Veteran’s Day: One Hero’s Story
Black Hawk Down Comes to Custer

“We saw the movie, we met the man”

by Fred Hernandez, SDC Sentinel

Twenty-five years ago, future American foreign policy was substantially impacted as a result of an international incident. It was a relatively simple mission that should have taken about an hour.  Instead it stretched out to about fifteen hours and resulted in the deaths of eighteen service personnel and the wounding of another seventy-three. In the bestselling book authored by Mark Bowden and later made into a block busting movie, that incident became widely known as “Black Hawk Down”.  In fact, it was the Battle of Mogadishu, the first in what would be nine such engagements.  It all started as a humanitarian effort on the part of the U.S.A., the U.N. and other countries.

As a result of turf wars that became a raging civil war, the innocent bystanders, the poor people of Somalia, were the collateral damage.  Wide spread famine, artificially created by controlling warlords, had turned into a veritable death sentence by starvation for the population in general.  To prevent widespread deaths, U.S. troops had to be deployed to insure the equitable and comprehensive distribution of the food supplies earmarked to help the people which were otherwise being high jacked by the warring factions.  As happens many times in complex missions such as these, plans do not always turn out the way originally designed. In this case unplanned combat erupted.

Charlie even responded saying “Okay Lord, but can I have some more ammo?”

On Saturday, October 20th, one of the survivors of that military action came to town and spoke at the Lange Hall of the Lutheran Church on Third Street in Westcliffe.  In his opening statement he said it felt like family as soon as he walked in.  The guest of Abounding Grace Full Gospel Fellowship, Charles Warren, and his wife, Lisa, had a different objective on this mission.  After his harrowing experience in Somalia, Charles was transformed into a deep believer in the Faith that sustained him during the most incredibly difficult times of his life; during combat and later in private life.

Starting at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, where he was based with U.S. Rangers, he was deployed to Somalia in 1993. The U.S. Military encampment was just outside the city limits of Mogadishu, capital of Somalia.  In an effort to improve the dire situation it was decided by high command to try and bring some stability and order to the area in which warlords were competing for control.  All the warlords except one were on board with the plan to fashion a coalition that would allow for peace. Mohammed Farah Aidid, who controlled the city proper was not in favor because his final objective was to be the supreme ruler of all of Somalia.  Because of crimes and atrocities committed by those in his command it was necessary to arrest two of his top lieutenants.  And so, Charlie Warren’s team was chosen to be one of the units of the assignment.

The mission was simple enough but somehow it all went wrong.  As the UH-60 came in over the city the dissidents on the ground began firing RPG’s (rocket propelled grenades) hitting the helicopter and causing it to spin and crash. Of the four-man crew of which Charlie was crew chief, the two pilots died on impact.  Charlie and the other crewman, unconscious from the fall, were severely injured.  Charlie, while conscious and alert, had a broken arm, back and knee injuries.  In the meantime, the enemy, numbering about 5,000 frenzied civilians, was all around the downed helicopter.  Gangs of armed men kept attacking in waves while firing weapons in an effort to finish off the American survivors. Charles relied on his M-4 and his M-9 pistol to keep the attackers at bay. He fired repeatedly, reloaded, fired again and reloaded. The battle continued nonstop for the better part of 13-14 hours.

In the meantime, rescuers were on the way to get them out and to the safety of their base.  It was during the intense fighting that Charlie both felt and heard an inner locution. It happened more than once.  As he recalls it the message was simple; “It will be alright” or words to that effect.  In fact, Charlie even responded saying “Okay Lord, but can I have some more ammo?”

Eventually he made it out of that impossible situation thanks to those who came to rescue him. Once back in the States he realized he was no longer the same man.  He was in deep depression, he had bouts of anxiety and other nerve wracking mental and physical conditions that rendered him an angry, unstable person.  The relationship with his wife deteriorated to the point that she could not take it anymore.  In an effort to merely survive, she planned to leave the marriage.  Charlie became even more despondent.  In a struggle with sheer despair, he planned his own exit at the end of the barrel of his own gun.  But, that was not to be.  He squeezed the trigger, but miraculously the gun did not go off!  At that point Charlie, who grew up with very good parents who instilled in him deep seated values including Faith in the Almighty God, cried out in repentance “Lord, help.”   Shortly after, Charlie made every effort to reverse his downward trajectory.  It began with his joining a group called REBOOT Combat Recovery, an organization founded by Occupational Therapist Jenny Owens and her husband, Evan Owens. A twelve-week course that can be offered anywhere in the U.S.A., it utilizes a system of clinical procedures and methods that directly address the nine common issues affecting military personnel who have undergone traumatic experiences.

Charlie and his wife, Lisa, had a mission when they accepted the invitation of Rev. Hal Crossley and Rev. Ron Taylor, Co-Pastors at Abounding Grace Full Gospel Fellowship. Both Pastors wanted to reach out to the many veterans who live in Custer County.  More than twenty percent of residents of the county are retired veterans and some of them will surely benefit from meeting with survivors like Charlie who wanted to see as many of them as possible to impart to them the life changing opportunity of REBOOT Combat Recovery.

While not as many participants attended as expected by both Pastors, there were about forty-five attendees.  Charlie, who has always considered himself a son of Colorado, says that we all have a different citizenship which is eternal. He was in his element as he recounted his experiences and passed on the message that there is always hope, as long as there is life; that we all have a Heavenly nature and that our identity is in Eternity.  When God is there help is always available just for the asking.  AS he recalled his rescue at Mogadishu the most powerful words he ever heard said to him as they were taking him back to a safe base: Welcome Home.  He wants that for everyone who has gone through the trauma of war, conflict and other harrowing human experiences. He wants Custer County resident veterans to benefit fromthe life changing effects of caring and professional help –REBOOT Combat Recovery–there is help, there is recovery, there is life after trauma.  Visit Reboot Alliances.com.   And Welcome Home.

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Charles Warren Biography

Charlie Warren is Vice President of Operations and database design engineer for Collegiate Sports Data, based in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to re-entering private business, Charlie was a Non-Commissioned Officer in the United States Army Special Operations Command and a former Licensed General Contractor in his family owned construction and remodeling company. Charlie participated in numerous deployments at the discretion of the National Command Authority and is a combat veteran of operations in the Middle East, Central America and North Africa; most notably Operation Gothic Serpent as a crew member of Super-61 portrayed in “Blackhawk Down.” Currently, Charlie lives in Colorado and is the local team leader for REBOOT Combat Recovery – a 12-week course that provides a unique blend of clinical insight and faith-based solutions for combat veterans, active service members and families having diagnosed or undiagnosed mild PTS/TBI. He is actively engaged in an outreach founded by members from 10th Special Forces Group at Ft. Carson Colorado.

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