Where Are the Black Hawk Down Survivors Now? All About the U.S. Soldiers' Lives Decades Later — and What Somali Citizens Still Remember from the Deadly Battle

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo of the real Black Hawk Down soldiers shown in Netflix’s docuseries ‘Surviving Black Hawk Down’.

ThoughBlack Hawk Downis a fictionalized account of the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, the real American soldiers and Somalis who survived the deadly crash have their own harrowing tales to tell.

Netflix’sSurviving Black Hawk Down, released on Feb. 10, gave them the chance to do just that.

On the day Durant was taken as a prisoner of war, Oct. 3, 1993, a U.S. task force was sent to Somalia’s capital city of Mogadishu to capture two top lieutenants of the Somali National Alliance (SNA) Leader Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The United Nations had blamed him for an ambush that killed around two dozen Pakistani soldiers earlier that year, perThe New York Times.

What was meant to be a quick capture-and-extraction operation turned into an intense 18-hour battle that would leave 18 American soldiers dead and 84 wounded, perThe Washington Post. Somali leaders estimated that the battle killed 312 of their militiamen and citizens and injured 814 others.

Netflix’sSurviving Black Hawk Downincluded testimonials from members of both sides of the conflict as well as locals who found themselves trapped in one of the deadliest battles in modern warfare.

So, where are the Black Hawk Downsurvivors now? Here’s everything to know about the soldiers and citizens who survived the Battle of Mogadishu.

What happened during the Battle of Mogadishu?

Netflix’s docuseries ‘Surviving Black Hawk Down’.

Surrounded and outnumbered, U.S. forces faced intense combat as they worked to rescue the downed crews. The conflict resulted in the deaths of 18 American soldiers and hundreds of Somali fighters and civilians, many of whom were caught in the crossfire.

The battle was recounted in detail in Mark Bowden’s 1999 bookBlack Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, which was later adapted intoRidley Scott’s 2001 film of the same name.Black Hawk Downfeatured an ensemble cast starringJosh HartnettandEwan McGregorand won twoAcademy Awards.

Who was Mohamed Farrah Aidid?

Somali warlord Gen. Mohamed Farrah Aidid.ALEXANDER JOE/AFP via Getty

Somali warlord Gen. Mohamed Farrah Aidid.

ALEXANDER JOE/AFP via Getty

Mohamed Farrah Aidid was a Somali military officer in the early 1990s. After he helped overthrow dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, Somalia broke out into a civil war with rival factions fighting for control. Aidid’s faction was the SNA.

After the U.N. blamed him for attacking their peacekeeping forces, includingthe June 1993 ambushagainst Pakistani soldiers, they began to target Aidid more aggressively. The U.N. and the U.S. then worked together under the banner of trying to return the country to democracy.

One of their missions was the now infamous Black Hawk Down incident that started as an initiative to capture two of Aidid’s lieutenants. When the troops made their way to downtown Mogadishu, where they had received intel that two lieutenants were meeting, two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down, which led to the almost a day-long battle of bloodshed between the Somali militia and the U.S. Army.

Aidid survived the Black Hawk Down incident and later died of a heart attack in 1996.

Who is Michael Durant?

Mike Durant in Netflix’s docuseries ‘Surviving Black Hawk Down’.

But, as the battle intensified, those two soldiers were killed and Durant was taken into captivity. He spent 11 days as a prisoner of war before being released.

After Aidid agreed to free him, Durant was turned over to American soldiers with a gunshot wound and broken leg, back and eye socket. He had received medical care while in captivity and was expected to make a full physical recovery, per theLos Angeles Times.

Ron Eldard portrayed Durant inBlack Hawk Down.

How many soldiers died during the Battle of Mogadishu?

Eighteen U.S. soldiers died during the Battle of Mogadishu. InSurviving Black Hawk Down, Delta Force combat veteran Tom Satterly discussed what was going through his mind during the deadly battle.

“Go deep in the heart of the bad-guy territory, the heat hits you, you’re sweating, the sand sticks to everything, everybody’s against us,” he told filmmakers. “My attitude was, we’re the good guys. We’re America. Wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t right.”

In addition to the deaths, 84 U.S. soldiers were injured.

How many Somalis died during the Battle of Mogadishu?

Binti Adan is interviewed in Netflix’s docuseries ‘Surviving Black Hawk Down’ (2025).Netflix

Binti Adan is interviewed in Netflix’s docuseries ‘Surviving Black Hawk Down’ (2025).

Netflix

Binti Ali Wardhere, who is also interviewed inSurviving Black Hawk Down, toldBBCin February 2025 that she had her hand partially severed during the battle when a shell hit her house. Her husband, Mohamed Aden, and two of her sons, Abdulkadir Mohamed and Abdurahman Mohamed were killed. Four of her other children were injured, and one was permanently blinded.

“It was the Americans who destroyed my house, killed my husband, my two sons, and my brother, and left my family in lasting misery,” she said. “At the very least, they must admit what they have done and compensate us.”

Cameraman Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, also called Ahmed Five, documented everything he could during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, which allowed people outside of Somalia to see the destruction of the combat mission and increased criticism of American involvement in the Eastern African country.

OfSurviving Black Hawk Down, Ahmed told BBC, “This time, Somalis were given the opportunity to share their account of events. It is crucial that both sides of the story are always told.”

Where are the Black Hawk Down survivors now?

Netflix’s docuseries ‘Surviving Black Hawk Down’.

Maj. Gen. William Garrison later took full responsibility for the incident in a letter penned to President Clinton,The New York Timesreported, effectively ending his military career. He retired in 1996 to a farm in Hico, Texas, and, according to theDaily Beast, has never given an interview about the battle.

Many of the surviving U.S. soldiers continued to serve in the Army. Durant logged more flight hours before retiring in 2001 and becoming the CEO of an engineering service company specializing in aviation training. In 2022, he ran in the Alabama Senate race seeking the Republican nomination but lost, perABC.

Some of the other veterans have taken different paths. Satterly runs anonprofit organizationthat supports Special Operations warriors and their families, Brad Thomas is thelead guitarist and songwriterfor a modern grunge band called Silence & Light and Larry Perino is anassociate vice presidentat Navy Federal Credit Union.

However, all of the former soldiers interviewed inSurviving Black Hawk Downsaid they still struggle with the lasting impacts of the violence they experienced and participated in over 30 years ago.

“You gotta be able to separate it in your mind,” said David Diemer, a former Army Ranger who now owns and operates a full-servicesecurity firm. “I don’t know, maybe someday I’ll go bats— crazy. I have no idea. But you know, it was my job.”

Former Somali militia members echoed similar sentiments. However, many noted to the filmmakers that for them, the loss felt much worse.

“For the Americans, October 3rd is a tragic day, but for us, this was a dark moment,” said Yasin Dheere, a former member of the Aidid militia. “When I think about what happened, my head starts hurting. It left me with a grudge and painful memories.”

The Mogadishu residents who witnessed the battle are also still dealing with the loss and aftermath to this day.

source: people.com