Post office to be renamed in Soldier's honor (MOH Sergeant First Class Randall Shughart)

NEWVILLE, Pa. (Army News Service, May 25, 2006) – The Newville, Pa., Post Office will be named in honor of Newville native Sergeant First Class Randall Shughart May 29 at 3 p.m.

Shughart was killed in October, 1993, defending downed helicopter pilot Michael Durant in Mogadishu, Somalia. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the military’s highest decoration.

Durant will speak at the dedication ceremony, and Black Hawk helicopters will fly over the town and land in the community ball field.

“Shughart's heroic actions are an example of the exemplary men and women we have serving abroad today to defend our freedoms. Not every community is privileged to have a Medal of Honor recipient – in fact it is rare,” said Congressman Bill Shuster, who along with Congressman Todd Platts sponsored legislation to designate the post office as the “Randall D. Shughart United States Post Office Building.”

“It is a great privilege for me to help sponsor this legislation honoring Medal of Honor recipient Randall Shughart,” Platts said. The unparalleled liberties and freedoms that all Americans enjoy would not be but for the selfless and courageous sacrifice of true American heroes such as Sergeant First Class Shughart. We are forever indebted to him and all of our Nation’s men and women in uniform who have made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.”

At the time of his death, Shughart was a Sniper Team Member of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command with Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu.

The enlisted Soldiers barracks at Carlisle Barracks, Pa., is also named in honor of Shughart.

(Editors note: Provided by the U.S. Army War College Public Affairs Office. Some information from a Congressional press release.)

A brief background of this warrior's heroic actions, from the army.mil website:

SHUGHART, RANDALL D. 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 fires. While providing critical suppressive fires 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.

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/mohsom.htm

This is good news. Randy and Gary had no illusions about what they were doing. They willing went into the fight with the understanding that it was probably suicide. I have heard Michale Durant speak and read his book - it is fantastic. On the last pages he tells the story of going to Gary's hometown library searching for information on MOH recipients. He found a book and opened it to the front cover, the last person who had checked it out was Gary. That library - seems to me would be a great placed to be named the "Gary Gordon Memorial Library".

I too can find no places named after him. I believe his family was very private and maybe has turned down requests of this nature.

I will watch Blackhawk Down this weekend and remember all of our great heroes.

De Opresso Liber.

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