Battle of Mogadishu Veteran Recounts Brutal AK-47 Wound

Former Army Ranger James Lechner has shared his harrowing experience of being shot during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, a pivotal and brutal event in U.S. military history commonly known as Black Hawk Down. Lechner, a member of the 75th Rangers deployed to Somalia, described the intense combat and the severe leg wound he sustained from an AK-47 round.

In an interview with Shawn Ryan, Lechner detailed how the bullet struck him below the knee, shattering his tibia and creating a large, grapefruit-sized hole in his leg. The projectile also severed arteries, leading to significant arterial bleeding. He recounted being dragged to a fortified building, which served as a casualty collection point, by a Delta Force medic amidst continuous gunfire.

"The bullet went down, came out above my ankle. I had a grapefruit sized hole in the front of my leg and the bullet had shredded the whole left side," Lechner explained. "Hit two arteries. So, I had arterial bleeding and blood was just extremely profuse going on."

The conditions inside the collection point were dire, with Lechner noting that the blood on the floor was "two inches deep." The Battle of Mogadishu, which began on October 3, 1993, involved a multinational task force attempting to capture key Somali faction leaders. The mission escalated into intense urban warfare when U.S. helicopters were shot down, trapping soldiers and leading to heavy casualties.

Ultimately, 18 American soldiers were killed and dozens more were wounded during the two-day battle. Delta Force snipers Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions during the conflict.

The Battle of Mogadishu has since been widely documented, including in the film "Black Hawk Down." Lechner's account offers a firsthand perspective on the harsh realities faced by U.S. service members during the engagement.