Faith guided me through massacre
It was a night so dramatic it was made into a film. And one of the heroes of the US army’s Mogadishu raid that inspired Black Hawk Down recalls, “It changed my life forever.”
For Ranger Jeff Struecker, the October 1993 raid to capture Somali warlord Aidid is a vivid memory. But even more memorable for him is the morning after, when the faith that helped guide him guide him through the massacre took centre stage.
He told God Reports: “It wasn’t really the blood and the bullet holes that had an impact on me. It was back at the base the grown men, some of the toughest warriors on the planet, with tears in their eyes. They said, ‘Jeff, what happened to my best friend who just died last night? Jeff, what happens to me if I get on a helicopter or a Humvee tomorrow and I don’t make it home?’
“Almost all of them were saying, ‘Jeff, there was something different about you last night, and I want to know what it was.’
“For the next 24 hours, I had guys lined up to ask me about Jesus Christ because they could see the difference he makes when the bullets [are] flying.”
The men’s response had such an impact on Struecker that he decided to become a chaplain in the 82nd Airborne Division. His life had certainly been saved for some divine calling.
Struecker recalls: “The entire city erupted with gunfire. We were being shot at from 100 different directions, it seemed.”
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