Medal of Honor Monday: Gary Gordon, Delta Force Sniper, Mogadishu, Somalia

Early Life in Maine

Gary Ivan Gordon was born on August 30, 1960, in Lincoln, Maine. He grew up in a working-class town where hunting, fishing, and self-reliance were part of daily life. Those who knew him early described a quiet, serious young man who preferred action over talk. He was not drawn to the spotlight. He was drawn to challenge.

Gordon enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1978 at age 18. Like most who eventually find their way into elite units, he did not start there. He began in the conventional Army and built a reputation for physical toughness and reliability. From the start, he leaned toward the harder path.

Early Army Career and the Ranger Regiment

Gordon attended Airborne School and moved into the Ranger pipeline, eventually serving with 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. The Ranger Regiment in the early 1980s was building the professional foundation that would shape modern U.S. special operations. Gordon thrived in that environment.

He later attended Special Forces training and served with 10th Special Forces Group. There, he developed the broader skill set required of a Green Beret: language training, unconventional warfare doctrine, and the ability to operate in small autonomous teams. He gained a reputation for discipline and steadiness rather than flash.

Selection for Delta Force

In 1986, Gordon was selected for 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, commonly known as Delta Force. By then, the unit had matured into the Army’s premier counterterrorist and direct-action force. Gordon served as a sniper and reconnaissance specialist.

Over the next few years, he participated in multiple deployments and contingency operations. Most remain classified. Within the unit, he was known as a calm professional, physically strong, technically proficient, and dependable under pressure. He was the kind of operator teammates wanted beside them when things went bad.

Mogadishu, October 3, 1993

On October 3, 1993, Gordon deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia, as part of Task Force Ranger. The mission was to capture key lieutenants of warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. What began as a daylight raid turned into a prolonged urban battle after two MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were shot down.

Gordon and fellow Delta sniper Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart were providing aerial overwatch from a helicopter. When Super 64 crashed, they observed the site becoming surrounded by armed fighters and civilians. They requested permission to be inserted to defend the downed crew.

Command initially denied the request due to the extreme danger. Gordon and Shughart asked again. They understood the likely outcome. On their third request, permission was granted.

They were inserted near the crash site of Super 64, whose pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant, had survived the impact. Gordon and Shughart moved to the wreckage, established defensive positions, and engaged attacking forces at close range. Vastly outnumbered, they held as long as possible. Both were killed in action. Durant survived and was taken prisoner, later released. He credited the two Delta snipers with giving him a chance to live.

Medal of Honor Ceremony

Gary Gordon was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. President Bill Clinton presented the medal to his widow, Carmen Gordon, during a White House ceremony on May 23, 1994.