Homepage About Mark Contact Mark Somalia Photos Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7       SAM Site Blast Video Page 8 Somalia on Google Earth Summary of Combat Operations Document for 3 October 1993

"The soldier above all prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war." - General Douglas MacArthur      Welcome, my name is Mark Jackson, and I'm a veteran of the conflict in Somalia. I served as a medic in Mogadishu with 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 41st Engineer battalion as part of Task Force 2-14.      I served proudly with the men and women of the 10th Mountain Division in Mogadishu, Somalia from August - December of 1993. During those four months I was involved in four major combat missions against Somali militia, including the actions of October 3rd and 4th (Battle of the Black Sea) recently portrayed in the Book and movie "BlackHawk Down".      Even though I was involved in every major firefight experienced by Task Force 2-14, I left Somalia with a lot of questions. I was very excited when I heard of Mark Bowden's best-selling book Blackhawk Down; it was good to know that the issue of what happened to us all that October night has not been forgotten by the American public.      I've relived that night thousands of times in my mind. I remember the initial attempt to get to the southern crash site, being ambushed at the K-4 circle. I remember when they had us dismount the trucks on the initial rescue attempt; the amount of bullets coming over our heads seemed like black dust. I remember the frustration we all felt as they had us sitting at the airfield for what seemed like a week. Radio operators in the truck would occasionally announce the rising body count in the city. I remember seeing guys from my platoon being carried away on stretchers after being torn apart by gunfire in the city that night, and then the way we all felt upon learning of Sgt Houston's death at a hospital in Germany. I also remember the gratitude of the men in Task Force Ranger in the days following the fight; up until the point when they left us there in Somalia and went back to Ft. Benning.      This has been kind of a busy few years for people searching for the truth of what happened over there, analyzing how things went so horribly wrong. So far, everything I've seen or read regarding this tragedy, all have one thing in common... they all either briefly mention, belittle, or entirely leave out the bulk of the rescue force that was the 10th Mountain Division.      When I went to see Jerry Bruckheimer and Ridley Scott's interpretation of what happened to us that night. Although the movie was good, I left feeling angry that once again, we were cut down to a minor footnote. The little bit they did show about us was wrong. I really had hoped that this time would be different. Although the movie was mainly about the plight of the Rangers, I hoped we would somehow be represented a little bit better than we have been in the past.      That night, the *"poorly trained regular army schmoes" of the 10th Mountain Division fought like hell to get those men out. Twenty-two of the seventy-three wounded and two of the nineteen Americans killed were from this unit. The names of our dead are always included among the rest of the men killed in the raid, yet their stories are never told. SGT Cornell Houston - 41st Engineers PFC James Martin, Jr. - 2nd Bn. 14th Infantry      So once again, it's the battle of History vs. Hollywood. Filmmakers have and always will cash in on tragedy, trampling on the people that they're trying to portray. Maybe someday they'll make a film about the tragedy of September 11th. Instead of having two planes hit the World Trade Center, they'll have three! Maybe they'll throw in some crazy suicide bombers or even Godzilla! Maybe they'll leave out the the Policemen and Paramedics who rushed into the building, and only show the Firemen... or better yet, they'll make up some fictional people to throw into the story. Thats really what it's all about right? Making money?      I'm certain that if Jerry Bruckheimer or Ridley Scott had strapped on a flak vest and drove out into hell in the back of an open bed truck that night, this movie wouldn't have been "based on a true story"... this movie would have been a true story. * Excerpt from the book "Black Hawk Down" on how many of the Rangers felt about the 10th Mountain division After looking everywhere for a patch for his Harley vest and not finding a single one, Greg Alderete decided to design one honoring Somalia Veterans and had some made. The patches are $4.00 each for 3 or less, which includes shipping. Those interested can email him at: Alderete74@yahoo.com for shipping instructions.

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