On October 3, 1993, U.S. Army Delta Snipers Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart, valiantly gave their lives in order to save the lives of their fellow soldiers during the battle of Mogadishu. Both men were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions.
Armed with only their personal weapons and sidearms. Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon fought their way to the downed Blackhawk. By this time more Somali militiamen were arriving who were intent on either capturing or killing the American servicemen. When they reached site of downed Super Six Four, Gordon and Shughart extracted the pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Mike Durant and the other crew members from the aircraft, and established defensive perimeter around the crash site.
Despite having inflicted heavy casualties against the Somalis, the two Delta snipers were too outnumbered and outgunned. Their ammunition nearly depleted, Gordon and Shughart were killed by Somali militias gunfire. Later investigation and reconstruction concluded that Gordon was first to be killed. His teammate Randy Shughart retrieved Gordon’s CAR-15 and gave it to Michael Durant to use. Shortly after, Randy Shughart was killed and Durant was taken alive. Immediately after the battle, the Somalis counted at least 25 of their own men dead with many more severely wounded.