During a night reconnaissance mission over Mogadishu,Somalia, a 101st Airborne Division UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter with the call sign "Courage 53" was hit by a rocket propelled grenade. The explosion ignited the fuel and brought down the aircraft. As the helicopter fell from the sky in flames, the pilot tried to steer it toward friendly forces occupying the seaport. Instead, the helicopter hit the top of a building and then fell to the ground and skidded over a hundred yards before it came to rest against an embankment.
3 soldiers were killed in the fiery crash - one of them our nephew Matt. The pilot’s arm was broken and the co-pilot was badly burned and blinded but both survived the crash. Somali militiamen rushed to the scene and opened fire on the two Americans with AK-47s and hand grenades. The pilot fought them off and killed at least one attacker. In the midst of the firefight a friendly Somali approached the two Americans waving a flashlight and yelling "American boys!" They had no choice but to trust him. He led them to a nearby United Arab Emirates unit that was securing the seaport. That Somali saved their lives.
Final cache located at - N41 0A.BBC W093 DE.BEA
To get the coordinates for the final cache, you will need to find the answers to these questions from numbers found on the plaque at the memorial. Replace the appropriate letter with the numbers you find here.
1. The 1st number in the year Matt was born & killed = A
2. The day Matt was born minus 10 = B
3. The last number in the year he died = C
4. The last number in the year he was born = D
5. The sum of the numbers in the day Matt died = E
While you are at this memorial, please give thanks for all of the men and women who have died serving our country & especially to those who are still in Iraq.
No pencil – please bring something to sign the log with.
If you can't find the final - give me a call - 515-577-9486.