Josh Hartnett's motivation is here at Johns Hopkins

Master Sergeant Matthew Eversmann's office door at the Hopkins ROTC Building has a small sign on the window that reads "If you come through this door, you will be killed".

Nothing could be further from the truth, although if you knew of Eversmann's military history and looked at his build, you'd know he probably could do so if he wanted to.

The sign, according to Eversmann, is just something to keep people guessing.

As if his life wasn't interesting enough.

Sgt. Eversmann was a key player in the famous Battle of the Black Sea, which took place in Mogadishu, Somalia in October 1993. The battle was later recounted in a best selling book and major motion picture, Black Hawk Down.

If you're familiar with the movie, you'd know that Josh Hartnett played Eversmann in the film, which was also produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Ridley Scott.

But Eversmann was not born into military service. Back in the day, he was just a regular college student. An Economics and French major in college, Eversmann realized during his senior year that he "needed a little discipline" and soon entered the army.

In 1993, his unit was assigned to Somalia, to capture the notorious warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid. The troops arrived on August 26 and wouldn't leave until October 21.

On the fateful day of October 3, Eversmann and 123 other elite troops were sent into the civil war-ruined city of Mogadishu to capture two of Aidid's top lieutenants.

Eversmann was part of a group of U.S. Rangers aiding the Delta Force squadron with the mission. The ordeal, which was supposed to be quick, ended up lasting 16 hours. Although they would end up capturing 20 top aides that day, 18 U.S. soldiers were killed and over 70 were injured.

"It was a battle that was unexpected," says Eversmann. "But through perseverance, we accomplished the mission we set out to do. In military terms, it was a tactical victory."

Eversmann and the surviving troops faced a media circus when they returned to the U.S. The battle had been the first time since the Gulf War that U.S. troops had come under heavy fire, and it was the biggest urban battle since the Vietnam Tet Offensive.

Many of the bodies of U.S. soldiers were paraded through the streets and mutilated by Aidid's supporters, which exacerbated public discontent in America. The results of the mission led to the resignation of Secretary of Defense Les Aspin.

"I did so many interviews, I couldn't even remember who I had spoken to," explains Eversmann.

In fact, Eversmann can't clearly remember speaking with Mark Bowden, the Philadelphia Inquirer journalist who would later turn his collection of articles into the novel, Black Hawk Down.

The book, for Eversmann, was a novelty when it first came out.

"It's just an absurd sensation for a young man to be described in a historical context in a book that would be a New York Times Best-Seller," he says.

Then word came that the script for the movie had been purchased.

"Being portrayed in the movie took it to another level," Eversmann says.

He explains that while the movie very accurately portrays the warfare, in the interest of the viewer's attention and time, some things were cut out and each character is actually a compilation of several men.

After the hoopla died down a little, Eversmann stayed with the Ranger Unit to train soldiers until 2000, when he decided that it was time to move to an administrative job.

He then moved to Carlisle, Pa. to work as an Operations Sergeant at the U.S. Army War College. It was there that he met his future wife, who wanted to move back to her hometown of Baltimore, and Eversmann spotted the opening at the Hopkins ROTC program in August 2002.

Eversmann now teaches Leadership and Teamwork and oversees the Leadership Laboratory in the ROTC program. Although mainly composed of cadets, the classes are open to all students.

He believes that his experience as a sergeant in the field, most notably in Mogadishu, aids him as an instructor.

"It brings a little bit of reality, being a combat veteran," he says.

Eversmann has enjoyed his first year at Hopkins.

"You couldn't ask for a better place to get back into academic life," he says.

"There are lessons to be learned from the military," he explains. "That's why I enjoy teaching."

Meanwhile, he's been giving leadership talks from time to time, at venues ranging from garden clubs in Baltimore to Goldman Sachs in New York.

On his desk sits a letter from a high school student who is doing a report on the Mogadishu affair.

Eversmann intends to respond and give him as much information as possible. Despite constant questions about his experiences, Eversmann has not grown tired of the attention.

"It gives me an opportunity to put a face and a name with the Army," he says. "People can see that I'm kind of like everyone else you know."