CW4 Clifton P. Wolcott

3 October 1993, Somalia

160th SOAR

Chief Warrant Officer Four Clifton P. Wolcott of Cuba, New York, died on 3 October 1993 while supporting Operation CONTINUE HOPE in Somalia.

Wolcott initially enlisted in the U.S. Army as a Military Policeman in 1976. After completing Warrant Officer Flight training in 1980, he was assigned to the 229th Attack Helicopter Battalion at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He joined Task Force 160, also at Fort Campbell, in 1984, serving as an MH-60 Black Hawk pilot, an Instructor Pilot, and a Standardization Instructor Pilot. He supported U.S. military operations in Panama, the Persian Gulf, and elsewhere.

CW4 Wolcott deployed to Somalia in August 1993 as part of Task Force Ranger. He was serving as the Flight Lead for an assault into a highly contested area of Mogadishu, Somalia, when his MH-60 Black Hawk was downed by enemy fire, resulting in his death and that of his copilot. Because of his exceptional skill, the passengers’ lives were saved.