Despite one of the US military's greatest fiascoes, American troops are still in Somalia fighting an endless war

U.S. Marines gather near an American flag in Somalia on Dec. 1, 1992. David Turnley/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

30 years after the infamous Battle of Mogadishu, the U.S. military is still conducting operations in Somalia.

Popularized in the U.S. by the 2001 film “Black Hawk Down,” the Battle of Mogadishu occurred on Oct. 3, 1993, and saw the downing of two U.S. helicopters and the deaths of 18 American soldiers. Some of their bodies were dragged along city streets by Somali militants.