In Memoriam
In the aftermath of the Battle of Mogadishu, casualties totaled thirteen dead, eighty-two wounded, and six missing. Lt. Col. (later Col.) James T. Faust, the
Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) J-2 Chief of Intelligence Operations, TF Ranger, explained that with six missing soldiers, TF Ranger quickly shifted their
mission. He said, "everything we built for TF Ranger intelligence focused on Aideed and his infrastructure;" now their mission was to build a new collection plan,
combining the efforts of human and signal intelligence and surveillance systems to find the soldiers missing in action.
Within a couple of days, HUMINT sources reported Somali insurgents were dragging dead American soldiers through the streets, which was later confirmed by CNN footage.
They also recovered a soldier whose body was left at a roadblock within the city. Eventually, five of the missing were located and declared dead; however, the search
for Durant continued.
Maj. Gen. (then Capt.) Robert Walters, the Assistant S-2, 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR, which deployed with TF Ranger, explained that after other search methods failed,
the S-2 shop reached out to Durant’s wife for a list of his favorite songs, "divided the city into quadrants and then put speakers on [their] helicopters and played his
favorite song, a different one in each of the four quadrants." He explained their hope was Durant would hear the song and mention it in a Red Cross message, helping them
narrow down the search. Unfortunately, none of Durant’s messages were mailed but, on 14 October 1993, after being held captive for eleven days, he was released to the
International Committee of the Red Cross.
The events of 3-4 October 1993 prompted withdrawal of U.S. forces from Somalia. According to CWO4 (Retired) Gregory Peterson, a senior civilian analyst at JSOC at the
time of the raid, "While the common legacy of TF Ranger is the casualties associated with the October raid, that operation survives today as a hallmark of surgical Special
Operations units."
Overall, it was a costly learning experience and one that also demonstrated the courage of SOF Soldiers who earned two Medals of Honor. In 2021, the Army and Congress
approved upgrades for sixty awards for valor in the Battle of Mogadishu, including fifty-eight new Silver Stars and two Distinguished Flying Crosses.
Story reprinted by permission.
Crew of Super 64, September 1993.
From left: Winn Mahuron, Tommy Field, Bill Cleveland, Ray Frank, and Mike Durant.
VFW
VFW Remembers Woody Williams
The VFW is mourning the loss of the last living WWII Medal of Honor recipient Hershel "Woody" Williams, who passed away at the age of 98 years of age. After WWII,
he continued to serve the veteran community through his work at VA, his nonprofit the Woody Williams Foundation, and his tireless advocacy efforts for Gold Star
families.
Williams was a Gold Legacy member of VFW Post 7048, which bears his name, located in Fairmont, West Virginia. "On behalf of the entire 1.5
million-member VFW family, our deepest condolences go out to Woody's entire family, and we salute one of the last greatest of the 'Greatest Generation,'" said VFW
National Commander Matthew Mihelcic.
Stephen McCarthy, a long time member of the Cocoa Beach community, passed away on March 12, 2022. Steve was a VFW member having served honorably in the
Marine Corps, the Army, and the Air Force. After the military, Steve was a respected member of the Cocoa Beach Police Department. A Celebration of Life was held
on Saturday, April 23rd, at the Beach Shack and the Pig & Whistle. Interment was held at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery on Friday, May 27th.
Andrew Holman, a friendly and enthusiastic new VFW member, died on November 11, 2021 as a result of injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident. Upon
joining the VFW in July, he expressed a sincere interest in helping with community service projects. Andrew was a welcomed addition to the Post whose smile and
laughter will be missed, but not forgotten. Andrew was laid to rest in his home state of Minnesota. A memorial service was held Tuesday, November 30th, at the
Patrick Space Force Base South Chapel.
Robert Wudarski, born October 12, 1932 in Buffalo, New York, served in both the Marine Corps and the Air Force before settling in Cape Canaveral many
years ago. Robert known as "Ski" by his friends, was a long-time member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and friend of VFW Post 10148 in Cocoa Beach. In
addition to the contributions he made by his presence at the Post, he made significant financial contributions to two major Post renovation projects. After a
lengthy decline in health, he was admitted in late August to Health First Hospice at Cape Canaveral Hospital. He passed away on August 29, 2021.
Erwin Mueller, a long time VFW member and friend of Post 10148 passed away on December 10, 2020. Erwin proudly served in the US Army Infantry from
1958-1961 after coming to this country from Germany. He and his wife were married 54 years before she predeceased him in 2010. Those who knew Erwin, knew him as
a kindly man and a true friend of the VFW. Though soft-spoken, his words always had merit. We will miss you Comrade!
Auxiliary
Jeff Lakin passed away in August 2023. Jeff was known by many for his sense of humor, winning smile, and his get-it-done attitude. He assisted the Post
on many projects including blood drives, cookouts on the deck, and the inaugural golf tournament. A Celebration of Life was held at the Post on Saturday, September 16th. This year's golf tournament is being held in honor of Jeff.
Terri Mogavero, a long time supporter of our Auxiliary, passed away in August 2023. She served in various Auxiliary offices including Senior Vice
President. Post members, family, and friends gathered at the Post on Saturday, August 19th, for a Celebration of Life.
Riley Owen passed away in October 2021. Riley quickly became your friend shortly after you met her. She served as Auxiliary secretary and helped with
various Auxiliary functions. A Celebration of Life was held on Saturday, November 13th, at Post 10148.
Barbara Wright, long-time local and VFW Auxiliary member, joined the Lord February 11th while under Hospice care in Palm Harbor with family at her side. She
loved water sports -- boating, surf boarding, skiing, and swimming. Barbara's Celebration of Life was held on Friday, March 19th at the Beach Shack in Cocoa
Beach.
Carrie Gehrlein, VFW Auxiliary member and friend of Post 10148 passed away on February 18th. Carrie was known by all at 10148 for her boundless energy
and engaging smile. She assisted with numerous Post activites over many years. A Celebration of Life was held on Saturday, March 13th, at South Beach Inn.
