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Framed "Black Hawk Down" Mike Durant Autograph & Patch. Durant was the pilot of helicopter "Super Six Four.” His was the second of two MH-60L Black Hawk helicopters shot down during the Battle of Mogadishu on October 3, 1993. After his helicopter was hit on the tail by an RPG-7, it crashed about a mile southwest of the operation's target.

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"Black Hawk Down" incident
"...Durant’s Special Operations aviation unit arrived in Somalia in August 1993 to support the U.S. forces. They completed many operations, successfully capturing about 24 Somali gunmen and supporters of Aidid. On October 3rd, Durant’s helicopter unit was providing air support for forces hunting Aidid’s senior leaders in the city of Mogadishu. The Black Hawks flew above the combat zone, from where they watched the battle raging below, providing fire support for the troops where needed. A rocket-propelled grenade, fired from a doorway below, hit Durant’s Black Hawk in its tail, sending the helicopter spiraling 70 feet downwards and crashing into the shanty area near to the battle center.

When Durant regained consciousness, he realized that their situation was desperate. He could not get out of the helicopter due to back and leg injuries. “We are badly injured, we are alone, we are surrounded, and there are really no reinforcements left to come to our aid,” he said. Two Delta Force operators, Gordon and Shughart, appeared and calmly, in spite of the gunfire raging all about, held off the mob until they themselves were killed. The three men in Durant’s crew were killed as the Somalis stormed the crash site and then turned on him, ripping off his gear and beating him badly. Suddenly gunfire rang out, and a man emerged from the mass of Somalis, proclaiming that Durant would be taken prisoner. He was thrown into the pickup truck of this local warlord, who kept him in a concrete room with no furniture. Despite his severe injuries, he was badly treated, shot in the leg, and constantly threatened.

For purposes of ransom, Durant was shown on TV – after which Abdullah-Hassan “Firimbi,” the propaganda minister of Aidid, paid the local warlord the ransom and took charge of Durant. His wounds were seen to (however roughly), and he was allowed to clean up. Firimbi became his jailer. Since Durant could speak Spanish and Firimbi could speak Italian, some form of communication was possible between them. Despite the cultural differences, Durant was able, by humoring the guards whenever possible, to build a rapport with them. After 11 days he was released into U.S. custody after difficult negotiations by the American diplomat, Robert Oakley. He returned to the compound and was comforted by familiar faces, but also found more heartache. “I knew my crew was gone,” he said, “I had 11 days to come to terms with that, but I didn’t know two other very good friends were gone.”

"...During Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia, Durant was the pilot of helicopter "Super Six Four.” His was the second of two MH-60L Black Hawk helicopters shot down during the Battle of Mogadishu on October 3, 1993. After his helicopter was hit on the tail by an RPG-7, it crashed about a mile southwest of the operation's target.

Durant and his crew of three, Bill Cleveland, Ray Frank, and Tommy Field, were badly injured in the crash. Durant suffered a crushed vertebra in his back and a compound fracture of his left femur. Three Delta Force snipers, MSG Gary Gordon, SFC Randy Shughart and MSG Brad Halling had been providing suppressive fire from the air at hostile Somalis who were converging on the crash site. All three volunteered for insertion onto the ground to protect the crew and join Durant in fighting off the advancing Somalis, although Halling took over the Blackhawk's minigun after a crew chief was injured before permission was granted and only Gordon and Shugart were inserted. The pair killed numerous Somalis before they ran out of ammunition. They were soon overwhelmed and killed, after Cleveland, Frank and Field had died. Gordon and Shughart received the Medal of Honor posthumously for their heroism in this action.

The hostile Somalis captured Durant, the sole American survivor, and held him captive for 11 days. During much of his imprisonment, he was personally protected and cared for by Abdullahi "Firimbi" Hassan, a physician and propaganda minister to Somali General Mohamed Farrah Aidid, though he was shot in his arm by an intruding militia member. Aidid then released Durant and a Nigerian soldier who had been captured previously into the custody of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

After being freed, and recovering at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany, Durant resumed flying with the 160th SOAR. He retired from the Army in 2001 with more than 3,700 flight hours, over 1,400 of which were flown with night vision goggles.

Durant's military service awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with Valor Device, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, three Air Medals and the Prisoner of War Medal, among others.