Has anyone read any of the books about what actually happened in Mogadishu?

 

I have read the book and it is an excellent read.

 

I thought it was excellent. I tried to find it last night so I could note down the title in this post but someone must have borrowed it

 

ltweintz - think about it - would you actually want to be in the situation those rangers were in?

120 went in - 18 were killed and 78 were wounded - which meant there was only about 1-5 chance of not getting a bullet!

I would like all the training and the fun of the team - but...outnumbered in Mogadishu...no thanks.

 

Too late. I'm a retired Navy Intel officer and ops specialist. Began
in 1979 and served thru three decades. One moto that always moved me was from Theodore Roosevelt who said, "I'd rather give my life than be afraid to give it." Certainly not a comment directed at you, but our former President's words spoken with unwavering resolve powered a nation to victory.

 

Russ - to be very frank I am scared to be in the military.

Ever watch Top Gun - in the opening scenes the F14 pilot loses it after being buzzed by a MIG whilst he looks at a pic of his wife and child in the cockpit. That's how I would be I think. I have a young family - so I am scared not to be with them in crisis times.

But - and here is the rub. If I was fighting for my country's very survival tooth and nail - yes I would do it like every other person.

What I would not want to do is the rambo type exercise on BlackHawk down - when bad planning and too much bravado took over.

The very good thing about this incident is that it was a key learning for Delta and the Rangers - which they have clearly shown in Afghan they have applied. I'm sure without the 93 incident, Afghan would have been a much more expensive war in terms of US casualties.

 

I just finished reading the book last night and am planning to see the movie this week.

Da Hapa, when you say you felt "being charged, to wanting to cry, to anguish, joy, remorse, and pride." that's exactly how I felt reading the book. All of that and more. The story is horrifying, which would make sense why everyone says the movie is tough to watch.

Kobe, I think you'd change this statement "rambo type exercise on BlackHawk down - when bad planning and too much bravado took over. " after reading the book. The mission was supposed to be an hour or less, in and out. They weren't going in there to flex thier muscles, they were going in to storm a building, grab two guys and get out.

I'll post more after I see the movie tonight or tomorrow.

 

Bernie - hope you enjoy the film.

I have watched the movie and read a lot of the articles about the incident on the web - including the interviews with the actual soldiers - but I confess I have not read the book. I'm not sure if I can stomach it - is it very gory?

regarding planning and preparation for the raid - the Command wanted it because the Pentagon needed a result sooner rather than later - the juniors had no idea what the risks were but the experienced middle rank certainly gave the impression that they were unhappy without proper air support and armour. The fact that the use of RPG's against helis' hovering over the city had not been adequately covered - feels like bad planning or intel on the command side


Answering your point on rambo - it depends on the definition of rambo.

My UK definition is - somebody who goes armed to the teeth to do a very dangerous mission. Normally he will be totally outnumbered. He expects to get shot at - but survives since he has a bigger gun and is superhuman and everybody else is a terrible shot. 120 heavily armed men in 17 helis to pick up a few people feels like the rambo scenario. Do you have a better definition?

You should read Andy McNab books. He is ex-SAS soldier, the British special forces outfit which Delta Force is based on. He gives a very good insight into the special forces methods. He also explains the Rambo concept - and for him that is the last resort when everything else fails.

 

The book can't be any more gorey than the movie. It describes the injuries, but just enough to get the point across. In talking to my Father who has seen the movie, I think the book will give a better sense of the politics behind the mission to anyone who is interested. It talks about Clinton's involvment and what he did and didn't do. Reading the book I can't help but feel helpless as a 25 year old guy. These were all kids only a little younger than me! The fact that the US put them in there for this "simple" mission, then pulled out the next day without ever finishing the job is what bothers me. It's as if to say we are this huge military super power, but when a few thousand animals with RPGs contest us and we fail, we go running home. But the book tells it as if that was Clintons decision, which it was I guess.

As far as the politics and the reasoning behind doing what we did, no one seems confident that even if Aidid was captured that would have made Somalia go oh, ok we'll be nice now. You know? So I think the whole thing is a little confusing, but I caught pretty choked up with the whole story. The book just blew me away.

 

The book does a much better job of telling the whole story. It also goes much futher into the politics behind the mission and the problems that occured.

Having said that, I give the movie its due. Making a movie to be any more like the book would have meant an 8 or 9 hour movie that just wouldn't have been commercially viable.