Our mission on 3 October was in direct support of the Special Forces (SF) teams attached to Task Force (TF) Ranger. Two unarmored cargo HUMVEES had been assigned to us in support of the teams on the target. Our specific mission was to assist the assault element by providing outside sniper security, prisoner handling, medical assistance, and medevac vehicles if necessary. Out HUMVEES were placed as numbers three and four within the convoy. While the other HUMVEES in the convoy were to stop short of the target and set up blocking positions, we were to drive directly to the target to assist the assault element.

At approximately 1300 we received the mission launch order to capture one of Aideed's aides near the Olympic Hotel in the heart of bad guy territory. The convoy formed up and headed out the main gate and proceeded to the target at top speed. As we dropped off the Ranger blocking HUMVEES and turned the corner to the Olympic Hotel, a shot rang out and one Special Forces (SF) soldier went down. We parked the HUMVEES in front of the hotel and dismounted – taking up security positions. Three soldiers tended to the wounded SF soldier – fortunately the round hit the Randall knife he wore on his belt and he was not seriously hurt. But then, we started to receive fire from the alley to the right of our position. Another soldier and I took out the target on the right just as we started to take sporadic fire from an alley to our immediate left. Soldiers then started to lay down fire on the target and two of them began to move up the alley to bet a better field of fire. At about ten feet up the left side of the alley one soldier was shot in the right leg and went down. At that time, I moved up on the right side of the alley and provided suppressive fire so the wounded soldier could get out. Another soldier moved to the left-hand side of the alley and also began firing. Then, while we provided the suppressive fire, two soldiers grabbed the wounded soldier and pulled him to the rear and provided first aid. One soldier then moved up the alley to lay additional suppressive fire in order to cover my exit. Once everyone was out of the alley we were told to move our vehicles forward – closer to the target building. The driver of my HUMVEE moved out before I had a chance to board so I jumped on the SEAL Attack Vehicle (SAV). We moved up about 50 yards before we stopped and dismounted. Once again we started to take sporadic sniper fire. We had just started to return fire when the driver yelled to me to get back to the vehicle because he had a serious medevac case that needed to be extracted immediately. This is when I became separated from the rest of the SEALS.

A Ranger was lying on a litter in the back of the HUMVEE under the care of a Ranger medic. I jumped in the back and tried to assist – the driver then informed me that we were returning to base because the wounded Ranger would die if we did not get him out of there. We took off accompanied by an armored HUMVEE with a 50-caliber machinegun in front and another armored HUMVEE with a MK-19 in trail. An additional soldier was riding shotgun in my HUMVEE. As we left the target area we started to take heavy fire from every cross alley we drove by. Roadblocks and barricades started to pop up out of nowhere – all the time rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) and small arms fire increased at a steady pace. We tried not to slow down because every time we did at an obstacle someone got shot. We fired at every visible threat position. After about 20 minutes of this we finally reached the base and dropped off the dead and wounded. It was unfortunate – while attempting to save one Ranger – one each in the lead and rear HUMVEES were killed and two others were wounded.

Upon reaching base we were informed that two Blackhawk helicopters had been shot down and another convoy was being formed as a rescue mission. Our vehicle had taken a few rounds in the tires so we grabbed another HUMVEE and joined the rescue convoy. This time we departed the base through the rear gate in order to avoid the Somali ambushes. However, we were only about one-half of a mile from the gate when we started to take sniper fire from the narrow alleyways. We kept on – attempting not to slow down for any reason. We had some options – a couple of different routes to the crash site – but the first two we attempted to negotiate were blocked by large obstacles. Each time we stopped to turn around in front of an obstacle Somalis firing RPGs and automatic weapons ambushed us. There was no way to tell that a road was impassable until you were almost on top of the roadblock/obstacle. AT this time, helicopter coverage/supporting arms was scarce. On our third attempt to find a route to the crash site, we succeeded. We drove right through K-4 circle (an enemy strongpoint) and proceeded on towards the crash sites. At about two miles past K-4 we met what was left of our original convoy. Most vehicles were out of ammunition and there were many casualties and killed in action (KIA). At this point it was decided that we should form with the original convoy and proceed back to base because the enemy fire at and adjacent to the crash sites was too intense for an unarmored convoy to survive. At this point I linked up with the other SEALs. The convoy then turned around and began to head back to base. The SAV was shot up so bad that it soon died in the street and all the wounded and dead aboard were transferred to a five-ton truck. We placed a thermite grenade on the SAV to destroy it – ensuring the enemy could not eventually use or exploit it. We made it back to base and offloaded all the wounded and KIA at the Air Force hospital. I am not sure how many casualties were sustained by the original and the rescue convoys.

At the base, I linked up with two SEALs where I learned that one wounded SEAL had sustained two additional gunshots to his legs and was in the hospital. Because there were U.S. personnel still pinned down at the crash sites we reloaded and got ready to go back into the city. This time our rescue convoy was beefed up with 20 Malaysian armored personnel carriers (APCs), four Pakistani tanks, and 10th Mountain Division Quick Reaction Force (QRF) soldiers and vehicles. It took approximately four hours to coordinate this massive multinational force and we did not depart until about 2300 hours. We were again assigned an unarmored HUMVEE – I was the driver. Our job was to provide security for the tanks and APCs from RPG fire. As this large slow convoy moved to crash site one we again started to take fire. This time, however, we had sufficient firepower to fight back. As we moved to about 300 meters of the crash site we were once again ambushed from buildings on both flanks. The Ranger vehicle in front of us stopped about 100 meters short of the crash site and offloaded. At this time we added three more passengers to our vehicle. We held this position for the rest of the night. At daybreak we heard that the APCs had finally reached the crash site and were starting the extract. Unfortunately, as daylight broke, we started to receive more sniper and RPG fire. Then, at last, the APC convoy passed our position with all the personnel from the crash site. We then formed up into another convoy and headed for the stadium that based the Pakistani contingent in north Mogadishu. The stadium was about15 minutes away and a triage center had already been established there. Still, we had to shoot our way through to the stadium before we could finally take a break. When we arrived at the stadium, medevac helicopters were already flying out the wounded. At about 0900 hours we caught a Blackhawk back to base. We then downstaged, reloaded and prepared to go out again to rescue the soldiers at crash site two.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page