Black Hawk Down Pilot Mike Durant on Surviving Capture in Somalia

Retired Army chief warrant officer Mike Durant sits down with the Shawn Ryan Show for a long-form interview about the 1993 Mogadishu mission known as Black Hawk Down. He survived captivity after his helicopter was shot down during Operation Gothic Serpent, and here he explains how he got through it.

Key points

• Durant's record: he was shot down and captured in Somalia in 1993, later returned to flying status and retired in 2001.
• What kept him going: Durant says family and faith carried him through captivity, thinking constantly of his one-year-old son and his wife back home.
• One step at a time: he describes breaking the ordeal into small milestones, like surviving the next 30 seconds during the overrun of the crash site.
• Believing he would die: Durant recalls the overrun and being dragged through the streets, both times certain his life was over.
• Life after release: friends and an uncle still call him every year on his release date, which he calls the start of his "second life."

Quick take

This is a firsthand account of one of the most referenced combat events in modern American military history, told in Durant's own words. It's worth the time if you want the story behind the movie.

Watch the full video: Shawn Ryan Show