Matt Eversmann - The Battle of Mogadishu : Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger

THE BATTLE OF

MOGADISHU

Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger

Edited by Matt Eversmann and Dan Schilling

CONTENTS

Matt Eversmann

Raleigh Cash

Mike Kurth

John Belman

Tim Wilkinson

Dan Schilling

This book is dedicated to the nineteen American soldiers killed in Mogadishu, Somalia, on October 36, 1993.

CW3 Donovan Briley

SSG Daniel Busch

CPL James Cavacco

SSG William Cleveland

SSG Thomas Field

SFC Earl Fillmore

CW4 Raymond Frank

MSG Gary Gordon

SGT Cornell Houston

SGT James Joyce

SPC Richard Kowalewski

PFC James Martin

MSG Timothy Martin

SGT Dominick Pilla

SFC Matthew Rierson

SGT Lorenzo Ruiz

SFC Randy Shughart

CPL James Smith

CW4 Clifton Wolcott

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I cannot speak with any authority on the book-writing process so I have no idea if this went well or rather poorly. I can say that this book followed a most circuitous path from conception through fruition. As this book goes to print we are now with our third literary agent as well as our third editor. I must first offer thanks to Chris Evans, as this project was initially his idea. Both Chris and Faye Bender of Anderson Grinberg patiently walked me through the process and helped get the project off the ground and rolling. During this operation several inexplicable personal events almost crippled the project until Sylvia Peck at Doris Michaels Agency took interest in resurrecting the manuscript from certain failure and whipped it back into shape. Sylvia attacked this project with the same dedication and resolve of any soldier I know. Without Sylvias enthusiasm, attention to detail, and tireless service, we would have failed. Sylvia is now at the helm of the DaVinci Literary Agency. She is her own boss and we wish her the best. I know that she will be a success. Mark Bowden deserves special credit and thanks, as he alone braved unfamiliar territory to write Black Hawk Down. Mark has kindly helped us with this book from start to finish. He has answered rookie questions and made us feel like peers. He is a class act and living the American dream. Ron Doering at Presidio Press might be the most patient man in the history of editing. He kindly explained the publication process to me and has spoon-fed us professional guidance throughout the operation. Joining the project as the third editor, Ron inherited a difficult task. He was enthusiastic and was determined to make this book a success. He, like Mark, took us at face value and never made us feel like anything less than authors. I hope that the end result of his labor is worth it. I have to thank my colleaguesDan, Tim, Mike, John, and Milesfor taking the time from their daily schedules to write or tell their stories. Dan has been a trusted agent and coeditor who contributed far more time and effort than any of us. Balancing a successful business and writing a book was a seemingly simple task for Dan; without him, this would have been a much more painful experience. Overseeing all of this was Doris Michaels, the president of the Doris S. Michaels Agency. Doris took a chance and let us write our story. My wonderful wife, Tori, stood behind the scenes and pushed me through this odyssey from the very beginning. She was the one who encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and write this piece. During this project, my first daughter was born. Because of all of these wonderful people I have mentioned, Mary Van Arden Eversmann, along with all of her friends to be, will read and learn about the brave men who committed themselves to victory on Sunday, October 3, 1993. Most important, I say thank you to all the men of Task Force Ranger who answered the nations call. Each of them is a hero. They are the best that America has to offer and I am a better man to have worked with them. May God bless you and your families, always.

Matt Eversmann

This small collection of stories, while typical of our Task Force in many respects, is but a snapshot of a larger group. In reality there are at least four hundred accounts of bravery and dedication authored by the men of Task Force Ranger. In time, I hope that all these stories will be publicized. For those that wont, may they be passed on to family, so those who matter most might know what extraordinary people their loved ones are who have committed themselves to defending this country.

My deepest appreciation goes to Matt for including me in the project. It started with you and you embody the best traits of professional soldiers: integrity and dedication. Your soldiers are lucky to have you. There are three professionals who require recognition. Sylvia Peck is single-handedly responsible for resurrecting our book from oblivion and contributing countless hours to its improvement. You convinced me it was worthwhile to put our stories to paper when I felt strongly otherwise and that there was value in our words. Thanks, Syl, you are the ultimate in an agent and friend, energetic (an understatement) and funny. Ron Doering and his staff at Presidio committed to us and turned our mass of words and photos into a first-class work. Third, but by no means last, Id like to thank Mark Bowden. Mark wrote the definitive account of our operation in Somalia and agreed to introduce our book. Youve become a friend and adviser.

John Belman, Raleigh Cash, Mike Kurth, and Tim Wilkinson deserve credit for having courage enough to expose their stories, and all the good and bad that goes along with revelation, to public scrutiny. Thanks for coming on board with us, guys; I hope its worth it. To Pat Rogers, whos no longer with us, and Tim Id like to add my personal thanks for years of friendship and the great and not so great times we shared in special ops. To the men of Air Force Combat Control, you make everything happen in the often disjointed world of joint special operations, but receive no recognition. You deserve better.

My deepest affection goes to the following: my parents, Will and Ruth, whose fifty-four years of marriage taught me what commitment is, and who exposed me as a child to the open spaces of the West that I now value so much; my son, John, who is a great globetrotting companion and a world-class man in his own right; finally, and most importantly, Elizabeth Maria, who understands much, travels far, and tolerates my seven-day workweek and unconventional recreation habits. I would not be where and who I am today without you.

Dan Schilling

FOREWORD

Matt Eversmann was the first serious interview I had for my book Black Hawk Down.

In August 1996 I flew to Columbus, Georgia, not knowing what to expect. The Army had agreed to let me interview a dozen Rangers at nearby Fort Benning. In all my years as a newspaper reporter, I had never written about the military. I had never served in the military. The truth is, the only people I knew who had gone into the military were knuckleheads from high school who hadnt gotten into college. They tended to be roughneck neer-do-wells. I remember thinking on the plane ride down how hard it was going to be to elicit the kind of information I wanted. I needed detailed accounts of what had happened to each soldier during the battle, and beyond that I wanted to know how they felt about itnow and, more important, at the time. The kind of people I knew who had become soldiers would have been too impatient to reflect like that. The battle had happened three years earlier. For what I wanted, I would have to really push them, guide them through the whole process.