On June 2, 1995, U.S. Air Force Captain Scott O'Grady's F-16C Fighting Falcon was struck by a Serbian SA-6 surface-to-air missile over Bosnia-Herzegovina. What followed — six days of survival in hostile territory and a dramatic rescue by Marines — became one of the most celebrated aviation survival stories of the modern era.
O'Grady ejected at 26,000 feet over hostile territory and spent six harrowing days hiding in the Bosnian forest, eating ants and grass to survive, moving only at night to avoid Serbian patrols. He made contact with NATO aircraft on the sixth night, and on June 8, a team of Marines in CH-53 helicopters, escorted by Cobra gunships, flew into hostile territory and pulled him out.
The rescue was textbook: fast, coordinated, professional. The Marine aviators flew low and fast, the gunships suppressed any threats, and O'Grady was aboard the USS Kearsarge within an hour of the call going out. It was a demonstration of why survival training, aircrew coordination, and combat search and rescue (CSAR) are absolutely essential.
O'Grady later wrote a book about his experience and became a motivational speaker. His story resonated because it was fundamentally about the training, the will, and the community of military aviators who never leave one of their own behind.
Scott O'Grady survived six days behind enemy lines and was rescued — a story of courage and training. At Cleared4Tees, we honor that grit.
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Blue skies and tailwinds — The Cleared4Tees Crew ✈️
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