What happened to Scott O'Grady?
Scott Francis O'Grady (born October 12, 1965) is a former United States Air Force fighter pilot. On June 2, 1995, he was shot down over Bosnia and Herzegovina by a 2K12 Kub mobile SAM launcher and forced to eject from his F-16C into hostile territory.
Who is Tom O'Grady and what did he do?
He is a former cadet in the Civil Air Patrol and a 1989 Air Force ROTC graduate from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's campus in Prescott, Arizona. Three years after his rescue, O'Grady transferred from active duty in the regular U.S. Air Force to the Air Force Reserve, where he continued to fly the F-16.
What happened to Tom O'Grady in behind enemy lines?
Marines from heavy-helicopter squadron HMH-464 and the 24 MEU (SOC) eventually rescued O'Grady after nearly a week of his evading the Bosnian Serbs. He was previously involved in the Banja Luka incident where he fired upon six enemy aircraft. The 2001 film Behind Enemy Lines is loosely based upon his experiences.
What episode of Situation Critical does Scott O'Grady's Story appear?
The shootdown incident was depicted and described on the documentary television program Situation Critical in episode No. 5, "Downed Pilot". This has been shown on the National Geographic Channel. It was also covered in "Escape! – Escape From Bosnia: The Scott O'Grady Story" on the History Channel.
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How to book Scott O'Grady?
To book Scott O’Grady for your conference or event, contact any reputable speakers’ bureau.
What channel is Scott O'Grady on?
His courageous story has also been documented on the Discovery Channel presentation, Behind Enemy Lines. In addition, Scott O’Grady has been featured on CNN ’s Voices of the Millennium, and Then and Now, series that focus on the most influential personalities of the past 25 years.
What was Scott O'Grady's mission?
Captain O’Grady was helping enforce the NATO no-fly zone policy in the skies over Bosnia when a Soviet-made anti aircraft missile slammed into his F-16. Capt. O’Grady tells his incredible story of how he survived in hostile territory for six days before being rescued by the US Marines in his book, Return With Honor, which spent six weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. He has also published Basher Five-Two, a children’s edition of his original story. His courageous story has also been documented on the Discovery Channel presentation, Behind Enemy Lines. In addition, Scott O’Grady has been featured on CNN’s Voices of the Millennium, and Then and Now, series that focus on the most influential personalities of the past 25 years.
Where did Captain O'Grady go to college?
After 12 years of military service Captain O’Grady entered inactive reserve status in February 2001. Shortly after, he enrolled at Dallas Theological Seminary and graduated with a masters degree in the spring of 2007.
Where was Scott O'Grady born?
Captain Scott O’Grady was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 12, 1965. He moved with his family to Long Beach, California in 1970, then to Ridgewood, New Jersey in 1972, and finally to Spokane, Washington, in 1974. He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1984 and attended the University of Washington for one year before transferring to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Arizona. Captain O’Grady earned a bachelor of science degree (aeronautical) in 1989 and was commissioned through the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps program, April 1989.
Who welcomed Captain O'Grady home?
Captain O’Grady Homecoming General Shalikashvili, Secretary Perry and President Clinton welcomed home Captain O’Grady and paid tribute to his courage and that of those who rescued him. Captain O’Grady also spoke briefly. He encouraged citizens to thank their friends and family members who are currently in the armed forces for their service.
Scott O'Grady
The American pilot who was shot down over Bosnia provides a candid, inside account of his ordeal, struggle for survival, and rescue. ...more
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How long was Scott O'Grady trapped in Bosnia?
Scott O’Grady details his six days trapped on the ground of war-torn Bosnia after his plane was hit by an enemy missile and exploded around him. The former fighter pilot paints a vivid picture of his gritty fight for survival as he scrambled through the countryside avoiding the Serb soldiers who were trying to hunt him down.
What war did Captain O'Grady fight in?
A former fighter pilot for the U.S. Air Force, Captain O'Grady was shot down into enemy territory during the Bosnian War and lived to tell the tale.
What is the inspiration for the movie Behind Enemy Line?
The story of O'Grady's survival and dramatic rescue has been the subject of three books and was the inspiration for the film Behind Enemy Line.
What pistol did the Serbs use to rescue the Serbs?
On the morning of the sixth day, they found him, sprinting from the woods into a small opening, 9mm pistol in his hand in case there was enemy fire.
How many planes did Wright down?
Wright downed three enemy planes with his missiles, and Capt. Stephen Allen was credited with downing one plane. “I don’t know if they expected that we would actually shoot ‘em down,” O’Grady said, explaining that the no-fly zone had been violated many times before.
What plane did Wright and O'Grady fly over?
In a 1995 photo, the pilot sits in an F-16 similar to the one he was flying over Bosnia. Sixteen months later, on June 2, 1995, O’Grady and Wright were flying over what had become a more turbulent country. It was another routine combat air patrol in which they were flying an oval pattern over northwest Bosnia.
How long did O'Grady stay on the USS Kearsarge?
O’Grady spent just two days on the USS Kearsarge getting medical care before he was hustled back to the United States for a feel-good tour for a nation that needed an emotional boost after the terrible bombing two months earlier of a federal building in Oklahoma City that killed 168 people.
What happened in the 1990s?
In the early 1990s, Yugoslavia – a multiethnic state of Serbs, Croats and Muslims – dissolved into six countries and bloody conflict broke out. Bosnia-Herzegovina was the site of some of the worst fighting – almost 100,000 people died in the civil war, many of them in “ethnic cleansing.
What was Scott O'Grady's dream job?
Dream job. Scott O’Grady always wanted to be a pilot. His father, who was in the Navy, took him up for the first time when he was 6 and the family lived in California. Scott got his pilot license when he was teenager after the family had moved to Spokane, Washington. “It was just my dream to pursue it,” he said.
How long did Scott O'Grady die?
It catches up with people who stumbled into the headlines and then faded from view. Death hunted Scott O’Grady for six days. In the summer of 1995, the Air Force captain was flying over Bosnia, enforcing the no-fly zone when a surface-to-air missile slammed into his F-16.