No Man Left Behind; Gothic Serpent, 23 years
Editor’s Note: This is republished from 2008, but Operation Gothic Serpent was 23 years ago today. It’s lessons live on and we’re still waging a war that has it’s roots in that battle;
15 years ago today I lost a dear friend. Tim Martin and I showed up at the Reception Station in Fort Polk Louisiana – I won’t mention the year, the fact that they were still doing Basic and Infantry AIT at Ft Polk should be enough to narrow it down for you. He was a huge, quiet and friendly guy and I felt lucky that we were attached alphabetically through those 16 weeks. I can’t count the times that I’d stumbled and looked up to see his outstretched hand to help me up.
After those 16 weeks, four weeks together at the Basic Airborne Course in Georgia, then he went to the 2d Ranger Battalion at Lewis and I went to Fort Stewart (yes, the 1st Battalion was actually on Fort Stewart in those days). We went off in our separate directions for four years and we rarely saw each other, but each time we met, the conversation picked up right where it had left off the last time.
I’ve never met anyone who ever met him that had a bad word for him. He loved the Army, and later I learned he loved his family more.
I found out his final fate on October 18th, 1993 while I was leaving my last duty station as a retired soldier when I read the casualty list from what is now known as the “Blackhawk Down” fiasco and found his name.
I spent the next seven years trying to find out what happened to him. I became a member of the fine Paratrooper.net forum, run by my good friend Mark (back when Mark and I were the only participating members). As the forum grew, I put together bits and pieces of the story and some wonderful soul sent his wife Linda my way.
The movie Blackhawk Down did a great job capturing his personality and immortalizing his love for his daughters.
Category: We Remember
RIP to Griz and all of the other Brothers who died that day.
RIP.
Never Forgotten.
Thanks for this story, Jonn. The picture above showing Tim with his children tells me all I need to know about the man he was.
RIP Brother.
The scene in Black Hawk Down of Griz drawing an illustration for a story for his daughter is a beautiful moment of the family side of a great warrior. RIP to all the fallen in Mogadishu.
Lo recordamos, no son realmente desaparecidos.
Vaya con Dios, mis difuntos hermanos de armas.
Rest in peace brother. One of many who are never forgotten.
Yep, no words for this that would fill the hole left behind when we as a nation lose an honorable man or woman in service to the nation.
Rest in peace is certainly customary, but seems hardly adequate.
RIP, Master Sergeant Martin.
I was a DEP waiting to go to Basic Training when this happened. I didn’t even fully comprehend what happened there. I went to AIT and we asked what happened there to our SF instructors and got a variety of points of view on it.
I found out I even signed up on the same day as Danny McKnight, but twenty years later. I found that out reading his book which was a good read (found it on amazon kindle).
Always tough when we lose our brothers and sisters close to us. RIP to him and them all.
23 years ago. My God when did I get old. I was 3 days returned from Somalia on that day. RIP MSG Martin and all those we lost.
RIP, Brother. You made a difference in this world.
I have the DVDs of Blackhawk Down and Act of Valor.
#2 son and OIF vet may not be able to convey to his nephews what honorable service entails – he somehow missed the “gift of gab” (AKA diarrhea of the mouth) which his father and siblings received. But these two movies can give them a bit of insight into what it takes to be a man who defends the weak and helpless.