I was in Mogadishu in 1984 with the USN before the country collapsed. Totally different city, lots of green spaces, the university was open. We tied up at the port and the aid was beginning to pour into the country. I was there for four days before I flew out on orders. When we were at the airport when a Soviet Condor landed. What you see here is what happens when governments collapse.
I served proudly in Mogadishu as a medic from December -92 until April -93. After that I went directly to former Yugoslavia, Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina. An experience that changed my life forever. And learned me to appreciate life, friends and family.
My dad was there in Mogadishu as a flight medic for the Air Force. He hasn’t talked much of what he did during the battle but he told me about when him and some soldiers (Delta guys, unknowingly to him at the time) were at a bar afterwards, getting shitfaced, and one of the men broke down crying into his arms after his buddy was killed. That’s all I know
@Monkooze Tees they didn't invade anyone, you fucknut. They were supplying food, water and medical aid to civilians who were opressed by islamic warlords in the region. They were attacked repeatedly, despite warnings to the warlords that they would face retaliation. It is, sadly, a shame that such brutal fighting broke out in a populated area, but this wasn't a case of invade and eradicate, 'murica rah rah....
we hate every foreigner who wants to come our country as a millitry but we welcome visitors tours every country not alowe me to inter their country with gun. we too
Who over throw the Somali government at that time ? Who armed the rebels ? Every Somali clan was armed they turned brother against brother so they can gain access to are country and use are maritime routes.
“You know why you’re scared? You still have hope. But Blythe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you’re already dead. And then you can function as a good soldier. All war depends on it.” - Band of Brothers
Lol I've been going through some motivational challenges and mental issues and I've been remembering that episode lately, having Winters yelling in my head "Get up Blythe! You can do it. Get those Germans Blythe"
Him responding "Irene" as they got into the trucks gave me chills. It's the same code-word for the kickoff of the first operation into Mogadishu by these exact Rangers.
There is a real explanation, God is real. Unless you dont believe which still means He is real but you dont get to know him until you get to the other side. The world says you gotta see to believe, God says you gotta believe to see.
The explanation to me is simply their training. Not Luck not God (in my opinion). But the fact that they have received some of the best military training in the world! Rangers, Seal's, Delta ect...ect... Not that what i did matters comparatively.... as i am not special forces, but we did see some combat while in Iraq 03-04. and that s**t kicks in for sure, so I could only imagine being trained as these men have.
Appreciate what "little" you have because compared to them, you're a king/queen.. (Even if that means that you're living below the poverty line in a developed country.)
Born in Mogadishu 1986 I remember when the Americans came to Mogadishu I was a kid but the stories I heard were amazing as a kid. 30min mission turned into a movie Incredible For all sides that died that day RIP🇸🇴🇺🇸
I have no sympathy for those who died there. I also do not think America should have sent troops in. They should have been left alone to just kill each other.
So true mate. Superior weapons doesn't make us Invincible. Should've learnt after Vietnam war in 80's but to this day they keep on doing same mistakes time and time again.
7:36 that hit me hard. As a veteran, this hits home very close. Our unit had the same mentality. We all knew we were going to die. When we had cleared that up, it was surprisingly easy, even peaceful to think about what to do. When you are fighting but had nothing to lose (because you know you are already dead), it brings about an immense sense of invincibility and courage to one's psyche that ultimately helped get our unit to succeed in our missions.
Once you accept your destiny and you know you are going to die, nothing matters anymore and you become a super human, the best soldier. I think that's the same mentality the Spartans had, they knew they were born to die as warriors, and that is why they were the best!
@@huntermcclovio4517 Great tie into history comment. Appreciate that. Gosh, I don't even read books but now I want to after seeing all these service men sharing their stories.
For many years I struggled with that and had the attitude that I was already dead and just waiting for my body to catch up. Sam Cahill said it best in the movie Brothers- "I don't know who said 'only the dead have seen the end of war'. I have seen the end of war. The question is: can I live again?" I deployed to war zones three times and I felt that a part of me had been left behind on every one of those deployments. I thank my Creator, my Father in Heaven, that I no longer feel that way!
@@riquelmeone I believe it was the "go" signal to begin the operation that ended up being the black hawk down story. Not sure if that's the technically correct term.
Wow. I had a very similar experience in Ramadi. Not like what happened in Mogadishu, but as far as accepting that I was going to die during a massive engagement. I remember praying to God to take care of my family, and help them heal, and to help me be strong, and brave, and do my best for my brothers until I died. When I talked to the chaplain a few days later he introduced me to Psalm 91, and I prayed that before every mission after. I still can't believe I lived, or that any of us did, but by the grace of God we did.
Your going killing ancients people go to fighting with your government and banker's who's sent to war short live for all the US troops at any time any where
Whether it be true or some way to get our minds through the cognitive dissonance so we can survive, thank goodness that some individuals are strong enough to persevere and keep moving forward. Brotherhood is indeed a big component, either way you look at it.
Someone once said to me: " that moment when you surrender your life and swallow that your gonna die based upon a fierce force you never seen before is what changes you to the new you."
At that point, in a way, you have nothing to lose. You have clarity to focus on the job and hopefully it is enough to get you through to the other side, if not further as it did for the gentleman in this video.
Wouldn't trust the diving or swimming. Europe dumped toxic and nuclear waste off their shores ruining the fishing. Piracy and warlord games work for now. Funny thing is big ships still sold those fish to our countries. I should start a fish farm there.
WOW, as a civilian, I may not even have the words or the imagination to visualize what you and the brave soldiers went through. Black hawk down is hands down my fave war movie ever and you have made clear that it captures only a fraction of what happened . RESPECT
lucky jeff is such a calm guy man, i know a few servicemen freak out when you do shit like that... not in a PTSD/flashback kinda way, more in a "that's a bad omen" kinda way.
For me these guys are the biggest example of what courage, determination and complete love for your brothers in arms is. None of us knows the day and time of our death so the only way to truly live is to surrender that fear to God, for whatever happens He is the protector of our soul and He will never let us down, never.
20 years ago and now 28 years ago as I watch this video. Pretty crazy - I bet you all were getting super stressed as you made that trek. I hear of similar stories of WW2 soldiers going back to Europe to Omaha Beach, Bastogne, and other places - the memories that they reincarnated were intense - I hope you were able to cope with them as well. Today is Memorial Day in the USA. A special thanks to all of our service members that answered the call, did their duty, and unfortunately paid the ultimate sacrifice. Thanks for sharing and thank you for your service.
After watching this for the first time a few years ago and while going through a hard time I turned my life over to God to do with as he pleased and things got easier to deal with and I never looked back. Thank you Lord.
And that man is Jesus Christ. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. We can have peace with God just like he did, by changing our minds towards sin, saying sorry to God sincerely for breaking his laws, and put our trust in Jesus alone for our salvation. Just like when we trust the parachute. Don’t trust in your good works, saying I’m a good man and I did good things a lot more than bad things and now I can go to heaven. No, that’s not God’s standards of goodness. God’s standard of goodness is perfection. We deserve to be punished for our rebellion against God, we deserve his wrath, but instead he showed his great mercy. And he wants you to get saved. He wants you to live. He wants everyone to live in peace with him. And he provided a way for these things to happen through his Son Jesus. Repent and trust in God and he will forgive your sins and grant you everlasting life. God has been good to me, just like how God has been good to him.
I am from there and we have lots of respect for the Americans. It was a battle between two men, one from here in Mogadisho and one from the other end of the world. It is history now. We have forgiven them and moved on. Soldier big respect that you came back to recollect what had happened that day .
Wild Guy99 pakistanis were pretty cowardly and didnt do much. They were forced to go help out at gunpoint by a US commander. And even when they went to pick guys up, they drove away without carrying all the soldiers and left them to run out of the city on foot without cover. Known as the “mogadishu mile”.
@@aidansouthall1 no they weren't forced at gun point and they didn't leave us on purpose. All the vehicles were full. You do not know what you're talking about.
Task Force Ranger's story led me to want to serve my country as an infantryman. You all give me the strength to overcome any adversity I may face. Thank you all for being the men I could look up to when times are hard. I love all of you.
Sir, you spoke at my airman’s memorial service at Kandahar back in 2003 (A1C Ray Losano) and I just wanted to say thank you. This April 25th will be 16 yrs since he was killed along with Army Specialist Dennis. At the time I had no idea who you were but wanted to say that I truly appreciate the man that you are and hope you are doing well.
I remember the exact story about The Black Hawk Down. The Somalian, in their radio station even warned, “Don’t You Touch Malaysian Tiger”. It was Malaysian soldiers that saved them. They are the one who helped 70 US soldiers who has been trapped there, not Malaysians. Sadly, the movie doesn’t gave credits to them. They even twisted the story as if the Malaysians who were trapped there.
I was there as part of the surge just after this happened. I wish we could all go back and see a nice peaceful place, but it does not seem like that will ever happen. Pretty sad for the innocent people stuck in the middle. It is a beautiful place without the war and poor. 43RD ENGINEER BATTALION 10TH MOUNTAIN SWORD BASE aka MORTOR CITY and VICTORY BASE
Thanks for your service. Be proud, stay proud, can't turn every region into a utopia. It'll get there eventually, again, if the people decide that is what they want.
This experience is carved so deep into his mind that to this day, my man still remembers the buildings, names and turns of every place he went down with his eyes closed even after 20 years. Wild.
Jeff. If the belief in your God got you through this extremely difficult, unimaginable time, thats all that matters. This is how I, as an Atheist, explained to my daughter as she was growing up as to wether or not to believe in a God. I taught her to ask questions and investigate, don't just be told or threatened (going to hell) to believe. Choose for yourself and if you end up believing, well then you believe, on your own terms and without judgement from me. Im glad you got through this moment in life and I hope all is going well for you.
If you are truly a deep thinker then you will realize that our existance and the existance of anything wouldnt be possible without a uncreated creator. Name on thing youve ever heard come into existance from nothing even without atoms. If you cant mention one, then why do you think it is possible that the universe, with all whats in it, came into existance at a time when even time and anything else didnt exist? There must have been an uncreated creator by whose will and power everything was created and by whose will and power, there is a balance in the elements of the universe. Literaly everything on earth has its porpuse. We eat animals, then we excrete fertilizers for plant which animals and humans eat. Plants give us oxygen and we breathe out carbon dioxide which they use. Look at the position of the sun, if it was further we would freeze and if it was closer, we would burn. Look at the moon, if it were too bright, poeple wouldnt sleep well and if it didnt reflect light at night, people wouldnt navigate or find their way at night. Look at the revolution of the earth, it is so uniformed that we are able to be up and about in the morning, doing stuff and when the sun goes down we rest to recover from that. Look at how complex and amazing the human body and other animal bodies are. Look how me and you were once no more than a lifeless liquid with no worth then we are now walking and thinking humans. The Quran actually explains this in accurate details. Literally everything is a sign of God's existance but then you use peoples choices to claim God doesnt exist. Tell me where God says that we should be rude to each other or anything like that. In my religion, Islam, we are told to be good to people and everyone will be recompensed for what they did, whether good or bad. I hope you look more into Islam for answers and i urge you to listen to quran on youtube once yo see what it says. Peace
Thank you for not judging. I’m a Christian that respect all beliefs and has the same respect for those who are atheists. Ultimately I believe do what works for you!
The Jacobite God is real, i really wish you can find a real communication with God the creator, without saying more words, best wishes to you and your family
Takes a LOT to blow me away, mentally and knowing this battle, this mission inside and out, all the way back to 93 did just that..I'm blown away by this experience and this man's returning full circle to put it all together in his thoughts. God Bless him, the men who survived and most importantly the Brave who fought hard yet died heroically..Take Care
Everyone on that served on that mission are incredible warriors. This is a story of brave men truly living the warrior ethos of placing the mission first, never accepting defeat, never quitting, and never leaving a fallen comrade. Truly an inspiration to be brave.
After seeing Riddley Scott’s “Blackhawk Down” I red all of the firsthand experience accounts that I could get my hands on, I remember those brave guys every year on the 3rd of October especially Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart. For an inspiration for life, I salute you.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences in the past, present, and future and returning to Mogadishu. This video is just as reinforcing as the movie Black Hawk Down for future recruits.
Probably a word that sends chills down their spines when they hear it. Like WW2 Marine vets hearing BONZAI! They associated the word with death. The boys in the Mog only heard Irene once.
A good friend of mine was part of the Marine corps division who is stationed there in Somali in all the stories that I heard pictures as such just can't do it justice, what these men went through in the hell that they saw is beyond anything a normal human being can imagine, thank you to all the men who did what they did and came home I made the fellow fallen soldiers may they all rest in peace
I was a cremember on AC-130s for a number of years. Even though what became known as the Battle of Mogadishu was about a decade before I had the honor of joining the gunship community, we all had the history, and the memory of Jockey 14 - an AC-130 that crashed off the coast of Kenya while supporting operations in Somalia - solemnly ingrained into our mindset. I've spent probably 2 1/2 years in Iraq. And even though this is Mogadishu, I can't explain how the imagery in this video makes me feel connected to my combat experiences. I can almost smell Iraq. The dirt roads, the trash everywhere, the base camp, and for some reason, the string of plastic hung up in the razor wire. The scene at the end that shows the fenceline at dusk. It just brings me back. The music is haunting. And finally, the message is extremely powerful. This video is my favorite video on all of RUclips. It does something very weird to me that's difficult to describe.
4:58 what an intense moment, climbing in vehicles to go back to the same place but with a different purpose and hearing Kenny call off the execute word...unimaginable.
such an inspiring story!! my respect to all the people who served back then in Somalia such dark times!! anyways i loved the film Blackhawk down one of my favorites!!
Acceptance of and losing the fear of death is the most liberating feeling you can ever have. You dont realize how dominated by fear of death your life is until you lose that fear.
Wow Going back through Mogadishu must have been an intense experience . Bringing back memories so vivid. I watch the movie which is intense but being there while it’s happening is whole different story. Thank you for your outstanding service. God Bless.
Lol I went to Mogadishu the same time as him, I live in the UK and had the privilege to roam around the crash site without protection and much bother from locals. I feel like he actually deserves to leave the car and feel the presence of his former comrades and the war that almost ended his life. Probably an hour alone there would help him alot psychologically...
Great video, I followed all of the mission when I was in high school. I was in JROTC and we followed every detail available to us. You guys fought incredibly brave against the entire city. Honor to you all especially the ones that didn’t make it home.
My dear Chris...wish u good luck...n his son too...trust me...when the bullets start to fly,u lose all the cockiness n the bravado of training...stay alive...stay in the fight...good luck son
I knew Kenny Thomas for a while and heard some of this directly from him. I gotta say that these guys that serve are all super heroes to me. I just can’t even imagine what goes through a soldiers mind in these kinds of situations. Your service is greatly appreciated.
I feel him... I was there too, during "Black Hawk Down" in 1993. I was stationed aboard the USS Comstock (LSD-45). I went to shore for a supply run. All hell broke loose! I too was lucky to be still living today!
3:20 he didnt fear at all... Well, sir, there's a conversation between private blithe and liutenant speirs (band of brothers) and i remember speirs said this: You know why you hide in that ditch, blithe?? You hide in that ditch because you think you there's still hope, but blithe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you've allready dead and the sonner you accept that, the sonner you'll able to function as a soldier supposed to function without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All wars depend upon it. In this case, you'ready and accept the consecuences for going back there again. Hats off to you, sir.
I’ve been to Mogadishu twice as a freelance journalist. I visited the scene of Black Hawk Down in 2018. All those old rusty armored vehicles are sitting on the side of the street and it looks like a junk yard now. By 2020 they stopped letting tourists visit the scene of Black Hawk Down due to security concerns in that area.
R.I.P mas.staf sergent garry gordon mas.staf sergent shugart pilot walcott sergent dominic pilla prattu tood blackburn and other friends...I will always pray for you there and I promise to be on the battlefield carefully...I was moved with your courage, may god always accompany you there army friend u.s.army jaya always delta force and rangers horrahh
I love the movie...I am kid that time and wants to join Indian Army..this is one of the my favorite movie...god bless Mogadishu...USA Army...love to USA...from India...Jai Hind 🇮🇳 Indian Army Zindabad 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳
4:20 lots of memories holding that flag I hold mine on occasion and think back to everything, genuinely out of all things it’s the guys I miss the most, my brothers.
This hits home for me, been to Randy Shughardts grave a few times. Its about 20ft from where some of my family is buried. For those that don't know Randy was one of the snipers that requested to be dropped at one of the crash sites in an attempt to secure it until the rest of the Rangers could get there and help to get the pilots out, unfortunately Randy fought until he ran out of ammo then they were over run and killed. RIP Randy
What an abominable thing to say. Not only are you spitting on the graves of unbelievers, who fell in war, you are also trying to use the horrors of war to spread your absurd beliefs.
Jeff Struecker is the definition of a bad ass. Seriously, goes back to that nightmare of a city and look at the shape this dude is still in. Once a Ranger, always a Ranger.
I remember that, as it was yesterday... 93 to 94 was my mission time in the Mog. It was hell on earth for sure.. Other missions bleaks out compared to this one.. Hope you all are ok now guys!
This is why I love my country, and the men and woman who serve this great land. Never forget that freedom isn’t free the cost of very valuable life was lost I will personally never forget black hawk down. Thank you for your bravery, and your service.
I’ll never understand how American people are so fast to praise and glorify the professional athletes and celebrities and yet our real hero’s are military vets like this man, our surgeons, doctors, teachers, professors, engineers, humanitarians, police, fire department and EMTs and so on. The real hero’s get no recognition or praise and don’t make nearly enough money for what they do. America is all about Celebrating celebrities and athletes who make millions of dollars for what to play a game? and they get to live in the spotlight and extremely lavishly and what to they contribute or better yet what have they sacrificed for the greater good of humanity?
Police are no heroes especially the corrupt ones. I respect and appreciate the good police officers who do their job properly but they are a rare species.
I couldn't even imagine the feeling and emotion going back to a place haunted with memories from the past. And even to this day it's a dangerous place.
@@collinhennessy1521 cabdi meaning "servant of". Usually joined with one of the names of Allah. For example cabdirahman meaning "servant of the most beneficent". It had has nothing to do with slavery. Somalis were never enslaved.
+fukumein u I have no knowledge of the history of The Somali Peoples, but is it not true that many individuals of Somali descent were of captured by, or sold to, Arabic and Bedouin caravans, as slaves?
I was in Mogadishu in 1984 with the USN before the country collapsed. Totally different city, lots of green spaces, the university was open. We tied up at the port and the aid was beginning to pour into the country. I was there for four days before I flew out on orders. When we were at the airport when a Soviet Condor landed. What you see here is what happens when governments collapse.
Jer Lewis dictatorship ruined our country the dictator didn’t want to give power to the people so the civil war happened
Thank you for sharing that. I hope some day your story can be included in a documentary about this conflict.
Khalid Abdi not the the people only clan warriors
I
My real hero is malaysian for rescue u.s soldier
I served proudly in Mogadishu as a medic from December -92 until April -93. After that I went directly to former Yugoslavia, Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina. An experience that changed my life forever. And learned me to appreciate life, friends and family.
Thank you for your service Sir.
Amen brother. Amen.
Respect to you and thank you for your service!
God bless you
My dad was there in Mogadishu as a flight medic for the Air Force. He hasn’t talked much of what he did during the battle but he told me about when him and some soldiers (Delta guys, unknowingly to him at the time) were at a bar afterwards, getting shitfaced, and one of the men broke down crying into his arms after his buddy was killed. That’s all I know
Served with Jeff in the 82nd Airborne Division. Great guy, told me the story of Blackhawk down personally. A true American warrior!!!
You all warriors, true American warriors.
Tomas Rozar Thanks for your service
@Monkooze Tees they didn't invade anyone, you fucknut.
They were supplying food, water and medical aid to civilians who were opressed by islamic warlords in the region.
They were attacked repeatedly, despite warnings to the warlords that they would face retaliation.
It is, sadly, a shame that such brutal fighting broke out in a populated area, but this wasn't a case of invade and eradicate, 'murica rah rah....
@@mohdnazri2913 are they going to include in the film how Malaysians were begging for their lives?
🇺🇸🇺🇸 Americans will never forget you guys.
Somalia is a difficult country, not only for white color people, even other Africans don't just venture in Somalia. They don't like strangers...
Eric Tucker You got the point now I remember when african troops came was same opposition rebels come togather to fight against strangers
Lmao you’re mad you can’t rule over us like you have over the other Africans and Arabs. Stop talking and come over and get some led.
we hate every foreigner who wants to come our country as a millitry but we welcome visitors tours every country not alowe me to inter their country with gun. we too
Who over throw the Somali government at that time ? Who armed the rebels ? Every Somali clan was armed they turned brother against brother so they can gain access to are country and use are maritime routes.
i've never being to somalia we fled from there during the civilwar but i would like to go there
“You know why you’re scared? You still have hope. But Blythe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you’re already dead. And then you can function as a good soldier. All war depends on it.” - Band of Brothers
Lol I've been going through some motivational challenges and mental issues and I've been remembering that episode lately, having Winters yelling in my head "Get up Blythe! You can do it. Get those Germans Blythe"
That quote always stuck with me.
Its really fcked up that he escape our Bbq time! Pussy dogs!
Him responding "Irene" as they got into the trucks gave me chills. It's the same code-word for the kickoff of the first operation into Mogadishu by these exact Rangers.
For real. Noticed that as well
"There's no real explanation why I'm standing here right now". I know the feeling.
There is a real explanation, God is real. Unless you dont believe which still means He is real but you dont get to know him until you get to the other side.
The world says you gotta see to believe, God says you gotta believe to see.
@@contactohn7982 He said it himself he asked God to give him strength and put his life in God's hands that's the only explanation.
The explanation to me is simply their training. Not Luck not God (in my opinion). But the fact that they have received some of the best military training in the world! Rangers, Seal's, Delta ect...ect... Not that what i did matters comparatively.... as i am not special forces, but we did see some combat while in Iraq 03-04. and that s**t kicks in for sure, so I could only imagine being trained as these men have.
I feel such an extreme sadness for the people that are born into such chaos.
Me as well.
Appreciate what "little" you have because compared to them, you're a king/queen.. (Even if that means that you're living below the poverty line in a developed country.)
They live lives fuller than anyone in NA
Why? They're the ones causing the chaos. No need to feel bad for people who make chaos
@@BabyGollum And yet America keeps getting somali refugees fleeing their "full lives"
Born in Mogadishu 1986
I remember when the Americans came to Mogadishu I was a kid but the stories I heard were amazing as a kid.
30min mission turned into a movie
Incredible
For all sides that died that day RIP🇸🇴🇺🇸
Don't feel bad for the American troops they killed innocent civilians for fun
Anything changed for the better?
@@OmmerSyssel i'm gonna take a wild guess and say no lol
I have no sympathy for those who died there. I also do not think America should have sent troops in. They should have been left alone to just kill each other.
"never underestimate your enemy" a lesson learned the hard way that day for Army Rangers...
So true mate. Superior weapons doesn't make us Invincible. Should've learnt after Vietnam war in 80's but to this day they keep on doing same mistakes time and time again.
We learned the home coart advantage because of the people who support the enemy👍
Yeah it's true. A man is A man
And a thousand light bulb headed Somalians died that day, so who really underestimated their enemy.
They never underestimated them.. they all even said they knew they were going into the most dangerous area ever
I feel the same about Baghdad, It probably wont be over for me ever. Only the dead see the end of war
i like this line'Only the dead see the end of war" that i see in movie " black hawk down", me and my whole family likes this movie,,, i am from india
I was in Baghdad in 2007. Lotta bad shit there...
@Lord Fairplay You sound like you could use a hit from my rig or a kiss from my knuckle dusters.
@DerEntscheider its legal in the USA in a good few states. Get with the program
@DerEntscheider what are you asking about? PTSD treatment with marijuana? That's pretty much a medical card. Not prescribed by the VA.
7:36 that hit me hard. As a veteran, this hits home very close. Our unit had the same mentality. We all knew we were going to die. When we had cleared that up, it was surprisingly easy, even peaceful to think about what to do. When you are fighting but had nothing to lose (because you know you are already dead), it brings about an immense sense of invincibility and courage to one's psyche that ultimately helped get our unit to succeed in our missions.
Band of brothers type of comment. Lt Speirs said to Blythe …
Once you accept your destiny and you know you are going to die, nothing matters anymore and you become a super human, the best soldier. I think that's the same mentality the Spartans had, they knew they were born to die as warriors, and that is why they were the best!
@@huntermcclovio4517 Great tie into history comment. Appreciate that. Gosh, I don't even read books but now I want to after seeing all these service men sharing their stories.
For many years I struggled with that and had the attitude that I was already dead and just waiting for my body to catch up. Sam Cahill said it best in the movie Brothers- "I don't know who said 'only the dead have seen the end of war'. I have seen the end of war. The question is: can I live again?"
I deployed to war zones three times and I felt that a part of me had been left behind on every one of those deployments. I thank my Creator, my Father in Heaven, that I no longer feel that way!
Rangers Lead The Way!
Amen
Yeah seems like it. Lots of gonners being mentioned here actually... keep leading the damn way
all the way
HOO-AH!!
@Dra O dont disrespect the seals, Rangers, Green Berets, Force Recon. We are all on the same team keep that weak shit to yourself
I got a heavy feeling of emotion while watching this. Salute to all soldiers who risk their lives saving a fallen one. No man gets left behind.
America hided everything but the best thing is that they learned their lesson
@@abdulfatahiidle1881 no, they imported the Somalia in US, see Ilhan Omar 😪
@@abdulfatahiidle1881 America? Plzzzz we can wipe that shit hole off the face of the earth if we wanted too. Foh
@@abdulfatahiidle1881 I can tell your young by your grammar but if america didn’t care about civilians exe, we would make that city burn
@@KennyE0311 low IQ comment
his partner yelled "Irene" before they entered they're vehicles, very bad ass
Haha thought I was the only one who caught it
Too right. VERY bad ass!
Fuckin' Irene..... swearing at Irene, brought Michael Durant down in Mog
what's the reference?
@@riquelmeone I believe it was the "go" signal to begin the operation that ended up being the black hawk down story. Not sure if that's the technically correct term.
Wow. I had a very similar experience in Ramadi. Not like what happened in Mogadishu, but as far as accepting that I was going to die during a massive engagement. I remember praying to God to take care of my family, and help them heal, and to help me be strong, and brave, and do my best for my brothers until I died. When I talked to the chaplain a few days later he introduced me to Psalm 91, and I prayed that before every mission after. I still can't believe I lived, or that any of us did, but by the grace of God we did.
HerroHerrar stfu
Your going killing ancients people go to fighting with your government and banker's who's sent to war short live for all the US troops at any time any where
Whether it be true or some way to get our minds through the cognitive dissonance so we can survive, thank goodness that some individuals are strong enough to persevere and keep moving forward. Brotherhood is indeed a big component, either way you look at it.
There is no god you dumbass
XeLab III IX III Hold up really?? This changes everything!
Being a soldier myself, there is absolute honesty in his narration. I can relate to it
Amen
Thank you for your service.
‘I know I’m going to die to just have to make sure my men don’t’
Damn true leadership- mindset and hero
sad yout presidents and bureaucrats wont do the same to you Americans
Leader:
Being one doesnt require a title
Having a title doesnt make you one
@@Captain_Yami_Sukehiro YES! That’s awesomely put! 👍
Someone once said to me: " that moment when you surrender your life and swallow that your gonna die based upon a fierce force you never seen before is what changes you to the new you."
At that point, in a way, you have nothing to lose. You have clarity to focus on the job and hopefully it is enough to get you through to the other side, if not further as it did for the gentleman in this video.
Will C God I feel so much pain and fear , I am in your hands now and I am ready to die.
6:30
You can hear it in his voice... For just a brief moment that fear came back and Jeff Struecker was back in 1993.
These men saw hell.
A moment of fear and then you hear "Keep going keep going, You're good" Still has the same mentality. Keep going. push.
Yes he went back in time
Why doesn't this have over a million views. Wow this was an incredible documentary
@JH1596 we were there as the UN dumbass…
it has
Mogadishu,what a great vacation spot.
Apparently before the war lords came in it was a phenomenal place. Some of the nicest beaches in the world with great seafood.
It was a very beautiful place, you could tell when you look around has a lot of potential. I would also like to go back and see it again
Wouldn't trust the diving or swimming. Europe dumped toxic and nuclear waste off their shores ruining the fishing. Piracy and warlord games work for now. Funny thing is big ships still sold those fish to our countries. I should start a fish farm there.
Shark infested waters! Never seen black hawk down?
Stuart Davies I went swimming at the airport did not see any. I did hear there are lots though
Proud to be Malaysian!!! 🇲🇾 and sending love to all fighters Black Hawk
Fake you, you're bad
@@ruqiyakooshin120 english?
The Malaysians were true heroes that day. Major respect.
"No, we stay". The Malaysian and Pakistani soldiers and armor made it possible to recover the casualties and bring our soldiers home.
@@itsmissmarigold true heros that are helpers of kufr . Can't wait to tell this to Allah when I pray .
WOW, as a civilian, I may not even have the words or the imagination to visualize what you and the brave soldiers went through. Black hawk down is hands down my fave war movie ever and you have made clear that it captures only a fraction of what happened . RESPECT
They are a bunch of cowards
What an amazing story, both going back there and also listening to him talk about his faith that helped keep him calm and alive.
When Kenny said “irene” ... that kinda made me feel that these guys would never get over it... such a heavy burden to live with.
Noticed the exact same thing.
What irene means??
@@vincentpaulvalmoria2297 it was the code word for starting the operation , once the major said Irene then the soldiers were to start the op
lucky jeff is such a calm guy man, i know a few servicemen freak out when you do shit like that... not in a PTSD/flashback kinda way, more in a "that's a bad omen" kinda way.
This time of year I am drawn to these videos, we landed in December of 92 and left in March 93. I can still smell that place today.
This was a good view. Thank you.
For me these guys are the biggest example of what courage, determination and complete love for your brothers in arms is. None of us knows the day and time of our death so the only way to truly live is to surrender that fear to God, for whatever happens He is the protector of our soul and He will never let us down, never.
20 years ago and now 28 years ago as I watch this video. Pretty crazy - I bet you all were getting super stressed as you made that trek. I hear of similar stories of WW2 soldiers going back to Europe to Omaha Beach, Bastogne, and other places - the memories that they reincarnated were intense - I hope you were able to cope with them as well. Today is Memorial Day in the USA. A special thanks to all of our service members that answered the call, did their duty, and unfortunately paid the ultimate sacrifice. Thanks for sharing and thank you for your service.
After watching this for the first time a few years ago and while going through a hard time I turned my life over to God to do with as he pleased and things got easier to deal with and I never looked back. Thank you Lord.
John 15:13
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
King James Version (KJV)
I screenshot this to write later, thanks
Sisco Brasi Do u have a Bible?
And that man is Jesus Christ. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. We can have peace with God just like he did, by changing our minds towards sin, saying sorry to God sincerely for breaking his laws, and put our trust in Jesus alone for our salvation. Just like when we trust the parachute. Don’t trust in your good works, saying I’m a good man and I did good things a lot more than bad things and now I can go to heaven. No, that’s not God’s standards of goodness. God’s standard of goodness is perfection. We deserve to be punished for our rebellion against God, we deserve his wrath, but instead he showed his great mercy. And he wants you to get saved. He wants you to live. He wants everyone to live in peace with him. And he provided a way for these things to happen through his Son Jesus. Repent and trust in God and he will forgive your sins and grant you everlasting life. God has been good to me, just like how God has been good to him.
Amen ☝️🙏
Amen brother God bless
I am from there and we have lots of respect for the Americans. It was a battle between two men, one from here in Mogadisho and one from the other end of the world. It is history now. We have forgiven them and moved on.
Soldier big respect that you came back to recollect what had happened that day .
forgiven? do u think u people have right to forgive them ,the americans ? lol
Also hats off for Pakistani soldiers who came to rescue them who were working under the UN mission.
@FocusFanatic both of them.
Paks and Malaysian drove us in since they had armored vehicles. It was us in 10th Mountain who got our troops out.
Wild Guy99 pakistanis were pretty cowardly and didnt do much. They were forced to go help out at gunpoint by a US commander. And even when they went to pick guys up, they drove away without carrying all the soldiers and left them to run out of the city on foot without cover. Known as the “mogadishu mile”.
r i They definitely did not save us 😂 fuckin dimwit.
@@aidansouthall1 no they weren't forced at gun point and they didn't leave us on purpose. All the vehicles were full. You do not know what you're talking about.
This guy's Faith speaks volumes. Salute.
Task Force Ranger's story led me to want to serve my country as an infantryman. You all give me the strength to overcome any adversity I may face. Thank you all for being the men I could look up to when times are hard. I love all of you.
Sir, you spoke at my airman’s memorial service at Kandahar back in 2003 (A1C Ray Losano) and I just wanted to say thank you. This April 25th will be 16 yrs since he was killed along with Army Specialist Dennis. At the time I had no idea who you were but wanted to say that I truly appreciate the man that you are and hope you are doing well.
Not sure I would let anyone know who I really am while I'm over there.
I remember the exact story about The Black Hawk Down. The Somalian, in their radio station even warned, “Don’t You Touch Malaysian Tiger”. It was Malaysian soldiers that saved them. They are the one who helped 70 US soldiers who has been trapped there, not Malaysians. Sadly, the movie doesn’t gave credits to them. They even twisted the story as if the Malaysians who were trapped there.
Dah xpayah nk cerita kt dia org.. Jwb buat sakit hati je. Kita tahu apa askar kita buat.
We respect the Malayu people, not the western, Terima kasi laaaa 😀
put down the crack pipe...
Same story in Vietnam war they claim that they won but in reality it's not like that.
@@changeishardatfirst1273 literally no one claims that
Respect. This video was powerful. Never forgotten. RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!
I was there as part of the surge just after this happened. I wish we could all go back and see a nice peaceful place, but it does not seem like that will ever happen. Pretty sad for the innocent people stuck in the middle. It is a beautiful place without the war and poor.
43RD ENGINEER BATTALION
10TH MOUNTAIN
SWORD BASE aka MORTOR CITY and VICTORY BASE
Thanks for your service. Be proud, stay proud, can't turn every region into a utopia. It'll get there eventually, again, if the people decide that is what they want.
Climb to Glory
Lier
@@M20-b1u your mom is a LIAR, cause she said she knows who your dad is. By the way that's how you spell liar.
This experience is carved so deep into his mind that to this day, my man still remembers the buildings, names and turns of every place he went down with his eyes closed even after 20 years. Wild.
The last part of this video is one of the most powerful things I've ever heard . The passion of what he says moves me.
Jeff. If the belief in your God got you through this extremely difficult, unimaginable time, thats all that matters. This is how I, as an Atheist, explained to my daughter as she was growing up as to wether or not to believe in a God. I taught her to ask questions and investigate, don't just be told or threatened (going to hell) to believe. Choose for yourself and if you end up believing, well then you believe, on your own terms and without judgement from me. Im glad you got through this moment in life and I hope all is going well for you.
If you are truly a deep thinker then you will realize that our existance and the existance of anything wouldnt be possible without a uncreated creator. Name on thing youve ever heard come into existance from nothing even without atoms. If you cant mention one, then why do you think it is possible that the universe, with all whats in it, came into existance at a time when even time and anything else didnt exist? There must have been an uncreated creator by whose will and power everything was created and by whose will and power, there is a balance in the elements of the universe. Literaly everything on earth has its porpuse. We eat animals, then we excrete fertilizers for plant which animals and humans eat. Plants give us oxygen and we breathe out carbon dioxide which they use. Look at the position of the sun, if it was further we would freeze and if it was closer, we would burn. Look at the moon, if it were too bright, poeple wouldnt sleep well and if it didnt reflect light at night, people wouldnt navigate or find their way at night. Look at the revolution of the earth, it is so uniformed that we are able to be up and about in the morning, doing stuff and when the sun goes down we rest to recover from that. Look at how complex and amazing the human body and other animal bodies are. Look how me and you were once no more than a lifeless liquid with no worth then we are now walking and thinking humans. The Quran actually explains this in accurate details. Literally everything is a sign of God's existance but then you use peoples choices to claim God doesnt exist. Tell me where God says that we should be rude to each other or anything like that. In my religion, Islam, we are told to be good to people and everyone will be recompensed for what they did, whether good or bad. I hope you look more into Islam for answers and i urge you to listen to quran on youtube once yo see what it says. Peace
The Jacobite i may do this with mine im no atheist i just believe in god but no book and that we dunno who or what god is
Thank you for not judging. I’m a Christian that respect all beliefs and has the same respect for those who are atheists. Ultimately I believe do what works for you!
The Jacobite God is real, i really wish you can find a real communication with God the creator, without saying more words, best wishes to you and your family
The Jacobite I'm a atheist to and so is my son now..
Takes a LOT to blow me away, mentally and knowing this battle, this mission inside and out, all the way back to 93 did just that..I'm blown away by this experience and this man's returning full circle to put it all together in his thoughts. God Bless him, the men who survived and most importantly the Brave who fought hard yet died heroically..Take Care
Everyone on that served on that mission are incredible warriors. This is a story of brave men truly living the warrior ethos of placing the mission first, never accepting defeat, never quitting, and never leaving a fallen comrade. Truly an inspiration to be brave.
Bollocks!
@@MattyRoutergo on somewhere
Going back to a place of tragedy is hard as hell I'm glad u could make your peace with everything. God bless America and all of our heroes! Thank you!
To all those who went down range, and those who were there, God bless you guys. Thanks for representing us so well. You make the USA look its best.
You serious?
@@MattyRouter Okay, I will bite. Why do you ask?
Such a powerful story and such a great pastor! This story still gives me the chills on how powerful the spiritual awakening is!
After seeing Riddley Scott’s “Blackhawk Down” I red all of the firsthand experience accounts that I could get my hands on, I remember those brave guys every year on the 3rd of October especially Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart. For an inspiration for life, I salute you.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences in the past, present, and future and returning to Mogadishu. This video is just as reinforcing as the movie Black Hawk Down for future recruits.
The guys says Irene...
Ok Irene
R.I.P
mas.staf sergent garry gordon
mas.staf sergent shugart
pilot walcott
sergent dominic pilla
prattu tood blackburn
and other friends
ramasitaia sitania Blackburn didn't die, did he?
Siddharth Chauhan I believe he still alive. In a wheelchair too. He can't walk because of his fall..
Probably a word that sends chills down their spines when they hear it. Like WW2 Marine vets hearing BONZAI!
They associated the word with death.
The boys in the Mog only heard Irene once.
A good friend of mine was part of the Marine corps division who is stationed there in Somali in all the stories that I heard pictures as such just can't do it justice, what these men went through in the hell that they saw is beyond anything a normal human being can imagine, thank you to all the men who did what they did and came home I made the fellow fallen soldiers may they all rest in peace
I was a cremember on AC-130s for a number of years. Even though what became known as the Battle of Mogadishu was about a decade before I had the honor of joining the gunship community, we all had the history, and the memory of Jockey 14 - an AC-130 that crashed off the coast of Kenya while supporting operations in Somalia - solemnly ingrained into our mindset. I've spent probably 2 1/2 years in Iraq. And even though this is Mogadishu, I can't explain how the imagery in this video makes me feel connected to my combat experiences. I can almost smell Iraq. The dirt roads, the trash everywhere, the base camp, and for some reason, the string of plastic hung up in the razor wire. The scene at the end that shows the fenceline at dusk. It just brings me back. The music is haunting. And finally, the message is extremely powerful. This video is my favorite video on all of RUclips. It does something very weird to me that's difficult to describe.
4:58 what an intense moment, climbing in vehicles to go back to the same place but with a different purpose and hearing Kenny call off the execute word...unimaginable.
God bless you sir, thank you brother for all you have done.
such an inspiring story!! my respect to all the people who served back then in Somalia such dark times!! anyways i loved the film Blackhawk down one of my favorites!!
Surviving Mogadishu looks awesome on the CV of a soldier!
Thank you for your service, your dedication, and for your insight into our mortality.
Thank you brother for your service an your belief in God your words hit me. God bless you brother and Semper fi
Thanks for making this.
"God, I'm gonna die in the next few minutes" Can't begin to imagine how surreal war must be for these people
*10th Mountain Division B-1-5. SSG AP in 93'. I will never forget such powerful memories. We held our own in my platoon*
That was an awesome story man, I'm so glad you're alive. Jesus Christ is real and your wingman.
Great little video. Thank you for your service
Acceptance of and losing the fear of death is the most liberating feeling you can ever have. You dont realize how dominated by fear of death your life is until you lose that fear.
Somalia is eerily gorgeous, the sky looks so inviting, listening to the screams of those being shot and killed.
I love how he turned to God in his moment of trouble❤❤
Wow Going back through Mogadishu must have been an intense experience . Bringing back memories so vivid. I watch the movie which is intense but being there while it’s happening is whole different story. Thank you for your outstanding service. God Bless.
"I'll see you on the other side man"...
"Irene"...
Wow.....😔
Lol I went to Mogadishu the same time as him, I live in the UK and had the privilege to roam around the crash site without protection and much bother from locals. I feel like he actually deserves to leave the car and feel the presence of his former comrades and the war that almost ended his life. Probably an hour alone there would help him alot psychologically...
@Chris Madison
Why 😂
Great video, I followed all of the mission when I was in high school. I was in JROTC and we followed every detail available to us. You guys fought incredibly brave against the entire city. Honor to you all especially the ones that didn’t make it home.
Thanks for your service. God bless you all.
Incredible acts of bravery, true heroes. (Melbourne)
Don't forget 1RAR served there aswell a bunch of us aussies were shot at aswell in biadoa
I went to basic training with his son lol
I bet he son was a marine Corp sergeant 😂 and he later on become a warlord.
My dear Chris...wish u good luck...n his son too...trust me...when the bullets start to fly,u lose all the cockiness n the bravado of training...stay alive...stay in the fight...good luck son
@@ibrahimdhere shut up
@@ibrahimdhere nah I don't think his son is dead like that warlord
@@sassythesasquatch8036 skoin'on cænt
I am a tough guy and initially Jeff doesn't seem tough, but I saw now this is one hell of a tough man...wow!
I knew Kenny Thomas for a while and heard some of this directly from him. I gotta say that these guys that serve are all super heroes to me. I just can’t even imagine what goes through a soldiers mind in these kinds of situations. Your service is greatly appreciated.
I salute to all the heroes. You men were are and always be precious.
I feel him... I was there too, during "Black Hawk Down" in 1993. I was stationed aboard the USS Comstock (LSD-45). I went to shore for a supply run. All hell broke loose! I too was lucky to be still living today!
Kenny Thomas saying "Irene" before he enters the vehicle is badass.
3:20 he didnt fear at all... Well, sir, there's a conversation between private blithe and liutenant speirs (band of brothers) and i remember speirs said this:
You know why you hide in that ditch, blithe?? You hide in that ditch because you think you there's still hope, but blithe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you've allready dead and the sonner you accept that, the sonner you'll able to function as a soldier supposed to function without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All wars depend upon it.
In this case, you'ready and accept the consecuences for going back there again.
Hats off to you, sir.
I’ve been to Mogadishu twice as a freelance journalist. I visited the scene of Black Hawk Down in 2018. All those old rusty armored vehicles are sitting on the side of the street and it looks like a junk yard now. By 2020 they stopped letting tourists visit the scene of Black Hawk Down due to security concerns in that area.
R.I.P
mas.staf sergent garry gordon
mas.staf sergent shugart
pilot walcott
sergent dominic pilla
prattu tood blackburn
and other friends...I will always pray for you there and I promise to be on the battlefield carefully...I was moved with your courage, may god always accompany you there army friend u.s.army jaya always delta force and rangers horrahh
ramasitaia sitania Blackburn actually survived he just injured his neck and back
friend but why dia come to headquarters she is unconscious and declared dead
He was unresponsive when theu unloaded him off the Humvee when they got back to base.
ramasitaia sitania and David Cleveland...he had it the worst imo...also Ruiz, Cavaco and Kowaleski
I'm pretty sure blackburn survived.
I love the movie...I am kid that time and wants to join Indian Army..this is one of the my favorite movie...god bless Mogadishu...USA Army...love to USA...from India...Jai Hind 🇮🇳 Indian Army Zindabad 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳
Watching and listening to his story makes me hard to breath for some reason.
4:20 lots of memories holding that flag I hold mine on occasion and think back to everything, genuinely out of all things it’s the guys I miss the most, my brothers.
This hits home for me, been to Randy Shughardts grave a few times. Its about 20ft from where some of my family is buried. For those that don't know Randy was one of the snipers that requested to be dropped at one of the crash sites in an attempt to secure it until the rest of the Rangers could get there and help to get the pilots out, unfortunately Randy fought until he ran out of ammo then they were over run and killed. RIP Randy
EludeAdaptSurvive Reid didn’t his gear turn up with the Taliban in Afghanistan ten years later
@@mickfunny4185 ???
@@mickfunny4185 It was a radio or something, and I think it was confirmed that it belonged to a different G. Gordon.
@@jverbois okay thnx
This is an amazing video, thank you.
As a military veteran myself, I can say that “There is no such a thing as an atheist in a foxhole.” God Bless you Jeff!
Because antsiest understand this is the only life you have and war is a waste.
@Spencer7445 _ most definitely
I feel like war would make me an atheist
down you would be sadly mistaken.
What an abominable thing to say. Not only are you spitting on the graves of unbelievers, who fell in war, you are also trying to use the horrors of war to spread your absurd beliefs.
Jeff Struecker is the definition of a bad ass. Seriously, goes back to that nightmare of a city and look at the shape this dude is still in. Once a Ranger, always a Ranger.
Thank you for your service and sacrifices.
You Are Welcome.... From Malaysia Army.
Praise the Lord God Almighty for you and yours...brave soldiers...and thank you
yeah, maybe some day I'll take a stroll through Fallujah for member berries.
the way history is going who knows if that place will ever be calm enough to go back
Fella said Irene... How real. Thanks for your service!
I remember that, as it was yesterday...
93 to 94 was my mission time in the Mog.
It was hell on earth for sure..
Other missions bleaks out compared to this one..
Hope you all are ok now guys!
I know it has been two years since this comment but let me pay my respects to you sir and to your comrades
This is why I love my country, and the men and woman who serve this great land. Never forget that freedom isn’t free the cost of very valuable life was lost I will personally never forget black hawk down. Thank you for your bravery, and your service.
Really? What was my freedom doing over in the mog? And by the looks of it, nothing has changed there.
2020. Again thank you for your service. I’m sure that day and the days leading up to that mission were intense. Thank you!
I’ll never understand how American people are so fast to praise and glorify the professional athletes and celebrities and yet our real hero’s are military vets like this man, our surgeons, doctors, teachers, professors, engineers, humanitarians, police, fire department and EMTs and so on. The real hero’s get no recognition or praise and don’t make nearly enough money for what they do. America is all about Celebrating celebrities and athletes who make millions of dollars for what to play a game? and they get to live in the spotlight and extremely lavishly and what to they contribute or better yet what have they sacrificed for the greater good of humanity?
Police are no heroes especially the corrupt ones. I respect and appreciate the good police officers who do their job properly but they are a rare species.
That is part of what makes them heroes, is that they don't do it for fame and fortune.
Almost 30 years later and the place looks the same !! Nothing more to say !!
Oh, shut the fuck up.
I couldn't even imagine the feeling and emotion going back to a place haunted with memories from the past. And even to this day it's a dangerous place.
It has improved alot.
Is that Abdi the taxi driver from 25 years ago driving Jeff around in the land cruiser???
Everyone is named Abdi in Somalia ruclips.net/video/SGXU2E9R5Zs/видео.html
Doesn't the name Abdi derive from the Arabic word for slave?
@@collinhennessy1521 cabdi meaning "servant of". Usually joined with one of the names of Allah. For example cabdirahman meaning "servant of the most beneficent". It had has nothing to do with slavery. Somalis were never enslaved.
+fukumein u I have no knowledge of the history of The Somali Peoples, but is it not true that many individuals of Somali descent were of captured by, or sold to, Arabic and Bedouin caravans, as slaves?
@@collinhennessy1521 that's totally not true. There is no enslavement in the existence of the somalis.