In a solemn ceremony Friday, the U.S. Army formally rededicated Fort Gordon in honor of Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon, restoring the post’s original name but shifting its namesake to commemorate Gordon’s valor and sacrifice.
Gordon, a native of Lincoln, Maine, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Mogadishu on Oct. 3, 1993.
Serving as a sniper team leader with Task Force Ranger, he and Sgt. 1st Class Randy Shughart repeatedly volunteered to be inserted to defend the crew of a downed Black Hawk helicopter, despite extreme danger.
After their requests were approved, the two fought their way to the crash site, pulled injured crew from the wreckage and established a defensive perimeter. Both were killed in the fighting, but their actions saved the life of pilot Chief Warrant Officer 3 Michael Durant.
The harrowing events of the Battle of Mogadishu were later depicted in the bestselling book and film “Black Hawk Down.” Army leaders at Friday’s ceremony emphasized the real story of sacrifice and comradeship.
At the rededication, Gordon’s son, Ian, and widow, Carmen Drake Owens, were joined by a host of military officials and dignitaries.
Retired Col. Ron Russell, a member of Task Force Ranger who served alongside Gordon, recalled him as a quiet, capable soldier who embodied the Ranger creed, “never to fail a comrade.”
Major General Ryan Janovic, commanding general of the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence, said the rededication holds the installation to Gordon’s example.
“They may expect a standard of excellence to exist inside these gates, and they may be quieted by the memories of valor and sacrifice,” Janovic said.
The ceremony featured a cannon salute, performances by the 282nd Army Band and the uncasing of the garrison colors. It announced the designation of Master Sergeant Gary Gordon Boulevard, which will lead to the future Gary Gordon Plaza in front of the new headquarters of the Cyber Center of Excellence.
Established in 1941 as Camp Gordon, the installation was named Fort Gordon in 1956 and redesignated Fort Eisenhower in 2023. With Friday’s ceremony, it returns to its historic title, dedicated now to a new namesake.
Owens told the crowd her husband would have wanted the name to represent all who fought alongside him in Mogadishu.
“Gary would look at the naming of this post as a way to remember not just him, but every soldier that was involved in the Battle of Mogadishu,” she said.
See more photos from the Sept. 26 rededication of Fort Gordon.
