A Â鶹app Special Report with CW4 (Ret.) Mike Durant, 160th SOAR;
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This year marks 30 years since the Battle of Mogadishu, or what's often referred to as the Black Hawk Down Incident. It was fought in the capital city of Somalia. U.S forces were part of a United Nations effort to relieve famine caused by civil war and drought.
As tensions rose between Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid and U.N. forces, he became a marked man. U.S. Special Forces elite service members (Delta Force, 160th SOAR and Army Rangers) launched a mission to get Aidid's top lieutenants on Oct. 3, 1993. The fighting turned into the bloodiest battle for U.S.troops, at that time, since the Vietnam War.
By the morning of Oct. 4, two Black Hawks had been shot down, 18 soldiers died and one prisoner of war was taken. A few days after the battle– another American soldier died during a mortar attack on the U.S. compound in Mogadishu.
In total, 19 families would join a select group no one wants to belong to, they would forever be branded as Gold Star Families. Service members were forced to push forward without their friends.
SFC Randy Shughart and MSG Gary Gordon were the first Medal of Honor recipients since the Vietnam War.
Here's a look at the lives of those who remember the battle.Â
This gallery is a collection of images from the making of Â鶹app's "Look Back, Don't Stare: The Battle of Mogadishu 30 Years Later."
This gallery is a collection of images from the U.S. Army Aviation Museum at Fort Novosel, Alabama.Â
Hear Mike Durant explain what it was like to be held in captivity in his own words.
Fifty-eight awards were upgraded to Silver Stars and two were upgraded to Distinguished Flying Crosses.
Hear Jeff Struecker describe what it was like finally meeting Mike Durant face-to-face years after the battle.
Hear Dan and Jane Jollota and Jeff Struecker discuss what it’s like for them to see their children serve.
This article displays political finger-pointing evident back home in the U.S.
The Battle of Mogadishu gained national attention from the book published in 1999 and the movie that came out in 2001.
If you're interested in learning more, we've provided a list of links to more resources.
Mohamed Farrah Aidid was the leader of the Habr Gidr clan, who vied for power in the wake of the fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre's Somali regime.
