In October 1993, US soldiers operating in the middle of a civil war in Somalia were on a mission to capture high ranking militia leaders linked to the fighting. But their extraction from the streets of Mogadishu was blocked by an unexpected counter attack from Somali warriors resulting in an all-out urban firefight. While the Army Rangers were pinned down in the streets, resistance fighters shot down two Black Hawk helicopters. What became known as the Battle of Mogadishu lasted for hours, with the US suffering heavy casualties and seeing a pilot taken prisoner. The failed mission altered the course of American involvement in the conflict.

The Netflix series Surviving Black Hawk Down takes us back to the battlefield as told from the perspective of Americans on the ground and in the air. It also brings us the voices of Somali militants who took up arms and of civilians caught in the crossfire. It not only recounts what happened during those many hours of combat. It tackles what it meant for the soldiers who made it out alive. 

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews former US special forces soldiers and series subjects Tom Satterly and Brad Thomas.

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched title yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on. 

Dig deeper into all of your favorite Netflix documentaries and films at Tudum.com! This week they go even further into what happened during the Battle of Mogadishu.

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