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SFC John M. Collett
United States Army Ranger
Military Consultant and Stuntman for the film
Black Hawk Down
Member of the
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training
For U.S. Army Sergeant First Class John Collett, the
phrase "Black Hawk Down" isn't just the name of a
New York Times
best-selling book or acclaimed movie, it was a
life-changing experience.
As a member of the U.S. Army's third Ranger
Battalion, Collett's platoon was sent to Somalia in 1993
to assist U.N. forces in the city of Mogadishu. On
October 3, approximately one hundred Army Rangers and
Delta Force troops were dropped by helicopter into the
teeming city of Mogadishu. The mission - to capture
warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid's top-ranking deputies as
part of an overall strategy to quell Somalia's civil war
and relieve the famine against the people of Somalia -
turned into a nightmare when two of the Army's high-tech
MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were shot down. What was to
have been a routine mission that would take less than an
hour became a full-fledged confrontation, as U.S. troops
were overwhelmed by thousands of armed Somalis. By
morning, eighteen Americans soldiers were dead and more
than seventy badly injured.
Nearly a decade later, Sergeant Collett relived the
horror while serving as a consultant and stuntman for Ewan McGregor in the Ridley Scott/Jerry
Bruckheimer film,
Black Hawk Down. His heroism as one of
the Rangers who survived a nightmarish eighteen-hour
showdown in Mogadishu earned him the Purple Heart, a Bronze Star with a
"V" for Valor, and a place in history as an American
hero.
On August 27, 2006, Sergeant Collett will be
participating in the Ironman Canada Triathlon on behalf of
the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, helping to raise
money to find a cure for blood cancers. Patriot
Financial is honored to be John Collett's sponsor in
this event, and we welcome you to join us in supporting one
of our nation's heroes in finding a cure!
Visit John Collett's Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's
Team In Training Page and Donate Today!
For more information on these organizations and events,
please visit these sites:
Team In Training
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Subaru Ironman Canada Triathlon
Iron Team
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