War Hero Matt Eversmann Speaks on Veterans Day
A former U.S. Army Ranger whose heroic efforts during the historic battle in Mogadishu, Somalia, in the early 1990s were chronicled in the hit movie “Black Hawk Down” will be the featured speaker as Alma College commemorates Veterans Day.
Matt Eversmann will speak about his military experience at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11 in the Dunning Memorial Chapel at Alma College. Admission is free and open to the public.
Matt Eversmann
Eversmann was part of the elite group of American soldiers that traveled to Mogadishu in 1993 for a United Nations peacekeeping operation, with Rangers and Delta Force soldiers collaborating in an 18-hour fight during which they were surrounded and outnumbered for 18 hours until a rescue convoy could retrieve them.
“Matt Eversmann embodies the word 'hero,'” says Jamie Smith, assistant professor of history at Alma College and coordinator of Eversmann’s appearance. “Thanks to the movie ‘Black Hawk Down,’ many know of his courage and leadership. His lessons from his service, which he promotes in his talks across the nation, resonate for any audience: Stay true to your values and give of yourself. This is true in war, but it is also true in life.”
Eversmann spent more than eight years in the Third Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, serving as a squad leader, a weapons squad leader, the battalion air operations sergeant, the battalion liaison sergeant, and a platoon sergeant. He also was the officer in charge of the 75th Ranger Regiment’s Pre-Ranger Course that helped train future leaders to pass the grueling Army Ranger School.
While serving as a sergeant in the Ranger Regiment, Eversmann met and trained with soldiers across the globe, from Panama to England and Korea to Egypt. He attended many military schools and was the Leadership Award winner at Ranger School. He earned numerous other awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star Medal with Valor and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge for his service in Somalia.
Actor Josh Hartnett played Eversmann’s role in the 2001 war film “Black Hawk Down.”
After 20 years of military service and 15 months in Iraq, Eversmann recently retired from the Army. He continues to lecture on college campuses, before corporate audiences and to cadets and faculty at service academies. He has appeared on Larry King Live and Dateline with Stone Phillips.
He is the founder and president of Freeman Phillips LLC, a leadership development company. He also is the co-author of The Battle of Mogadishu.
Posted: Tue, October 27th, 2009 at 10:29AM
