Attention Otto...

I know that this topic is not WW2 affiliated but i feel that the people on this forum who are connected to military affairs will be interested.
Ii would like to commend a special section of www.ww2n.com to a memorial of those lost in the "Black Hawk Down" affair. If you know anywhere where i can express these ideas please let me know.
Thankyou very much in adavance.

 

Sounds like a great idea--how about it Herr Generalfeldmarschall?

 

Dear Otto,
So should i write it up in Microsoft Word Document form and just send it to you?

 

I have not seen the film, and now little about the incident. Why chose this incident in particular. Many have died in battle since WW2 and am just curious to now why you want a memorial just to this one event.

 

Hello Bish, and I will try to answer accurately.

Black Hawk Down--was taken from the actual events of slick willy clintons attempt at military action in Somalia. In return for slick willys attempt at showing those warlords some US military muscle--causing the needless deaths of 17 US Rangers--and two Delta Force members who were sent to capture mohammed Aideed.

For some unknown reason--while choppers were flying over a huge open space--where the UN and the REd Cross was attempting to hand out food to the starving and treat the sick at this makeshift distribution center.

Some of the Somali warlord: Eideed's men when to that distribution center to steal the food and medicines from the starving people it was meant for. In the process, they proceeded to murder I dont know how many Somalis who were attempting to get food and medical care.

A Ranger Helocopter was flying near there eyeballing the situation when they started to take gunfire from of the Somali gangsters. They attemted to manover and wound up over a neighborhood, but quickly made their way to safety back at the Ranger Compound.

slick willy decided to try to capture aideed by sending a ground column of Rangers in the no-armored Humvees!!

A simultaneous force of Rangers (who were supposed to make a "surprise" raid into Aideeds compound--were to "unass" from several Helocopters.

Little did they know but, aideeds men had been notified and were passing the word to get ready for action and were making their way to the scene of the Rangers activities.

Soon the Rangers started taking sniper fire, and then as more Somalis made their way to the scene--they began to attack the small party of Rangers.

The Rangers were NOT equipped to fight a long protracted battle--they were only equipped with enough ammo to protect themselves if need be. They were not even wearing their armored vests--just G.I. Shirts and small harness packs.

The raid was only supposed to be a quick one: Get in, locate target, snatch target and withdraw back to the Ranger Compound.

The Somalis saw to it differently. The Rangers began to take casualties and many were already wounded--some more than once already.

A Ranger Chopper was sent to survey the scene--was shot down by a VERY lucky hit from a Somali with a grenade launcher. The projectile hit on the choppers rear verticle roters (the one that gives them direction) Being that the rear roter was now scrap metal--they had lost control of the chopper and it spun around in circles--as if you were on somekind of Carnival ride, and they made a very hard crashlanding.

When it became known a chopper was down, 2 US Army Delta Force men, volunteered to go to the scene of the crash. Some of the Rangers on the ground were also dispatched to the scene of the crash. The Delta Force Sergeants arrived and were quickly swamped by the enemy. They volunteered to stay with the choppers surviving crewmen (which is why they would be posthumously awarded a Medal of Honor)

They sacrificed their lives to help others. The surviving chopper crewman was captured and held hostage for-I think 8 days? but was released.

The fighting caused 17 Rangers and 2 Delta Force guys--their lives. All these excellent soldiers lives were lost because of a stupid decision from a stupid leader. Almost like a very miniture version of Islandulwana. The famous fight that the British Armys 24th Regiment of Foot was in and where all including 400 Native Levies (except for a column of engineers who were at Rourkes Drift) were needlessly killed because of a stupid rule that was inplace in that Regiment at that time. The rule was that if a unit was out of ammo--it could not borrow ammo from another unit.

Sorry I got off course--but above is Black Hawk Down--in a nutshell.

I think Ryan (who is from Australia) is wanting to have something to remember these fine men by, in the likes of having a published article on this site--even if it isnt directly related to WW2.

I agree with you that there are many many other actions that could be mentioned, but unfortunately by the general public and the general publics lack of memory at times--all other actions (((for lack for a more proper word, and please forgive me for this one))) but it would be redundant to mention something that wasnt recently in the public eye. This incident just happens to have been because of its not too far in the distant past and because of the release of the book and successful movie.

Give it a watching and see what you think--they attempted to make this as factual and realistic as possible. For Hollywood to even attempt such an undertaking like this--is really a miracle.

Hope this helps.

 

By the way, guess who its now been proved that he was involved?? osama bin ladin itself. Recently in Afganistan, they recoved the GPS system that had belonged to one of the US Rangers killed in Somalia. It was found in one of bin ladins caves. That sorry SOB, has had this in its possession since 1993? Also, it is now known that the sorry SOB, was the one who is responsible for getting the somalis to attack the US Rangers.

 

By slick willy, i assume from what you write above that you mean Clinton. How exactly was he to blame for them going in humvees. Thats like Hitler commanding the battles on the East Front from Poland.

 

You are correct I do mean clinton. Also, I didnt vote for him either time and THANKFULLY--al gore isnt the new pres-dent--he would be cowering in the corner like slick willy.

Bish--you can say I do have a slightly dirty mind--I just realized that something I said is used in England as a term for...........

 

That would be willy. Don't worry, thats one of the more polite terms. Thats the one we usually teach our kids to use.

 

Sorry Bish-i respect all those killed in WW2 more tahn anyone in the world-my grandfather died as a cause of malnutrition at the hands of teh Japanese in WW2.
But these men who were killed in Somalia died for a cause that was later just forgotten. Two weeks later, the subjects whom the men went to capture were freed and those 18 souls cannot be handed back. Three men killed had their corpses mutilated and handed to teh Ranger base in plastic garbage bags-we must not forget them-lets prove that they didnt die in vain.

 

Thanks. I was just curious as to why this incident in particular. Having seen the bodies of British troops after falling into the hands of the IRA, i now how awful that is. But while the average people may forget, those that matter don't.

 

My thoughts exactly, Bish, I was kind of wondering the same; So many conflicts with so many casualties that might be forgotten by 'the public' but not by the people who knew them and knew what they and their job was about. Escpecially Capt. Robert Nairac came to mind, but, of course, there are others.

 

Bish: he he, thanks for the other laugh.

I also agree with you that there are so many many other incidents other than the "Black Hawk Down" one. There SHOULD be a way to remember all those who have died, and are always forgotten because these incidents arent part of a full blown major media biasedly-covered war.

I think it would be a great idea to have a website which would have an honorable mentioning of all the British soldiers who were murdered by the cowardly IRA. Im of Irish-Norwegian and Cherokee Indian descent, and I hate the fact that those IRA cowards are getting away with nothing but the cowardly way ((just like the 'osama-bin-ladin way of fighting' of fighting a war--by sheer cowardly terrorism.

I think Tony Blair should take off all kid gloves--and send in the ENTIRE British milkitary--to defeat and dissolve the IRA. You can compare the IRA to al-queda, to hezbollah etc etc etc.

A sort of "what if"

What if there were no Isreal, nor United States? Who do you think these terroristic cowards would target next? I think England and Canada and Australia, would all be targeted. Once they were gone--I think the Germans woiuld be the next big target.

Why?

Because all decent people and nations have better ways of living, treat their ladies as humans and partners instead of treating them as if they were nothing but a pile of manure.

Why?

Because of our standards of living are much much better than theirs BECAUSE we worked hard and long hours at making our societies, instead of being backwards-@ssed and being tribal-like and doing nothing but stupid useless 'in-fighting' instead of building a strong nation with much industry.

Why?

Because we creat jobs by having factories and corporations making products which working people need--thereby the companies expand creating more ane newer jobs--more money for emplyees to spend in the communities causeing positive growth and causing people to have a life.

These backwards countries have nothing else to do but create wars and terror since most of them arent working--or are not making much money. Who is to blame? it sure isnt the American, the British, the Canadians, the Australians nor European faults nor anyone elses fault---- except their own.

Those folks decide to commit murder and make terror, instead of creating industries which would benefit so many others. These people have TOO much idle time on their hands--lack of education, lack of work--or just plain lazy.

I dont exactly know hoe to catagorize the IRA, obviously they have a better way of living than the muslim masses do, but they still find the time to kill British soldiers and sometimes civilians.

I think based on what is TRYING to happen in Afghanistan, the same should happen in Ireland. MEANING--starting a govt that represents all the various peoples that Ireland might have. Then possibly convincing industry from other countries open up shop there--creating more jobs etc.

Or am I way off base?

 

I dont think i have too much popularity for this suggestion. Should i continue with it?

 

No Pz, its a good idea. I was just curious to know about this particular incident. These guys were obviously shit on big style, and paid the ultimate price for it.

 

Excellent Bish-i was also wondering-are you currently serving in the British Army?

 

Ye, have been in just over 11 years. Presently in an Armoured Infantry battalion driving Warriors. Love it.

[ 07 April 2002, 07:30 AM: Message edited by: Bish ]

 

Ryan--BY ALL MEANS--please continue your project. I think that it just seems to not have had much a reaction only because maybe some of those who have read your proposal--are just at a loss for words BECAUSE you have such a good idea. ~~OR~~ some might have accidentally not have read your posting in this forum.