|
|
|
 |
|
Born: August 30, 1960
Lincoln, Maine
War: Somalia
Rank: Master Sergeant, U.S. Army
(Sniper Team Leader)
Location of action: Mogadishu, Somalia
Date of action: October 3, 1993
Medal received from: President Bill Clinton, May 1994 (posthumously)
Official Citation:
Master Sergeant Gordon, United States Army, distinguished himself
by actions above and beyond the call of duty on October 3, 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, his unit and the United
States Army.
Of Note:
Before being assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command,
MSG Gordon served with the 2nd Battalion, 10th SFG(A) at Fort
Devens, MA.
Awards include:
The Purple Heart
Meritorious Service Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal (2)
Good Conduct Medal (4)
Gordon was also authorized to wear the Combat Infantryman Badge,
Master Airborne wings, Ranger tab, Special Forces tab, French
Army Mountaineering Badge, the Royal Danish Parachutist Badge
and the joint Meritorious Unit Award.
The US Navy named Roll-on/Roll-off cargo ship USNS Gordon after
Gary Gordon in July, 1996.
"Without a doubt, I owe my life to these two men and their bravery," said Mike Durant, whose life was saved by the actions of MSG Gordon and SFC Randall Shughart. "Those guys came in when they had to know it was a losing battle," Durant said of the two men. "There was nobody else left to back them up. If they had not come in, I wouldn't have survived."
Read an except from
an interview with Michael Durant.
Watch a video clip of this story.
|
|
|
|
Gary
Gordon