Army Ranger Sergeant Dominick Pilla, 21, of Vineland, NJ, served with Company B, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He died on October 3, 1993, during the Battle of Mogadishu, Somalia (“Blackhawk Down”). While riding in a Humvee escorting a convoy evacuating wounded Rangers, he spotted a Somali gunman aiming at the vehicle's turret gunner. SGT Pilla engaged the attacker but was fatally shot in the exchange. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, Purple Heart, and in 2021 the Silver Star in recognition of his extraordinary heroism.

SGT Pilla graduated from Vineland High School. Inspired by his father, a Vietnam veteran, he enlisted in the Army while still in high school. Determined to become a Ranger, he followed a demanding fitness and bodybuilding regimen to prepare for selection.

His mother, Diane, affectionately said, "He was a real card. He loved life." Those who served with him remembered a Ranger with tremendous confidence, a sharp sense of humor, and unwavering devotion to his fellow Soldiers.

SGT Pilla was survived by his parents, brother and sister.