Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: mauser on October 03, 2003, 12:35:45 PM

Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: mauser on October 03, 2003, 12:35:45 PM
... that things went so wrong for those in Task Force Ranger, resulting in the loss of 19 of our finest.  I didn't realize it was today until about a week ago when my copy of Michael Durant's "In the Company of Heroes" arrived.  This thread is to honor those who perished that day:

CW3 Donovan Briley
SSG Daniel Busch
CPL James Cavaco
SSG William Cleveland
SSG Thomas Field
SFC Earl Fillmore
CW4 Raymond Frank
MSG Gary Gordon
SGT Cornell Houston
SGT James Joyce
PFC Richard Kowalewski
PFC James Martin
MSG Timothy Martin
SPC Dominick Pilla
SFC Matthew Rierson
SGT Lorenzo Ruiz
SFC Randy Shughart
CPL James Smith
CW4 Clifton Wolcott

... and to those that made it home.  There were many acts of courage that day, and the next.  This thread is to honor them all.  Please, no politics here.

A quote from Teddy Roosevelt that is in the text of "In the Company of Heroes:"

"It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt
Sorbonne, Paris
April 23, 1910
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: GtoRA2 on October 03, 2003, 12:38:16 PM
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: Martlet on October 03, 2003, 12:44:30 PM
One of my best friends was there that day.   He's currently a Sgt Major teaching ROTC at MIT.  

Rudy
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: DiabloTX on October 03, 2003, 12:48:08 PM
I still can't watch the movie knowing what position they were in.

to them all, the best and the bravest.
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: Curval on October 03, 2003, 12:58:49 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Martlet
One of my best friends was there that day.   He's currently a Sgt Major teaching ROTC at MIT.  

Rudy


MIT?  Massachusettes Institute of Technology MIT?

Wow...prestigious.   to him.

..and a big to Task Force Ranger.
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: SaburoS on October 03, 2003, 04:28:07 PM
~S~!!!  
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: Ripper29 on October 03, 2003, 04:49:35 PM
Just finished reading his book, very interesting and filled in a lot that Black Hawk Down

I had a chance to sit in and listen to Michael Durant a couple weeks ago.  Our Police Service was hosting a Officer Safety Conference and he was giving a talk about his experiences in Special Operations and his days held captive.

A big salute to all those that put themselves in harms way for what we believe in.  
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: Martlet on October 03, 2003, 04:55:41 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Curval
MIT?  Massachusettes Institute of Technology MIT?

Wow...prestigious.   to him.

..and a big to Task Force Ranger.


He hates it.  He says all the cadets are whiny snot nosed punks.  He's going back to the Ranger Bn in the spring, and is looking forward to it.
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: mrblack on October 03, 2003, 05:23:23 PM
All Heros each and every one of them.
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: icemaw on October 03, 2003, 06:04:34 PM
I have tried a couple times to watch the movie but I just cant.
=S=
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: mrblack on October 03, 2003, 06:10:55 PM
I spent many years in the Army as bravo-4(sniper)
And I knew many a ranger.
They are dedicated hard nosed american warriors and we are lucky to have them.
They dont want pitty or tears But Respect.
Wich im sure we all have in spades for them.
Heck I even tried out for Ranger school but blew my knee out LOL.
They are some tough boys I can tell ya first hand.
SGTE-5 ret 1976-1981
11-B Bravo-4
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: Reschke on October 03, 2003, 06:25:24 PM
Task Force Ranger! All the respect and admiration go out to the men of that group both Delta, Ranger and other special ops guys that took part in that fight.

My wife got to meet Michael Durant about a week after our newest was born back in early June. She got him to sign his book for my Father's Day present. On the day our newest was born he was having a lecture talk and book signing at the book store about 1/2 mile away from the hospital but I couldn't get there for obvious reasons.
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: Toad on October 03, 2003, 11:07:25 PM
Bears repeating.

"It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena;

whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly;

who errs and comes up short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion and spends himself in a worthy cause;

who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement;

and who, at worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly;

so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."


Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: Monk on October 04, 2003, 02:36:10 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Martlet
He hates it.  He says all the cadets are whiny snot nosed punks.  He's going back to the Ranger Bn in the spring, and is looking forward to it.


Ya, I would think ROTC at MIT is a waste.
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: SaRCaP on October 04, 2003, 03:11:25 AM
Quote
Originally posted by mrblack
All Heros each and every one of them.


Why do they have to die to be hero's? I just dont understand

Yes they are hero's just like every service man and woman.
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: strk on October 04, 2003, 11:13:27 AM
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: firbal on October 04, 2003, 11:29:44 AM
Quote
Originally posted by SaRCaP
Why do they have to die to be hero's? I just dont understand

Yes they are hero's just like every service man and woman.


Your right, you don't have to die to be a hero. But it's what you do that makes you a "hero". Each member of the Task Force don't really think they are. They just did the mission that they were ordered to do. When it went down the drain, it's what they did and how they didn't it that makes the differance.
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: Curval on October 04, 2003, 12:17:10 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Monk
Ya, I would think ROTC at MIT is a waste.


:confused:

In today's modern battlefield?  They may be winey geeks, but they are the best at what they do.  The military needs guys like them given all the modern technology they employ now.
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: Monk on October 04, 2003, 12:22:43 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Curval
:confused:

In today's modern battlefield?  They may be winey geeks, but they are the best at what they do.  The military needs guys like them given all the modern technology they employ now.


Ain't no "Dollars" in the Military my friend. ;)
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: midnight Target on October 04, 2003, 12:58:51 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Monk
Ya, I would think ROTC at MIT is a waste.


Silliest statement today... and your prize is..... A giant guffaw from the Pentagon!







I will visit the local MOH Memorial today. Rangers
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: Monk on October 05, 2003, 02:44:56 AM
Quote
Originally posted by midnight Target






I will visit the local MOH Memorial today. Rangers
:rofl ........ya right.
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: wulfie on October 05, 2003, 05:42:01 AM
Quote
Originally posted by midnight Target
Silliest statement today... and your prize is..... A giant guffaw from the Pentagon!


Actually, not all ROTC cadets and/or programs are created equal and some schools have a definite reputation in terms of cadet 'quality'. Sure, there will be 1 or 2 cadets a year that 'buck the trend' but there are a couple of 'martially extreme' ROTC programs that regularly send a vast majority of their graduating cadets into one of the combat arms. 'This shows that as a group they are lacking in common sense'. :)

Quote
Originally posted by Curval
:confused:

In today's modern battlefield?  They may be winey geeks, but they are the best at what they do.  The military needs guys like them given all the modern technology they employ now.


There are plenty of dedicated and intelligent and tough 'non-winey geeks' that can handle any technology you give them. Just because a guy is a technician does not mean he is smarter than every guy in the field. It means he wanted to be or was forced to be a technician as opposed to a soldier/operator/combat Marine/etc.

And for any OS reading this - no I don't think all technicians are 'winey geeks'. :)

Mike/wulfie
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: tapakeg on October 05, 2003, 06:12:33 AM
I was stationed at the 101st when this all happened, and really it wasn't big news at the time.  We kinda heard stories of this and that but nothing compared to what really happened.

I was in  the medical station waiting room sitting across from one of the nightstalker pilots and he was telling some of the stories of what happened.  Pretty intense stuff hearing it from the actual pilot who was there.

to all who were there

Tapakeg
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: Raubvogel on October 05, 2003, 10:40:25 AM
My unit at Ft. Lewis was packing it gear in preparation for a November deployment to Somalia when this happened. Watching those heathens drag our servicemen through the streets made me furious at first, then really really freaked out. I was newly engaged to my now wife, and wondered what the hell I was getting thrown into. Even though I had been through Desert Storm not more than 2 years earlier, I wasn't prepared for something like that. A few weeks later the drawdown in Somalia started and our unit's mission was cancelled.

Those men fought bravely and did the best they could with the crappy hand they were dealt. I think it's a testament to their training and courage that we didn't lose more of our men that day. Task Force Ranger and the 160th SOAR.
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: midnight Target on October 05, 2003, 11:24:13 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Monk
:rofl ........ya right.


(http://www.homeofheroes.com/a_homepage/community/displays/national_sites/riverside_extview.jpg)

Monk, you are completely out of line here. I went, it's about 5 minutes from my home. Are you suggesting that a liberal viewpoint is mutually exclusive from a patriotic feeling? If so I feel sorry for your head. It must rattle excessivly with all that empty space inside.
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: Monk on October 05, 2003, 11:48:54 AM
Well if you went, good for you.

You can check this one out too.Why my head rattles (http://www.beirut-memorial.org/)
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: midnight Target on October 05, 2003, 11:51:08 AM
I appreciate both the psuedo apology and your service.
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: Heater on October 05, 2003, 01:51:13 PM
Here is a link to the

Task Force Ranger, Somalia Site: it's well worth the time it takes to load,

http://www.bravo57.com/tfr.htm
Title: It is 10 years from the day
Post by: mrblack on October 05, 2003, 08:23:14 PM
Hey cant everyone just pay there respects without fighting?
This subject deserves better than that.