Black Hawk Down
“Black Hawk Down” is an official phrase used on combat situations, by the United States military, to inform the crash of a Black Hawk helicopter.
The phrase became popular after the release of a book titled Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War. The book chronicles the U.S. military attempt of 1993 to capture a warlord in Mogadishu, Somalia; and the intense battle that resulted between U.S. forces on duty with the United Nations, against local militia and citizens.
The raid quickly became the most intensive close combat Americans have engaged in since the Vietnam War. The events of the raid were later baptized as the “October 3, 1993 Battle of Mogadishu” by international media.
The book is based on a series of articles written for the Philadelphia Inquirer by writer Mark Bowden. It was later turned into a film of the same name by Ridley Scott in 2001.
