Maine’s top elected officials want a new, Maine-made Navy destroyer named after a Lincoln man whose heroism in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu was depicted in the book and movie “Black Hawk Down.”
The state’s entire congressional delegation and Gov. Janet Mills sent a letter Monday to Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro asking him to name a new Navy warship built at Bath Iron Works after U.S. Army Master Sgt. Gary Gordon, a Lincoln native and Medal of Honor recipient who was killed in action in Somalia rescuing the crew of a downed helicopter.
Gordon was a Delta Force sniper during Operation Gothic Serpent, which culminated in the Battle of Mogadishu, the battle in which Gordon lost his life. The battle was cinematically recreated in the early 2000s movie “Black Hawk Down.” He is portrayed by actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, of “Game of Thrones” fame.
During the battle, Gordon urged his superiors to let him go and protect the crew of a downed Black Hawk helicopter from a mob that was set to destroy the helicopter and its crew. He and another Delta Force sniper, Sgt. 1st Class Randy Shughart, were sent in to protect the helicopter and the crew.
Shughart and Gordon alone pulled the crew from the helicopter and defended their position until they ran out of ammunition. Both Gordon and Shughart were killed defending the helicopter and its crew.
In their letter to the Navy, Maine’s top elected officials — Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, as well as Mills — said the warfighting capabilities of a Navy destroyer would best represent Gordon’s legacy and remind the ship’s crew of his heroism.
“With such a namesake, there is no doubt the crew of the ship would serve with the same pride, perseverance, and bravery as MSG Gordon,” the letter states.
A memorial to Gordon was unveiled in Lincoln last August, immortalizing Gordon in his hometown.
Delta Force, officially known as 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, is part of the U.S. military’s special forces, a distinguished group of warfighters known for their advanced skills.
The Battle of Mogadishu started Oct. 3, 1993, with U.S. forces fighting with a Somali warlord’s soldiers. During the battle, two U.S. helicopters were shot down, and one of the crashed choppers was isolated from U.S. forces, which Gordon volunteered to go in and defend.
In all, 19 U.S. soldiers were killed during the two-day battle.
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