John Bohmer ©Stars and StripesMogadishu, Somalia, January, 1993: An alert U.S. servicemember rides shotgun as his vehicle moves through the increasingly-dangerous streets of Mogadishu during Operation Restore Hope. A Stars and Stripes reporter said the situation there was "turning sour. The daily grind of serving in Somalia is made even worse by gunfire, unrelenting heat and sun, and thievery and rock throwing by youngsters living in a society robbed of its structure and rules." For example, "several Marines and soldiers have had their glasses, mostly wire-rimmed, taken right off their faces, presumably to be sold for the small amount of scrap wire they provide."
RELATED MATERIAL: Stars and Stripes' January, 1993 story about the situation in Mogadishu.