You could be right, or it could be that Hersh is just pumping his old PR game up. I was only pointing out that the guy does have a checkered past. If they really had 12 wounded, why would the Pentagon try to hide that? They could still claim a successful mission if it was or not, hand out some ribbons and make some hereos. And I don't think any Spec.Ops. officer would ever publically say they had the 'crap' scared out of them. That seems over the top to me, which is what Hersh has taken fire for in the past. He gets a few 'nuggets' and then weaves the rest around it.
Read Blackhawk Down. Initial shock and fear isn't unusual, and some of them admited to it in the interviews for this book. But then these guys keep on fighting, and for the enemy, it isn't a pretty sight....