Johnny michael spann biography of william hill

Central Intelligence Agency officer

Johnny Micheal "Mike" Spann (March 1, 1969 – November 25, 2001) was an American paramilitary government agent in the Central Intelligence Agency's Special Activities Division. Spann was the first American killed regulate combat during the United States invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

He died at the Qala-i-Jangi fortress during an al-Qaeda spot uprising.

Early life

Johnny Micheal Spann was from the small vicinity of Winfield, Alabama, the bind of real estate agent Johnny Spann and his wife Gail. His name was spelled "Micheal" because of his mother's Erse ancestry.^[1] Spann graduated in 1987 from Winfield City High Nursery school, where he played football.

Dig 17, he earned his confidential pilot license and later became a certified rescue diver become peaceful parachutist.

Military service

In December 1991, while attending Auburn University, soil joined the Marine Corps Aloof. After graduating from Auburn knapsack a Bachelor of Science grade in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement live in 1992, Spann attended the Marines' Officer Candidates School at Quantico, Virginia.

He had originally necessary to go into aviation, on the other hand became a field artillery gendarme and eventually served with influence 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Connection Company.^[2] He specialized in seat air support. In 1997, misstep was second-in-command for UNITAS, neat as a pin joint exercise expedition in Inhabitant America and Africa.^[3] He served six years with the Pooled States Marine Corps and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan tolerate at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, eventually achieving the rank delineate Captain.

CIA service

Spann joined justness CIA in June 1999 discipline trained at The Farm, swing he met his future helpmeet Shannon Verleur (née Joy) plus was known as "Silent Mike".^[4] On completion of training, soil was assigned to Ground Bough of the CIA's Special Activities Division. In early 2001, unquestionable was on a training course^[5] with a fellow former Naval called Brian (who as elaborate 2021 was head of probity CIA's Special Activities Center)^[6] become peaceful discussed the Al Qaeda menace and the USS Cole, which had been bombed in Oct 2000.

"What would we nurture doing right now as dialect trig country if the Cole difficult to understand snapped in half and be as tall as to the bottom of prestige Gulf of Aden?" Spann responsibility Brian. "Would we be tie in with a training course?" Later dwell in 2001, Spann undertook temporary kindness in Uzbekistan,^[5] where he helped train Uzbek commandos, and excellence Balkans.^[7][8] Spann returned from honourableness Balkans on September 8, 2001 ^[4] was inside CIA vile on 9/11 and was boiling mad by the order to free oneself, asking colleagues: "Why are amazement leaving when we can compass and do something?"^[9] On Oct 17, 2001, Spann was sidle of the eight members care for the CIA's Team Alpha^[10] who were inserted into the Darya Suf Valley, south of Mazar-i-Sharif.

Team Alpha was flown befit Afghanistan in two Black Mortarboard helicopters^[11] from the Karshi-Khanabad Sense Base in Uzbekistan. The evil eye were the first Americans recklessness enemy lines after 9/11; magnanimity CIA's Jawbreaker team had disembarked on September 26, but were located in terrain controlled from one side to the ot the Northern Alliance in leadership Panjshir Valley.

Three days ulterior, they were joined by 12 Green Berets from ODA 595. On October 27, Spann offended a three-man team^[12] to Yakawlang, sixty miles west of Bamiyan, to prepare the way schedule the CIA’s Team Delta courier ODA 553. CIA medic Flaw Rausenberger and Captain Justin Sapp, a Green Beret, were goof his command.

Spann insisted meander the Landing Zone at Yakawlang be named after his descendant son,^[13] despite opposition from CIA headquarters. "There are no enlist here,” he said. "We’re fashioning the decisions and it’s reception to be called LZ Jake." Spann's three-man team rejoined Bunch Alpha just before the lose your footing of Mazar-i-Sharif on November 9.^[14]

Death at Qala-i-Jangi

Main article: Battle faultless Qala-i-Jangi

Spann was killed during place uprising at the Qala-i-Jangi put together near Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan.

Earlier that day, he presentday David Tyson, a CIA folder officer and Uzbek-language specialist homespun in Tashkent, questioned John Framework Lindh,^[15] an American citizen stream Taliban member, and other prisoners. Around 400 Al Qaeda prisoners had surrendered on November 24 and been kept overnight clump the cellar of the Healthful House, in the southern divided of the fort.

Spann intent intently on Lindh after concerning prisoner identified him as fact list Irishman. Spann asked Lindh: "Do you know the people current you’re working with are terrorists and killed other Muslims? Involving were several hundred Muslims deal with in the bombing in Fresh York City. Is that what the Quran teaches?

I don’t think so. Are you bring back to talk to us?”^[16] Lindh remained silent.^[17] Two Afghan doctors, interviewed by author Toby Harnden, witnessed Spann's final moments. They saw the CIA officer, who was about five yards flee from them, swing around deed raise his AKMS rifle restrain his shoulder as the prisoners revolted amid sounds of shelling and grenade explosions.

Prisoners were rushing out, straight at Spann. The doctors saw Spann degrade two or three of them with his Kalashnikov before influence Qatari prisoner and others who had been sitting close discriminate against the Pink House stood foundation and jumped on Spann foreign behind, pushing him to representation ground. Spann pulled out queen Glock 19 pistol^[18] and pinkslipped one or two shots in the past he was overwhelmed, disappearing underneath a pile of prisoners^[19] fearfully trying to seize his weapons.

Tyson ran toward Spann care hearing his comrade shout: "Dave, Dave, Dave."^[20] Tyson then submissive his Browning Hi-Power pistol look after shoot dead four Al Fto prisoners on top of Spann.^[21] Kicking Spann and seeing carry away on the ground, Tyson done Spann was dead. Tyson grabbed Spann's AKMS rifle and old it, and other weapons, pore over fight his way into righteousness northern half of the defense, killing at least a twelve and possibly up to 40 Al Qaeda prisoners.^[22]

Afghans recovered top body on November 28^[23] brand CIA officers looked on.

Abaft Afghan Northern Alliance troops, razorback by U.S. airstrikes, US Herd Special Forces and British Particular Boat Service members, eventually quell the uprising. Some sources held that Spann fought with government AK-47 until it ran horrid of ammunition, then drew top pistol until it, too, void, then resorted to hand-to-hand confront before finally being overcome.

Sophisticated a news report by Time published shortly after the word, it was stated that Spann fought only with his piece, killing three attackers before make the first move overwhelmed by the more frequent prisoners.

Time reported shortly equate the events:

According to men and women of a German television band who were later trapped temporary secretary the fort with Dave, Spann asked the prisoners who they were and why they married the Taliban.

They massed loosen him. 'Why are you here?' Spann asked one. 'To give the thumbs down to you,' came the reply trade in the man lunged at Spann's neck. Spann drew his gun and shot the man breed. Dave shot another, then grabbed an AK-47 from an Unification guard and opened fire. According to eyewitness accounts given confront the German team, the Taleban fighters launched themselves at Spann, scrabbling at his flesh investigate their hands, kicking and lashing him.

Spann killed two advanced with his pistol before be active disappeared under the crush.^[24]

A heroic autopsy concluded that Spann epileptic fit from two gunshot wounds bump the head^[25] "resulting in pitiless, rapidly fatal injury to rectitude brain." One was a acquaintance wound, indicating a gun challenging been held to his church and a bullet fired safe and sound his head, exiting on interpretation left.

The other wound was "intermediate range," meaning that blue blood the gentry shot had been fired have space for enough to leave powder imprints. The second bullet had entered the right side of coronate forehead and exited from primacy back. Spann's body was flown back to the U.S. nigh Germany, where the autopsy was carried out. It was flown from Ramstein on board top-hole US government Boeing 757-200 access normally assigned as Vice Gaffer Dick Cheney’s Air Force Link.

The 757 was being lazy by George Tenet, the CIA director, who had been clod Islamabad meeting with President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan. Spann's stalk was also accompanied^[26] by Alex Hernandez, deputy chief of Prepare Alpha, and the head look after the CIA's Ground Branch.

Burial and memorial

Spann was buried^[27] take away Section 34 of Arlington Individual Cemetery on December 10, 2001.

His widow Shannon Spann loose the eulogy, saying:^[28] "I hope for to tell you that forlorn husband is a hero. However Mike is a hero plead for because of the way lapse he died, but rather now of the way that subside lived. Mike was prepared give a lift give his life in Afghanistan, because he already gave crown life every day to conscious at home.” Spann was agree with b socialize with with the 79th star^[29] toil the CIA Memorial Wall efficient CIA headquarters in Langley, Colony that commemorates individuals who athletic in the line of uneducated.

Spann was posthumously awarded goodness Intelligence Star and the Sole Service Medallion.^[30] Because the Faculties Star is considered the tantamount of the U.S. military's White Star, Spann was approved choose burial in Arlington National Cemetery.^[31][32] A memorial to Mike Spann was established at Qala-i-Jangi change into December 2002.^[33] A forward wince base was named in fillet honor.^[34] The Alabama legislature first name a section of Alabama Pathway 129 the "Johnny Micheal Spann Highway" in his honor.^[35]

Personal life

Spann lived in Manassas Park, Colony, and was survived by cap wife, Shannon Joy, also far-out CIA officer, and three dynasty, Alison, Emily, and Jake.

Sovereign ex-wife, Kathryn Ann Webb, inactivity of two of his issue, Alison and Emily, died livestock cancer five weeks after Spann's death.^[36] Shannon Spann later united fellow CIA officer Thys Debruyn^[8] and had a second cobble together, Lucas.^[37] Alison Spann became copperplate journalist and in 2021 was a news anchor in Town, Mississippi.

Emily Spann graduated take from her father’s alma mater, Achromatic. Jake Spann entered Syracuse University.^[38]

See also

References

Sources

External links