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B Company, 3/75th, was deployed from August 26, 1993 to October 21, 1993 to assist United Nations Forces in bringing order to a desperately chaotic and starving nation. The Rangers took part in seven missions trying to capture Mohammed Aidid and his top lieutenants in order to end Aidid's guerrilla war against the U.N.'s efforts to feed the Somali people.
The Battle of 3 - 4 October
On 03 OCT 93, (exactly nine years after the reactivation of 3rd Battalion), TF Ranger conducted a raid into an enemy stronghold to seize several key members of Mohamed Aideed's militia. During TF Ranger's exfiltration, one of their extraction aircraft was shot down, killing and wounding several members of the Ranger Task Force, and trapping one of the pilots inside the aircraft.
At 031545C OCT 93, TF 2-14, under the command of LTC David, was alerted to be prepared to secure TF Ranger's exfiltration route. At 031645C OCT 93, TF 2-14 received the order to execute and departed the Mogadishu Airfield with one company via a ground convoy enroute to the downed aircraft site.
Approximately one kilometer from the airfield the convoy was caught in a deliberate ambush resulting in two HMMWV's destroyed, 3 friendly KIA and 4 friendlly WIA. The deliberate ambush resulted in a break in contact between friendly units and a temporary loss in communication between ground maneuver elements. Due to the multiple deliberate ambushes initiated along the primary route to the downed aircraft site, the first attempt to reach the trapped members of TF Ranger was aborted. After consolidating his forces at the airfield, LTC David was informed that the situation at the downed aircraft site was deteriorating rapidly. In addition to the first aircraft being shot down, a second aircraft had been shot down, the TF Ranger Ground Reaction Force had made four unsuccessful attempts to reach the aircraft site, TF Ranger had lost communication with a sniper element inserted to secure the second crash site, and that the 90 Rangers still in the objective area were encircled and were receiving intense direct and indirect enemy fire. The situation appeared to be extremely grave and it became clear that if the trapped Rangers could not be reached by a ground element they would be overwhelmed by superior enemy forces.
At approximately 031945C OCT 93 LTC David was placed in command of an ad hoc task force consisting of two of his rifle companies, two Malaysian mechanized companies (drivers and gunners with APC's no dismounted troops), a composite platoon from TF Ranger, one Pakistani tank platoon and supported by an aerial TF consisting of elements of TF 2-25 Avn and Special Operations aircraft and given what seemed to everyone to be a mission that could not be accomplished.
At 032130C OCT 93 LTC David assessed the situation, developed a simple plan that offered the greatest possibility for success, briefed his subordinate leaders, and prepared an ad hoc organization for a seemingly impossible task.
At 032300C OCT this ad hoc task force departed and moved east around the old port of Mogadishu and then north to National street. As the task force turned west on National street, the enemy once again initiated a deliberate ambush with extremely heavy rocket, mortar, and automatic weapons fire. The subordinate commanders, clearly understanding the gravity of the situation and the commander's intent, immediately returned fire and continued to forge ahead down a gauntlet of fire until they reached their respective release points. For three hours, Alpha company 2-14 Inf fought a pitched battle to finally link up with the encircled ranger detachment at the first crash site. Upon reaching the first downed aircraft site, LTC David was informed by CPT Drew Meyerowich that the remains of one of the aircraft pilots was trapped in the aircraft and that it would be very difficult to dislodge him. Still receiving intensive direct and indirect enemy fire, LTC David informed CPT Meyerowich that we would stay in the objective area until all personnel and remains were recovered. Charlie Company 2-14 Inf was then dispatched to the second crash site to determineif there was anyone or anything to recover. Immediately upon moving to thesecond crash site, Charlie company, under the command of CPT Michael Whetstone, came under extremely heavy rocket and small arms fire, yet continued to press forward to the second crash site. Upon reaching the second crash site, CPT Whetstone informed LTC David that there was nothing to be recovered. Realizing that CPT Whetstone was in close proximity to 2nd Platoon A Co 2-14 Inf, carried in Malaysian APC's, that had been separated from the main body at the outset of the battle, LTC David instructed CPT Whetstone to link up with the platoon to ensure that we did not leave anyone on the battlefield. Upon making radio contact with the separated platoon, CPT Whetsone was informed that two of the Malaysian armored vehicles had been destroyed by rocket fire and that there were numerous Malaysian and American dead and wounded. The Malaysian company commander was informed by his Battalion commander not to attempt to recover the dead and wounded for fear of sustaining additional casualties. LTC David reiterated to the company commanders, "stay the course, we will fight here as long as it takes. We will not leave any of our soldiers on the battlefield." The task force fought on for an additional four hours until all of the Rangers, the wounded, and the dead were recovered.
At the operation's end "Task Force David" had successfully achieved what many believed was impossible. The fact that so few casualties were sustained by this ad hoc organization, in the execution of a near insurmountable task is miraculous. TF David sustained 3 KIA and 29 WIA, including the Malaysian casualties (1 KIA and 7 WIA). TF Ranger after more than 13 hours of intensive fighting sustained 16 KIA, 57 WIA, and 1 MIA. At the outset of the operation, it appeared it had the makings of another Task Force Smith, an ad hoc organization that lacked interoperability between coalition forces, detailed intelligence on the enemy disposition, and time to sufficiently plan a complex operation. The complete success of this operation is directly attributable to dedication, professionalism, and training of each individual soldier that participated in the operation.
The Rangers lost 6 men and had numerous wounded. The Somalis fared far worse- the Rangers delivered devastating firepower at them and killed approximately 300 of their forces, not including wounded. A 3/75 would deploy to Somalia from October 5, 1993 to 23 October 1993 in support of United Nations operations.
America should be proud of her sons, on this day in October they overcame overwhelming odds and embodied the motto that they will never leave a fallen comrade to fall to the hands of the enemy.
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