Gary Ivan Gordon

Somalia Medal of Honor Recipient. He received the award posthumously (presented to his widow) from President Bill Clinton at the White House on May 23, 1994 for his actions as a master sergeant with the 1st Special Operations Detachment-Delta on October 3, 1993 at the Battle of Mogadishu during Operation Gothic Serpent. In 1978 he joined the US Army and trained as a combat engineer, and became a Special Forces Engineer with the 2nd Battalion of the 10th Special Forces Group. In December 1986, he volunteered and was selected to join the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, otherwise known as Delta Force. In 1993 he was deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia, and on October 3, during Operation Gothic Serpent, an assault mission to apprehend advisers to Mohamed Farrah Aidid, two US Black Hawk helicopters were shot down and the attempt to provide cover and rescue the survivors, he was killed in the ensuing firefight. His other military awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal. In 1996 the on-roll off ship USNS Gordon was named in his honor. In the 2001 film "Black Hawk Down", he was portrayed by Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. His Medal of Honor citation reads: "Master Sergeant Gary Ivan Gordon, United States Army, distinguished himself by actions above and beyond the call of duty on 3 October 1993, while serving as Sniper Team Leader, United States Army Special Operations Command with Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia. Master Sergeant Gordon's sniper team provided precision fires from the lead helicopter during an assault and at two helicopter crash sites, while subjected to intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fires. When Master Sergeant Gordon learned that ground forces were not immediately available to secure the second crash site, he and another sniper unhesitatingly volunteered to be inserted to protect the four critically wounded personnel, despite being well aware of the growing number of enemy personnel closing in on the site. After his third request to be inserted, Master Sergeant Gordon received permission to perform his volunteer mission. When debris and enemy ground fires at the site caused them to abort the first attempt, Master Sergeant Gordon was inserted one hundred meters south of the crash site. Equipped with only his sniper rifle and a pistol, Master Sergeant Gordon and his fellow sniper, while under intense small arms fire from the enemy, fought their way through a dense maze of shanties and shacks to reach the critically injured crew members. Master Sergeant Gordon immediately pulled the pilot and the other crew members from the aircraft, establishing a perimeter which placed him and his fellow sniper in the most vulnerable position. Master Sergeant Gordon used his long range rifle and side arm to kill an undetermined number of attackers until he depleted his ammunition. Master Sergeant Gordon then went back to the wreckage, recovering some of the crew's weapons and ammunition. Despite the fact that he was critically low on ammunition, he provided some of it to the dazed pilot and then radioed for help. Master Sergeant Gordon continued to travel the perimeter, protecting the downed crew. After his team member was fatally wounded and his own rifle ammunition exhausted, Master Sergeant Gordon returned to the wreckage, recovering a rifle with the last five rounds of ammunition and gave it to the pilot with the words, "good luck." Then, armed only with his pistol, Master Sergeant Gordon continued to fight until he was fatally wounded. His actions saved the pilot's life. Master Sergeant Gordon's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest standards of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit and the United States Army."