SFC Matthew Loren RIERSON

   Cause of his death was KIA by mortar fire.

   Another name for Matthew was Matt RIERSON.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Residence: Fayetteville, 1988, North Carolina, USA.

• Notes, 1993. born 29.9.1960 Nevada, Iowa
son of Loren and Kay Rierson
husband of Patricia Rierson (2 sons)
graduated Nevada High School 1979
graduated Ellsworth Junior College 1981
entered service 18.2.1982 Fort Jackson, South Carolina
75 Ranger Regiment (Company B,2 Bn)
awards Silver Star, Bronze Star
KIA by mortar fire Mogadishu, Somalia

• Obituary: The Fayetteville Observer, 1993, North Carolina, USA. Monday, October 11, 1993
Deceased Name: Matthew L. Rierson
of 436 Runnymede Drive died Wednesday.

• Cemetery: Fort Bragg Main Post Cemetery, 1993, Cumberland County, North Carolina, USA. SFC Matthew L Rierson
SFC Matthew L Rierson
Sep. 29, 1960 - Oct. 6, 1993
Plot: Row 29, 786-A

• Cemetery: memorial at Evergreen Memory Gardens, 1993, Story County, Iowa, USA. IN HONOR OF MATTHEW L. RIERSON US ARMY -SPECIAL FORCES - DELTA

• Cemetery: memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, 1994, Arlington County, Virginia, USA. Operation Restore Hope
Somalia 1992-1994

In sacred memory of those who died in a distant land
rekindling the flame of hope
for a suffering people

[ANC Section 60, 38° 52.507 N, 77° 3.82 W]

• Reference: Battle of Mogadishu, 1993. SFC Matthew Loren Rierson
Unit: 1st Special Forces - Delta Force
Age: 33
Home Town: Nevada, IA
Died On: 10/06/1993

Their names--Matthew, Jacob and Kaleb--evoke images of biblical characters, searching earnestly in some historical place for morality, equality and freedom. Surely that comparison would sit well with SFC Matthew L. Rierson, if the eldest of the trio were alive to hear it.

Jacob, 5, and Kaleb, 2 1/2, "are very curious boys, and Matt never tired of explaining to them, or exploring with them," says Matthew Rierson's widow, Patricia of their two sons. "The nature of the Army was such that he couldn't spend a lot of time with them, but when he did, they spent a lot of time outdoors, playing and exploring father-son bonding."
She says her husband joined the Army after high school "for the adventure and experiences. He heard that he could get in the Ranger battalion, he wanted to be an elite soldier."

Matthew Rierson, 33, was a "team" man. He spent much of his high school years on the football team and wrestling squad. He was a competitive pistoleer, but got more satisfaction out of getting to know the other guys who participated.

And his wife of 9 1/2 years says he was especially proud of being a member of the Army's Special Forces Command, "but it wasn't so much about the daring missions they orchestrated, but about how well his unit worked as a team, how they planned together and were successful at carrying out their tasks."

That's why she never worried about him when he went on missions with his unit. "They were so well trained and so precise in what they did," she says. "I know that's naive, but we grew up in Iowa, our cups were always half full, not half empty. We both knew the Army could be a dangerous job, but we never dwelled on it."

But Oct. 6, the unthinkable happened. Matthew Rierson was killed in a mortar attack in Somalia. His last conversation with his wife occurred five days before he died. "His unit set up phone calls on the base and the kids went with me. We talked about how things were going back home, how we missed each other, that we loved each other."

During his 12-year Army career, Matthew Rierson received a number of awards, including the Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal and Combat Infantryman Badge. The Purple Heart he was awarded after his death rests in his widow's bedroom, alongside the American flag, a unit memorial bronze eagle and all his other ribbons and awards.

"I'm extremely proud of what he did," Patricia Rierson says. "The only frustration I feel is the way the political focus changed so dramatically after the 3d and 4th of October.

"They sent our soldiers over to do a job, they made a commitment. But when they pulled out, they left a lot of things unfinished. My only concern is that they really think about how they are committing sons and fathers and husbands when they make these decisions, and they should follow it through."

• Reference: Frontline, 1993. The Attacks on the United States Forces in Somalia
w. On October 3 and 4, 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia, persons who had been trained by al Qaeda (and by trainers trained by al Qaeda) participated in an attack on United States military personnel serving in Somalia as part of Operation Restore Hope, which attack resulted in the killing of 18 United States Army personnel, namely, Donovan L. Briley, Daniel D. Busch, James M. Cavaco, William D. Cleveland, Thomas J. Field, Earl Fillmore, Raymond Frank, Gary I. Gordon, James C. Joyce, Richard W. Kowalski, James Martin, Timothy Martin, Dominick M. Pilla, Matthew L. Rierson, Lorenzo M. Ruiz, Randall D. Shughart, James E. Smith, and Clifton Wolcott.

• Reference: Battle of Mogadishu, 1993. The book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War estimates more than 700 Somali militiamen dead and more than 1,000 wounded, but the Somali National Alliance in aFrontline documentary on American television acknowledged only 133 killed in the whole battle.The Somali casualties were reported in The Washington Post as 312 killed and 814 wounded. ThePentagon initially reported five American soldiers were killed, the toll was actually 18 American soldiers dead and 73 wounded (another American soldier, Delta operator SFC Matt Rierson, was killed in a mortar attack two days later). Among UN forces, one Malaysian soldier died; seven Malaysians and two Pakistanis were wounded. At the time, the battle was the bloodiest involving US troops since the Vietnam war and remained so until theSecond Battle of Fallujah in 2004.

• Reference: Fallen Ranger Memorial, 2003. Sergeant First Class Matthew Loren Rierson, a member of 1st SOCOM Operational Detachment Delta was killed in action during a mortar attack on the compound in Mogadishu, Somalia, On October 6th 1993. Matthew Loren Rierson was born to Loren and Kay Rierson on 29 September 1960, in Nevada, Iowa. He graduated from Ellsworth junior college in 1981.

On 18 February 1982, he entered the United States Army at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He completed Infantry one stop unit training and Basic Airborne at Fort Benning, GA. During his career with the United States Army, Sergeant First Class Rierson also served with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis, Washington.

Rierson successfully completed the following military courses of instruction: Ranger, Jungle Warfare training, Scout swimmer, Static line Jumpmaster, Primary, Basic and Advanced Noncommissioned officer, Combat diver, Combat divers supervised, Advanced land navigation, Military freefall, Military freefall jumpmaster, and Battlestaff. In recognition of Matthew's outstanding career, he was promoted to Sergeant First Class on 1 April 1990.

During his distinguished career with the United States Army, he received the following awards and decorations: the Silver Star, the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, The Army Achievement Medal (first oak leaf cluster), the Army Good Conduct Medal, (third award), the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with Arrowhead Device and Bronze Service Star, The noncommissioned Officer Professional Award, the Valorous Unit Award( first oak leaf cluster), the Combat infantry Badge, The Expert Infantry Badge, the Ranger Tab, the Master Parachutist Badge, the SCUBA Divers Badge, and the Royal Thai Army Airborne Wings. Sergeant First Class Rierson is survived by his wife Patricia, and his sons, Jacob and Kaleb.

- - - - - -

Excerpts from the Des Moines Register, article by Ken Fuson

Sgt. First Class Matt Rierson led the first assault team that landed in Mogadishu, and he supervised the capture of several prisoners.

That he showed the way would not surprise his classmates at Nevada High School in Nevada, Iowa, where Rierson graduated in 1979. He was a football co-captain, successful wrestler, dedicated weight-lifter and popular student leader. A memorial service in his honor filled the high school gymnasium in the Story County town of 6,650.

Rierson loved the Army. The harder the challenge, the more he embraced it, from jumping out of airplanes to competing in shooting competitions.

Matt Rierson survived the two-day Battle of Mogadishu on October 3-4, 1993. He returned to the battle scene in a frantic attempt to rescue fallen friends or recover their bodies. He followed the Ranger Creed: "Never shall I fail my comrades."

Says Trish Rierson, Matt's widow and high school sweetheart, "These men weren't super-heroes. They were husbands and fathers and average Joes who went to church on Sunday and signed up for Neighborhood Watch. They taught their children how to throw a spiral and catch a fish. Then all of a sudden they go to work, and it's like this new personality comes out. They were just so determined that you can't leave anybody, no matter what."

A few days after the big battle, on Oct. 6, Matt Rierson was killed by a stray mortar shell that landed near him as he chatted with other soldiers near the airport hangar.

Rierson had just turned 33 and was survived by two boys who were postponing his birthday cake until he returned home.

[http://www.usmountainranger.org/memorial/2003/rierson.htm]

Matthew married Living