to defend and recover the crew. Learning that ground forces would not be on site for some time, the two men volunteered to be set down to help secure the crash site. Denied twice due to the incredible risk that they were asking to take, they continued to push and were finally granted permission to land. On the ground, the two men went about securing the wounded and dead and established a defensive perimeter as the hostile crowds closed in. In the ensuing battle, both MSG Gordon and SFC Shughart killed a substantial amount of enemy fighters are they traversed the area protecting the vulnerable crew. They continued to fire until all ammunition was expended and both were fatally wounded. Their actions saved the life of Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant. MSG Gary Gordon and SFC Randall Shughart would be awarded, posthumously, the Medal of Honor for their actions in what would come to be called the Battle of Mogadishu.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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