Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
3:17 | Squad leader Olin Rossman pays tribute to the men in his squad, who fought well in Mogadishu. There was also the medic, who showed incredible courage while treating wounded men under fire. (Caution: strong language)
Keywords : Olin Rossman Somalia Mogadishu medic Keith Smith sniper
Not happy with his original MOS, Olin Rossman reenlisted as an infantryman. He was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division and trained at frigid Fort Drum in New York. He was well qualified before he saw combat, went to all the schools, including Ranger School where he suffered a mishap. (Caution: strong language.)
When a humanitarian disaster began to unfold in Somalia, Presidents Bush and Clinton committed US troops to stop the fighting among the warlords and enable aid to be delivered. Olin Rossman of the 10th Mountain Division was not originally slated to go, but his platoon was tapped at the last minute. (Caution: strong language)
The first job for squad leader Olin Rossman was patrolling a road that linked his unit's base with the Mogadishu airport. Then his platoon began to rotate through that task, serving as a quick reaction force, and also providing convoy security. Some more up-to-date night optical devices would have helped a lot. (Caution: strong language.)
Olin Rossman was mad. Some of his platoon were pinned down at a Mogadishu intersection but his squad was being held back in reserve. He couldn't go and help. Mogadishu was a vast maze of roads and alleyways, every building a potential sniper nest, every alley an RPG threat. (Caution: strong language)
Everyone remembers Black Hawk Down but the incident portrayed in that movie was not the first time a Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Mogadishu. Squad leader Olin Rossman woke up to the words, "Get up and get your squad. We have a bird down." He joined the convoy headed to the crash site. Part 1 of 2. (Caution: strong language)
The crash site was at a typical Mogadishu intersection with countless places the enemy could be hiding. Olin Rossman's squad had secured the site and he went to help with body recovery. Only one set of remains had been taken out of the burnt Black Hawk when all hell broke loose. They had been waiting because they knew more Americans would be coming. Part 2 of 2. (Caution: strong language)
It was only a few days after a Black Hawk was shot down that another one suffered the same fate, only this time there were survivors who were pinned down. Olin Rossman was with the relief force that rushed to the scene and his squad held an important intersection in the fight that would become known as the Battle of Mogadishu. (Caution: strong language)
