Article

2003-10-21 Afghanistan

Inches divide life, death in the Afghan darkness

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Posted by tu3031 2003-10-21 3:32:27 PM|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Good find--hell of an article! I got a kick out the "defragging the hard drive" line--quite an interesting choice of metaphor!

I hadn't heard the story of SFC Paul Ray Smith and his last stand at the airport. I googled his name and found a nicely done tribute site that goes into more detail about what happened and why he's being considered for the CMOH.

Posted by Dar 2003-10-21 3:42:30 PM|| 2003-10-21 3:42:30 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 Yes, Read the entire article. It goes on about how they are not the 'kill! kill! kill!' Rambo types the left says they are....

The other GIs tell of a firefight weeks earlier during which Pryor entered a room that was ablaze and spotted movement under a blanket. He didn't shoot. Pausing to search, he found a baby girl, pulled her free and passed her to a team member.

Damn! This is what I call a hero....

Posted by CrazyFool 2003-10-21 4:07:58 PM|| 2003-10-21 4:07:58 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 "Pryor, whose healthy-size cranium has earned him the nickname "Bucket," led the way. He stepped around a corner and shot a man coming at him with an AK-47 a few feet away"

nice story, and good shooting, "Bucket"!

Posted by Frank G 2003-10-21 5:23:05 PM|| 2003-10-21 5:23:05 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 What were the names of the two spooks, who vountarily repelled into the helo crash site at Mogadishu to protect the pilot, eventhough they knew that there was little chance that they would be recovered?

Posted by Super Hose 2003-10-21 5:31:08 PM|| 2003-10-21 5:31:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Super hose : I think they were Delta commandos snipers Randy Shughart & Gary Gordon, at Mike Durant's crash.

OT, the original Philadelphia inquirer Mark Bowden article, from where I drawn that info is online in 30 parts at http://inquirer.philly.com/packages/somalia/sitemap.asp
Stumbled upon by accident, loved it; this convinced me to buy the french version of his book in a near future.

Posted by Anonymous 2003-10-21 5:45:36 PM|| 2003-10-21 5:45:36 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Anon: Those articles were the basis of "Black Hawk Down." The book is truly excellent, and the movie doesn't do a bad job with it.

As for Sgt Pryor: He is the quintessential American hero. I am awed and honored to be his countryman.

Posted by R. McLeod 2003-10-22 3:12:39 AM|| 2003-10-22 3:12:39 AM|| Front Page Top

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