By Michael Randazzo, Special to The Sentinel
Friday, October 05, 2007
Retired U.S. Army helicopter pilot Michael Durant, whose story of courage and perseverance inspired the popular movie “Black Hawk Down,” addressed an audience of about 400 Thursday at the Navy base in Hampden Township.
Durant’s two-hour presentation was sponsored by the Naval Supply Information Systems Activity. The speech marked the 14th anniversary of when Durant was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade while piloting an MH-60 Blackhawk helicopter in Mogadishu, Somalia, on October 3, 1993.
Durant gained worldwide notoriety as a prisoner of war when the Somali National Alliance held him captive for 11 days, and his face was featured on the covers of magazines and TV news programs worldwide.
New regiment
Durant was the first helicopter pilot to engage a SCUD missile launcher during Operation Desert Storm and flew combat operations in support of Operations Prime Chance and Just Cause in 1989.
In 1998 Durant joined the newly formed 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment called the “Nightstalkers,” which were based in based in Fort Campbell, Ky.
The Nightstalkers were part of “Taskforce Ranger,” Durant explained, a 450-man force deployed to Mogadishu in late August 1993 to support Operation Gothic Serpent. Their mission was drop in 120 soldiers to abduct several top lieutenants of Somalian warlord Mohammad Farrah Aidid.
By the end of the day, 18 soldiers lost their lives and 74 soldiers were wounded, Durant said, while over 200 of the enemy were killed and 2,000 were wounded.
Durant’s helicopter was one of two that crashed that day and he was the only air crew member to survive. Durant recounted all aspects of his harrowing experience, including mission planning and tactics, his captivity and the on-camera interview he was forced to give, and finally, his release and return home.
He also described the power of teamwork, leadership, and change as it applies to today’s battle space and the global war on terrorism. Furthermore, he took time to recognize present and past members of the Navy and all services in attendance.
“Never before in our history has there been a volunteer force as capable as what we have today, but it’s the people who are its greatest resource and we as a nation should be proud of them,” Durant said. “And it’s people like you here at [Naval Support Activity]... that help provide the technology and support that allows our warfighters to do what they do.”
Recovery
Durant recovered from his wounds, returned to the Army, and later completed a Marine Corps marathon with the steel rod from the broken femur bone he sustained from the crash G-force. He continued to fly with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and was awarded the Purple Heart and several other medals.
Durant retired with over 21 years of active duty service as an Army master aviator with more than 3,700 flight hours, over 1,400 of which were flown under night vision goggles, he said. Today he is a program manager for Rockwell Collins Simulation and Training Solutions.
Durant answered questions from the audience, and after requesting a moment of silence for his fallen comrades, he offered a final message of hope and inspiration:
“What I learned from my experience is that adversity is overcome by preparing for it and adapting to it. Never, ever, ever quit!” he concluded.
Source: Sentinel, Oct 05, 2007