Randy Shughart

United States Army Sgt. First Class Randall 'Randy' David Shughart (August 13, 1958 – October 3, 1993) earned the Medal of Honor posthumously for actions in Operation Gothic Serpent — the operation that led to the Battle of Mogadishu.

Biography

Sergeant First Class (SFC) Shughart, U.S. Army, distinguished himself by actions above and beyond the call of duty on 3 October 1993, while serving as a Sniper Team Member, United States Army Special Operations Command with Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Shughart provided precision sniper fire from the lead helicopter during an assault on the target building and at two helicopter crash sites, while being subjected to intense automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenade fire. While providing critical suppressive fire at the second crash site of Super 64, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader, Master Sergeant Gary Gordon, learned that ground forces were not immediately available to secure the site. Shughart and his team leader 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 their third request to be inserted, Shughart and his team leader received permission to perform this volunteer mission. When debris and enemy ground fire at the site caused them to abort the first attempt, he and his team leader were inserted one hundred meters south of the crash site. Shortly after, the Blackhawk that had inserted Gordon and Shughart was hit by an RPG, but managed to crash land back at the U.S. controlled airport.

Equipped with only his M-14 rifle and a Colt M-1911 .45 caliber pistol, SFC Shughart and his team leader, 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 of Super 64. He pulled the crew members, including pilot Mike Durant, from the aircraft, and established a perimeter which placed him and his fellow sniper in the most vulnerable position.

Shughart used his rifle and side arm to kill an undetermined number of attackers while traveling the perimeter, protecting the downed crew. After his team leader was fatally wounded and his own rifle ammunition exhausted, Shughart recovered Gordon's CAR-15 and searched the helicopter's wreckage, recovering several of the crew chief's M-16s. He returned to Durant, giving him Gordon's CAR-15 with only the last magazine half full. Gordon had managed to fire all but 15 rounds before being fatally wounded. Shughart then returned to the wreckage without saying another word. When he finished the M-16s' ammunition, SFC Shughart continued to fight armed only with his Colt .45 pistol until he was fatally wounded. His actions saved Durant's life.

Shughart's Medal of Honor citation is inaccurate; his actions are confused with those of Gary Gordon.

In the 2001 movie adapted from the Battle of Mogadishu (Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden), SFC Shughart was portrayed by actor Johnny Strong.

U.S. Navy Large, Medium-speed, Roll-on/Roll-off Ship Shughart (T-AKR 295)

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army.

Place and date: 3 October 1993, Mogadishu, Somalia.

Entered service at: -

Born: Newville, Pennsylvania.

Citation: Sergeant First Class Shughart, United States Army, distinguished himself by actions above and beyond the call of duty on 3 October 1993, while serving as a Sniper Team Member, United States Army Special Operations Command with Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia. Sergeant First Class Shughart provided precision sniper fires from the lead helicopter during an assault on a building and at two helicopter crash sites, while subjected to intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fire. While providing critical suppressive fire at the second crash site, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader learned that ground forces were not immediately available to secure the site. Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader 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 their third request to be inserted, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader received permission to perform this volunteer mission. When debris and enemy ground fires at the site caused them to abort the first attempt, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader were inserted one hundred meters south of the crash site. Equipped with only his sniper rifle and a pistol, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader, 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. Sergeant First Class Shughart 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. Sergeant First Class Shughart used his long range rifle and side arm to kill an undetermined number of attackers while traveling the perimeter, protecting the downed crew. Sergeant First Class Shughart continued his protective fire until he depleted his ammunition and was fatally wounded. His actions saved the pilot's life. Sergeant First Class Shughart's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest standards of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit and the United States Army.

USNS Shughart

The U.S. Navy officially named a roll-on/roll-off ship USNS Shughart in a ceremony at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, California.[1]

Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska was the ceremony'sprincipal speaker. Serving as the ship's sponsor was Mrs.Stephanie Shughart, widow of the ship's namesake.

Some of the distinguished guests that attended the ceremony included:
* The Honorable John W. Douglass, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, (Research, Development and Acquisition)
* General Dennis J. Reimer, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
* General Wayne A. Downing, U.S. Army, former Commander in Chief, Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
* Vice Admiral Philip M. Quast, Commander, Military Sealift Command
* Rear Admiral Paul M. Robinson, Program Executive Officer, Carriers Littoral Warfare and Auxiliary Ships
* Brigadier General William G. Boykin, former Commanding Officer, Army Combat Applications Group, and Sergeant Shughart's commanding officer at the time of his death
* and Mr. Dick Vortmann, Chief Executive Officer, National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, California.

Shughart was the first "Large Medium Speed Roll On/Roll Off (LMSR) ship" to undergo conversion from commercial container vessel to sealift cargo ship. The ship is operated by the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C.

Memorial

West Perry High School, located in Elliotsburg, Perry County, Pennsylvania, is currently working on a monument to be placed in the Veterans Memorial Grove. This grove, to be dedicated later this year for the service of all fighting men and women in United States history, will go alongside permanent memorials already in place for World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Information here