Bobby Goodman

Robert O. Goodman is a former A-6 Intruder Bombardier Navigator and class of 1978 graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He was shot down over Lebanon on December 4, 1983. Captured upon ejection from his stricken plane, he was held captive for 30 days. His release on January 3, 1984, was facilitated by Reverend Jesse Jackson.

Background

In October 1983 USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) was diverted to Beirut, Lebanon from her planned Indian Ocean deployment, after the Beirut barracks bombing killed 241 US Military personnel of the Multinational Force in Lebanon. The ship spent the rest of that year and early 1984 patrolling the region. On 4 December, in response to two US F-14 aircraft having been fired upon the previous day, ten A-6 Intruders of VA-85 Black Falcons^[1] along with A-6 and A-7 Corsair aircraft from USS Independence (CV-62) took part in a bombing raid over Beirut.

Capture

While on a bombing mission, the two-man crew from Attack Squadron VA-85 was hit by an infrared homing missile (SA-7 or SA-9) into the engine nozzle upon dropping its bomb-load, while still in a dive through 1,800 feet (554 m) AGL. The fuselage and a wing were immediately engulfed in flames, and then the right side engine erupted.

The pilot, United States Navy Lieutenant Mark Lange, a Naval Aviator, tried to control the aircraft in order to safely eject the crew. After a rapid, low-level descent, the Intruder was seen to pull up and likely stalled, resulting in a crash on a 1,000 AGL hill, above a village surrounded by Syrian anti-aircraft artillery positions. Lange ejected both himself and Goodman in the final moment, but his parachute failed to properly deploy by the time he hit the ground. Lange's left leg was severely injured and he died shortly after capture by Syrian troops and Lebanese civilians. Goodman, rendered unconscious, broke three ribs, injured a shoulder and a knee during the landing, but was otherwise stable. He was captured and awakened by the Syrians and taken to Damascus.

Captivity

Goodman was held for more than a month, during which the U.S. government made numerous attempts to free him. He had a few visitors, including Ambassador Robert Paganelli who brought him Christmas dinner.

Freedom

In December 1983, Jesse Jackson traveled to Syria with a delegation that included; Reverend Wyatt T. Walker, Louis Farrakhan, Jack Mendelson, Dr. Thelma C.D. Adair, Reverend M. William Howard, Jr., Florence Tate (Press Secretary), Julia Jones (Photographer), Thomas Porter, Jesse Jackson Jr., Jonathan Jackson, and others. The mission's peaceful purpose was accomplished, as they secured the release of Goodman.^[2][3]

White House Reception

U.S. President Ronald Reagan welcomed Lt. Goodman at the White House January 4, 1984, hours after he and Rev. Jackson arrived back in the U.S.

Reagan said Lt. Goodman "exemplified qualities of leadership and loyalty" and said Jackson's "mission of mercy" had "earned our gratitude and our admiration." In turn, Jackson praised Reagan for sending a letter to Syrian President Assad calling for cooperation in bringing peace to Lebanon.^[4]

Aftermath

Following captivity, release, and return to the United States, Lt. Goodman remained in active service.

As a lieutenant commander, Bobby Goodman was featured in an episode of "Wings over the Gulf" (In Harm's Way, 1992) in which he discussed his experiences in the Gulf War of 1991 with Iraq where he flew the A-6 Intruder.

He retired with the rank of commander in 1995.

References

• Air Combat Information Group (acig.org)
• ejection-history.org.uk
• Road to Damascus: A Journey of Faith, by Wyatt Tee Walker

External links

• Collection of news articles about Goodman