The Battle of the Black Sea

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Bravo57
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The Battle of the Black Sea

Post by Bravo57 »

FIRST CALL!!!

I wake up, kick Carlson's bunk to wake him up. I smile as he looks at me, (He's thinking.... why do you kick my cot every morning?)

I take Tory for a run around the airfield this beautiful Sunday morning. I run with the 9mm and I make Tory carry the CAR-15. Just your normal Sunday morning in Mogadishu Somalia. Today is the day that the Company is going to the beach to relax a little bit. We've had a few missions under our belts so far, and each of us is feeling 10 feet tall and bullet proof. Nothing can stop us. We are Rangers. Tory and I finish our run and do pushups, situps and some pullups to finish our P.T. for the morning. Tory throws in a little jab. "Sarnt, while you are out getting water for the showers today, I'll be at the beach". I reply "Get down fucker". Time for showers and get our uniform of the day on.

I told Tory to square some shit away prior to him going to the beach and before my element (1/2 of 3rd PLT vehicle convoy) moved out to get suplies. He didn't do it. Right before we left, I was a very angry Sergeant and found Tory watching T.V. with a bunch of other guys. Instant Smoke.

The last thing I told Tory before I left was: "You're fucking dead. When I get back, you are done Ranger".

I'm standing on top of the 18 wheeler filling it up with water when I hear on the radio.... "IRENE"

I yell to the PL, he heard the same thing. We wrap it up and move out back to the Hangar. By the time we got there, Blackburn has fallen out of the Helo, SSG Wilson has been hit.

THIS IS REAL.

I can hear my buddy Joe calling for fire from the AH-6's.

THIS IS REAL.

I have never been so scared in my entire life as we start to leave the airfield and I hear over the Radio: "There is a Blackhawk down, a Blackhawk is going down in the city". They can't do that to us. Lets go get them.

THIS IS REAL.

We drive through our first near ambush just outside the gates of the airfield. As I scream "ACTION LEFT" Lepre on the 50Cal has started his day. I return fire and launch some 40mm buckshot at the bad guys.


Happy Birthday 3rd Ranger Battalion.

Happy Birthday to my wife Jennifer, who has been brave every year. The one who helps me, on this day, Her Birthday, every year, pay my respects to my brothers.

R.I.P to all the brave men who fought and died that day. You will always be in my heart and soul. You will never be forgotten.

To my brothers who came home. I love you.

"Whoever does not have the stomach for this fight, let him depart. Give him money to speed his departure since we wish not to die in that man’s company. Whoever lives past today and comes home safely will rouse himself every year on this day, show his neighbors his scars, and tell embellished stories of all their great feats of battle. These stories he will teach to his son, and from this day until the end of the world, we shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for whoever has shed his blood with me shall be my brother. And those men afraid to go, will think themselves as lesser men as they hear of how we fought and died together…."

~S~

http://www.bravo57.com/tfr.htm
B Co. FIST 3/75 Rgr Rgt.
1991-2000
RS 9-92
Task Force Ranger 1993


For those who fight for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
Ranger Bill
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Post by Ranger Bill »

Good one, young brother.
WE NEED MORE RANGERS!

http://www.75thrra.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mentor to Pellet2007, ChaoticGood & RFS1307

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Slowpoke
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Post by Slowpoke »

Ranger Bill wrote:Good one, young brother.
VERY good! And the web site is a great tribute to some heros!

~S~
I never wore a cape, but I still have my dog tags.

Experienced Peek Freak!!

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Charlie 51
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Post by Charlie 51 »

Thanks for that brother. I have been thinking about you today.

Thank you for living the Ranger standard that day and every day

Rangers Lead the Way!
C Co 2/75 Weapons
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Chiron
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,

Post by Chiron »

It's a good thing you wrote! Thanks.
RS Class 5-82
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U.S. Army 1980-1984 and 1987-1990
---------
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Steadfast
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Post by Steadfast »

A tribute to brave men with a song title from Pink Floyd; Brain Damage.

Forward the General cried! (Bill Clinton)

(Somalia Task Force) front rank died.

while the lines on the map

moved from side to side.


The memory of these brave warriors that you fought & [sic, they] died with back then will live in our heart forever.

~S~
RLTW
Steadfast

4/325 82d DIV 68-69
2nd Bde HHC (LRRP), 4 ID
K Co (Rgr), 75th Inf (Abn), 4 ID
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Bravo57
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Post by Bravo57 »

Thanks Uncle Stead.
B Co. FIST 3/75 Rgr Rgt.
1991-2000
RS 9-92
Task Force Ranger 1993


For those who fight for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
BruteForce
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Post by BruteForce »

Thanks for the reminder. I wish I could remember where I was on Oct. 3rd, 1993.

Here's a sip of cognac on your behalf! HAND SALUTE!

Thanks for your service.

~S~
US Army 1986 - 1994
InfoSec/InfraGard/NetGuard (1994 - Present)
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Post by RTO »

The U.S. Army Special Operations Command issued the following news release:

Rangers of the Regimental Special Troops Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment conducted a 5K unit moral run Oct. 3 to commemorate the six Rangers who were killed during Operation Gothic Serpent in Mogadishu, Somalia Oct. 3-4, 1993.


The 72 Rangers from Regimental Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Ranger Battalion, and the Regimental Headquarters, which were formed into nine seven-man squads and one nine-man squad, ran in combat gear, simulating the Mogadishu Mile that was run by American Rangers and Delta Force Soldiers from a helicopter crash site to the Pakistani Stadium during the Battle of Mogadishu Oct. 4, 1993.

During the 1993 Mogadishu mile, the Soldiers were originally supposed to take cover by running alongside a convoy of Humvees and armored personnel carriers, however when the convoy outpaced them they were forced to run without support and with very little ammunition. No one was wounded on the 48 minute run, however the convoy and the Soldiers on foot were attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire.

Former 3rd Battalion commander, retired Col. Danny McKnight, was the guest speaker at the end of the run.

McKnight and his wife Linda began a pilgrimage last month to visit with the families of the six Rangers that were killed 15 years ago.

"I cannot tell you how much it means to me to be here on this day with the Rangers," said McKnight addressing the Rangers. "You all are the finest Soldiers in the Army."

While McKnight is at Fort Benning, he will visit the grave site of Cpl. James Cavaco who was killed on the lost convoy.

There were times after we returned from Somalia that the MPs would drive by the Fort Benning Cemetery and see Rangers sitting at Jimmy's grave-site, said McKnight.

"They were just talking to their brother," said McKnight.


Full Story Here....
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johnjohnson1957
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Post by johnjohnson1957 »

It is first person accounts like yours that make this site a must read. Thank you for sharing.

Small footnote: I remember that day and the follow on days very well. I was 6,000 miles away at the CONU Air Evac Control Center, Scott AFB, IL. I am working a weekend shift (probably within a day or so of it). I get a call from Ft Bragg wanting to know if we can identify and locate casualties. Suspicious that it might be the press looking for information I ask the guy for a DSN phone number where I can call him back. I dial the number but add 1 to the last digit of the number he has given me. I am hoping to get some one from the same operational area but not someone expecting me to call. The guy who answers identifies himself as being from some special ops unit/command (can't remember which anymore) and I ask for the original caller. He gets on the line. I ask him who he is looking for and he gives me a list of names. Spent the next dozen hours calling around Europe and searching the Air Evac system to locate his guys. Can't remember anyone's name but I know that I was not able to find them all. Being able to contribute in that small way made me feel better about it. We tracked the casualties from that day until they were finally delivered back to their home station. I remember the Army making it very plain they wanted their guys back at their home stations ASAP.

Months later I'm flying on an Air Evac mission that comes in for Ft Benning. At the flight line there was a troop who just made me think he was from BN. The high and tight might have been the give away, perhaps he had a scroll on his shoulder. Anyway I asked him if he was from BN and he said yes so I asked what he was doing working the flight line for a med evac mission. He said he had been dropped from RS (said he had been shot in the hand/arm during the fight and had not fully recovered before RS) and was waiting reassignment. I always wondered what became of him. Later I set up the special Air Evac mission that flew Mike Durrant from Walter Reed direct to Ft Campbell after his return to CONUS but that is a story for another day.
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Post by BadMuther »

Thanks for sharing Raleigh!
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Rangeratlarge
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Re: The Battle of the Black Sea

Post by Rangeratlarge »

Bravo57 wrote:FIRST CALL!!!

I wake up, kick Carlson's bunk to wake him up. I smile as he looks at me, (He's thinking.... why do you kick my cot every morning?)

I take Tory for a run around the airfield this beautiful Sunday morning. I run with the 9mm and I make Tory carry the CAR-15. Just your normal Sunday morning in Mogadishu Somalia. Today is the day that the Company is going to the beach to relax a little bit. We've had a few missions under our belts so far, and each of us is feeling 10 feet tall and bullet proof. Nothing can stop us. We are Rangers. Tory and I finish our run and do pushups, situps and some pullups to finish our P.T. for the morning. Tory throws in a little jab. "Sarnt, while you are out getting water for the showers today, I'll be at the beach". I reply "Get down fucker". Time for showers and get our uniform of the day on.

I told Tory to square some shit away prior to him going to the beach and before my element (1/2 of 3rd PLT vehicle convoy) moved out to get suplies. He didn't do it. Right before we left, I was a very angry Sergeant and found Tory watching T.V. with a bunch of other guys. Instant Smoke.

The last thing I told Tory before I left was: "You're fucking dead. When I get back, you are done Ranger".

I'm standing on top of the 18 wheeler filling it up with water when I hear on the radio.... "IRENE"

I yell to the PL, he heard the same thing. We wrap it up and move out back to the Hangar. By the time we got there, Blackburn has fallen out of the Helo, SSG Wilson has been hit.

THIS IS REAL.

I can hear my buddy Joe calling for fire from the AH-6's.

THIS IS REAL.

I have never been so scared in my entire life as we start to leave the airfield and I hear over the Radio: "There is a Blackhawk down, a Blackhawk is going down in the city". They can't do that to us. Lets go get them.

THIS IS REAL.

We drive through our first near ambush just outside the gates of the airfield. As I scream "ACTION LEFT" Lepre on the 50Cal has started his day. I return fire and launch some 40mm buckshot at the bad guys.


Happy Birthday 3rd Ranger Battalion.

Happy Birthday to my wife Jennifer, who has been brave every year. The one who helps me, on this day, Her Birthday, every year, pay my respects to my brothers.

R.I.P to all the brave men who fought and died that day. You will always be in my heart and soul. You will never be forgotten.

To my brothers who came home. I love you.

"Whoever does not have the stomach for this fight, let him depart. Give him money to speed his departure since we wish not to die in that man’s company. Whoever lives past today and comes home safely will rouse himself every year on this day, show his neighbors his scars, and tell embellished stories of all their great feats of battle. These stories he will teach to his son, and from this day until the end of the world, we shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for whoever has shed his blood with me shall be my brother. And those men afraid to go, will think themselves as lesser men as they hear of how we fought and died together…."

~S~

http://www.bravo57.com/tfr.htm
B57,

Amazing how 24 hours can change our lives forever.

It is a deep scar on my soul that will always burn and shape the person I became and will be forever.

You knew them better but I can never forget the 6 Rangers that gave all that day.

They are not forgotten!

RaL
Class 8-89
1/75 (x2)
3/75
4th RTB
10th LRSD (x2)
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