FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- As the lone bugler sounded Taps, 10th Mountain Division (LI) Soldiers stood stiff, straight and tall in memory of their fellow comrades who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the Battle of Mogadishu.
On Oct. 3, 1993, two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down by Somali militia shortly after Task Force Ranger flew into Mogadishu to apprehend a warlord. The crash survivors were pinned down by thousands of civilians and armed militia.
Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, were part of the quick reaction force that was sent in to rescue them. The operation, which lasted through the night into Oct. 4, was accomplished through a barrage of small-arms fire, mortars and heavy rockets. In the wake of evacuating the city, some members of Task Force Ranger and 2-14 Infantry had to move out on foot, because the convoy vehicles were full. The movement became known as the Mogadishu Mile.
Seven veterans who fought in the battle joined current Golden Dragons of 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, on Friday to commemorate the 21st anniversary with a three-mile run starting at their headquarters and ending at Fort Drum Memorial Park, where they laid a wreath at the monument that bears the names of the fallen: Pfc. James H. Martin Jr. and Sgt. Cornell Houston.
Former Golden Dragon Michael Flaherty was a second lieutenant during the battle. He was glad to see people still coming back to Fort Drum for the event. Before Somalia, a lot of them had been together for about three years, serving in Panama, Guantanamo Bay and in Florida following Hurricane Andrew. They became very efficient at working together.
"(The battle) was a life-changing event. (For) a lot of people who were there, it was their defining moment. It certainly was mine," Flaherty said. "It's still great to see people coming back. There are a lot of people who just couldn't make it."
Lt. Col. Michael Kovacevic, who recently took command of 2-14 Infantry, was honored to host the event this year. He hopes his Soldiers realize that remembering what these veterans went through is important. One day, future Soldiers will remember what they did during the war on terrorism.
"Having seven veterans here with us today from that fight 21 years ago was very special, and it really meant a lot," he said. "Some of these gentlemen came (from) as far (away) as Alaska, because that's how much the history of this unit means to them."
Kovacevic said he has told his Soldiers that every day they are a part of 2-14 Infantry they are a part of the Army, which means they are a part of something bigger than themselves.
"This is something that links the past to the present and really gives Soldiers an appreciation of the great heroic feats of our past, along with becoming part of what this organization really means," he said. "Our history is truly what makes us great."
Pride in history plays a big part in an infantry battalion, and 2-14 Infantry is no exception. Historical photos adorn the walls, and mementos from deployments are displayed on shelves in the headquarters building. And while the Mogadishu veterans tell their side of the story, current Golden Dragons can share their combat experiences as well.
"It gives us a sense of pride in each other knowing what we have been through as infantrymen," said Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Newsom, senior enlisted adviser for 2-14 Infantry. "It gives us pride and a brotherhood that a lot of military occupational specialties don't experience.
"Having (infantrymen) side by side, knowing we can rely on them in any task, any mission, is just great pride," Newsom concluded.
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