For some reason, I had gotten the idea in my head that adventure stories of soldiers trapped in enemy territory was a thing of the past. Those sorts of things just don't happen anymore; at least, not since World War II or so…..Wrong! In this autobiographical account written especially for children, Captain Scott O’Grady relates the six hazardous days which he spent behind hostile Bosnian lines - in 1995!His Life.As a child, Captain Scott O’Grady fell in love. He fell in love with speed and adventure. And he participated in any form of them that he could find; car racing, skiing, roller coasters and finally flying. He settled on the last as his passion and, after earning his pilot’s license and attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he signed on to the United States Air Force in the summer of 1989.Six years later, on the morning of June 2nd, Scott was ordered to fly a sortie over Bosnia, which was engaged in a petty war with Croatia. It was the mission of Scott and his partner, Basher Five-Two and Basher Five-One, to patrol the area and shoot down any aircraft they found illegally flying there. As Scott writes,“In the early afternoon of June 2, 1995, as I sat in my F-16, ready for takeoff from Aviano Air Base in northeastern Italy, I had no idea what fate had in store for me. I could never have imagined that in the next six days I would have my plane shot out from under me with a missile, run for my life as soldiers hunted me down, eat leaves and ants to survive, make friends with a couple of cows, and be rescued by the United States Marines. And that was only part of my ordeal. Afterward I would call it the adventure of a lifetime. Maybe that’s an understatement. It was the adventure of two lifetimes.” [pg. 1]While flying their mission, Scott was shot down by a Bosnian missile. He ejected from his burning F-16 and landed in enemy territory. The enemy instantly sent out soldiers, trying to capture him, while he had only the energy to stumble into the brush and hide himself. And thus began the tantalizing six days. Each day he followed the same routine; hide during the day, travel a bit at night, eat a few leaves and bugs, and send out radio signals in the hopes that friends would detect them. And on the sixth day, a friend did hear. They established contact and later on that night, Scott was rescued by members of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. He was safe. At last. Click on the link below to read the rest of my review of Basher Five-Two.http://blitheringbookster.com/home/20...
Captain Scott O'Grady was flying on a mission over Bosnia in 1995 when a SAM missile hit his plane. He successfully parachuted down, but was in enemy territory.He survived alone hiding and evading the enemy for 6 days until a heroic rescue team of pilots and Marines came to get him.
