Table Of ContentTHE BATTLE OF
MOGADISHU
Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger
Edited by Matt Eversmann and Dan Schilling
CONTENTS
Cover Page
Title Page
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Maps
Foreword
Introduction
Operation Gothic Serpent
Matt Eversmann
Sua Sponte: Of Their Own Accord
Raleigh Cash
Through My Eyes
Mike Kurth
Photo Insert
What Was Left Behind
John Belman
Be Careful What You Wish For
Tim Wilkinson
On Friendship and Firefights
Dan Schilling
Appendix
Glossary
About the Editors
Copyright
This book is dedicated to the nineteen American soldiers killed in Mogadishu,
Somalia, on October 3–6, 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 Sylvia’s 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 colleagues—Dan, Tim, Mike, John,
and Miles—for 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 nation’s 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
won’t, 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, I’d
like to thank Mark Bowden. Mark wrote the definitive account of our operation
in Somalia and agreed to introduce our book. You’ve 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 it’s worth it. To Pat Rogers, who’s no longer with us, and Tim I’d
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
Description:“No matter how skilled the writer of nonfiction, you are always getting the story secondhand. Here’s a chance to go right to the source. . . . These men were there.”–MARK BOWDEN (from the Foreword)It started as a mission to capture a Somali warlord. It turned into a disastrous urban firefigh
