The Colombian Army looses yet another US donated Black Hawk helicopter during clashes with guerrillas. Several serious reverses for the government forces in the last few weeks.
03.03.2003 (By Maria Engqvist, Stockholm) A US donated Black Hawk assault helicopter is thought to have been shot down last Wednesday by leftist rebels, killing all 23 soldiers onboard.
The Colombian Army high command initially reported that the helicopter crashed because of bad weather while on a counterinsurgency mission in the mountains of northern Colombia. But local campesino Daniel Linares told daily El Tiempo that the chopper crashed after being shot at, presumably by leftist guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) or the National Liberation Army (ELN). Both rebel armies, who are fighting for socialist reforms, have a strong presence in the area.
In recent years Washington has donated 63 assault helicopters to assist the Bogota government in the civil war. Many of them are Black Hawks who have an almost mythical status to Colombia's military top commanders, who see them as just the right weapon to tackle the guerrillas.
It is however not the first time that rebels shoot down US donated Black Hawks. During the battle of Dabeiba in the Antioquia department in October 2000, FARC guerrillas shot down one Black Hawk and damaged two others, leaving a total of 56 government troops dead, before retreating.
More recently, the Colombian Army has suffered heavy losses at the hands of FARC rebels in the southern department of Putumayo and in the oil-rich eastern departments of Arauca and Casanare. A few weeks ago, 43 paramilitary fighters attached to the Colombian Army's 18th Brigade were killed in a series of clashes in Arauca and Casanare. Only days before, 46 pro-government paramilitary fighters were reported killed by the FARC during a surprise assault in Putumayo where also 5 FARC guerrillas died.
The heaviest recent blow to the security forces is however the February 13th shootdown of a US spy plane near the southern town of Florencia. FARC guerrillas are still holding 3 CIA agents from the plane captured and have offered to include them in a prisoner swap for jailed guerrilla fighters.
HIS SACRIFICE WAS NOT IN VAIN
On the 26th of February 2003, my best friend, Captain Pablo Antonio Osorio Higuera perished in the crash of a blackhawk helicopter in the Colombian mountains. He was a distinguished Colombian military pilot. And his father never fully knew of the events surrounding his youngest son's death. Many questions remained unanswered regarding the happenings of that tragic black morning; my friend's body never was positively and completely identified. Sadly, a chapter closed on the youngest son of three siblings without his parents being able to put closure on the event. In 2007, four years after my friend's death, curiosity led me on a journey piecing together his military life, army service, and circumstances of his death at thirty years of age. I came by the information by inquiring on web sites, to the Colombian National archives and overseas and by corresponding with historians, lawyers, army officers, reporters and fellow amateurs. Digging deeper with my research, I unraveled a story of bravery and discovered all the courage and the brave fight experienced by my friend and all aircrews. It is now October 2008. I have found many answers and have solved the mystery of Pablo's death. Most importantly, I located the cousin of my friend who is now living in La Florida and he helped me a lot for researching all the information about the crash. Without his help, my research would surely have been more difficult, if not impossible. How all you already know, this web site is in tribute to my unforgettable friend and to all service men who killed in the crash. Their sacrifice was not in vain.
W. Rey.
COLOMBIA – Twenty-three colombian soldiers died february 26, 2003, when their Black Hawk helicopter was shot down. A Colombian Army press release details their names, hometowns and ages but it does not tell what happened that day...
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BOGOTA, FEBRUARY 27,2003. A Colombian Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed today as it hunted leftist guerrillas in a mountainous part of northern Colombia, killing all 23 soldiers on board, the army said. The helicopter went down in bad weather near the town of Curumaní and Pailitas in César Province, about 300 miles northeast of Bogotá, the capital. Pablo Osorio,The Air Warrior, was a Captain in the Colombian Air Force. He was born in Villavicencio in 1972. Pablo studied at Colombian military school. He flew many combat missions and flew more than 5000 hours. He died when his black hawk helicopter crashed and fell down on February 26, 2003.
Defender of noble causes, warrior, strategist, leader, faithful and unconditional companion, tireless fighter and transformer, this way he was. Every day his figure becomes huge more and acquires more valuable meaning. Pablo was a Heroic Warrior in the missions of combat and in the life’s war. He never lost the way and your destination was the same one: to fight for the freedom and the justice of the Colombian people...
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PABLO OSORIO, El Guerrero del Aire, murió en febrero de 2003 pero dadas las terribles características de la tragedia aérea acontecida, varios de los militares fallecidos tardaron en ser identificados y entre ellos estuvo él; hubo entonces que efectuar pruebas de ADN para la identificación de los restos, y por eso sus funerales se realizaron hasta en el mes de Mayo de 2003. Durante todo ese tiempo antes del funeral, durante el funeral y hoy aún, he girado al vaiven de una danza de emociones profundas que ignoro si algún día podré traducir en palabras, es un sollozo turbulento y mudo, pleno de angustía y pena, es un dolor salvaje que arrasa al alma, dolor sin tiempo ni fronteras, dolor de hecatombe y desastre, dolor arrollador y misero por el continuo repetir de la más triste visión: " Un helícoptero que golpea una acerada montaña rompiéndose en pedazos y rompiendo en instantes con estruendo los sueños e ilusiones de 23 jovenes y valerosos militares...".
LEA LA NOTA COMPLETA...
"Era un incansable seguidor de sueños de colores,
elevaba su cometa y tras ella corría,
un día mientras corría le vimos elevar su vida... ". Angela Botero
Recordamos a los Soldados Colombianos que partieron en un vuelo sin regreso el 26 de Febrero de 2003. Ellos volaron en misión del servicio sin saber que su verdadera misión para ese día, consistía en encontrar y traspasar el punto del no retorno, y situarse fuera del tiempo y del espacio...
En una mañana lluviosa con tormenta eléctrica y con espesa bruma, un helicóptero Black hawk del Ejercito Colombiano impactó contra una montaña en el Departamento del Cesar. Allí, rodeados de honor y gloria desaparecieron los siguientes Guerreros del Aire: Capitán Pablo Osorio, Teniente Alex Trujillo , Cabo primero Luis Medina , Cabo segundo Frank Arango, Capitanes Rafael Hernández y Andrés Perdomo , Teniente Manuel Sarmiento, Cabo primero Mauricio Duque y los Soldados Profesionales Emiliano Jaimes, Victor Marroquín, Ebert Tovar, René Barragán, Camilo Ernesto Loaiza , José Edgar Méndez, John Morales, Hernán Lemus, Angel Amado, Pastor Jaimes, Gabriel Fajardo, Fabián Ocampo, Roberto Moreno, Wilson Hernández y Luis Rozo .
LEA LA NOTA COMPLETA...
Febrero 27 de 2003. Las Fuerzas Militares establecieron que la causa del accidente fue el mal tiempo y la falta de visibilidad en la zona.
Veintitrés militares murieron ayer al accidentarse un helicóptero Black Hawk en el que viajaban, mientras adelantaban operaciones ofensivas en el sur del departamento del Cesar. Según el Comandante del Ejército, general Carlos Alberto Ospina, en el siniestro murieron cinco oficiales (tres capitanes y dos tenientes), tres suboficiales y 15 soldados profesionales.
LEA LA NOTA COMPLETA...
ARTICULO EN EL DIARIO EL TIEMPO EN FEBRERO DE 2003. Hoy, la nación se enluta nuevamente con la muerte de varios de sus hijos predilectos,oficiales,suboficiales y soldados miembros de nuestro Ejercito Nacional que tras cumplir con su deber fallecieron en un absurdo accidente aéreo. Allí perdió la vida el Capitán Pablo Antonio Osorio Higuera, oficial llanero de excepcionales calidades. Hace un tiempo, en cumplimiento de su vocación, fue herido gravemente y quedó ad portas de la muerte...
Capitán Cesar Augusto Castaño Rubiano
LEA LA NOTA COMPLETA...
Un hélicoptère Black Hawk de l'armée colombienne pourchassant des rebelles marxistes dans le nord de la Colombie s'est écrasé mercredi, provoquant la mort de ses 23 occupants. L'appareil, un Black Hawk de fabrication américaine, s'est écrasé par mauvais temps près de la ville de Curumani et Pailitas, dans la province de Cesar, à un demi-millier de kilomètres au nord-est de Bogota. Il s'agit du plus grave accident de l'aviation militaire colombienne depuis celui survenu en octobre 2000. Un autre Black Hawk avait été abattu par les rebelles, provoquant la mort d'une vingtaine de soldats. Les Black Hawk servent à la fois d'hélicoptères d'attaque et d'appareils de transport de troupes.
La Dernière Heure,2003
Encore un accident lors d'une opération anti-guérilla en Colombie. Un hélicoptère "Blackhawk" appartenant aux forces armées colombiennes s'est écrasé avec 23 soldats à bord. Il n'y a pas eu de survivants et l'accident serait dû au mauvais temps. Paul Osorio, le Guerrier d'Air, était un Capitaine dans les Forces Aériennes colombiennes. Il a été né dans Villavicencio en 1972. Paul avait étudié dans l'école colombienne militaire. Il avait accompli avec succès plusieurs et difficiles missions de combat, et il avait réalisé plus de 5000 heures de vol. Il est mort quand son hélicoptère Black Hawk s'est brisé et a explosé le 26 février 2003.
