Bobby Goodman
Encyclopedia
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
.
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 Syria
n AAA-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
.
.
travelled to Libya and Syria with in a party of approximately 20 volunteers including; Wyatt T Walker, Jeremiah Wright
and Louis Farrakhan
. The mission's peaceful purpose was accomplished, as they secured the release of Goodman.
welcomed LT Goodman at the White House
January 4, 1984, hours after he and Rev. Jackson arrived back in the U.S.
Reagan said that 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.
, Lieutenant Goodman remained in active service.
As a Lt Commander, Bobby Goodman was featured in an episode of "Wings over the Gulf" (In Harms 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 as a Commander in 1995.
A-6 Intruder
The Grumman A-6 Intruder was an American, twin jet-engine, mid-wing attack aircraft built by Grumman Aerospace. In service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, the Intruder was designed as an all-weather medium attack aircraft to replace the piston-engined A-1 Skyraider...
Bombardier Navigator and class of 1978 graduate of the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
. He was shot down over Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
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
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
.
Capture
While on a bombing mission, the two man crew from VA-85 was hit by an infrared homingInfrared homing
Infrared homing refers to a passive missile guidance system which uses the emission from a target of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared part of the spectrum to track and follow it. Missiles which use infrared seeking are often referred to as "heat-seekers", since infrared is just below the...
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
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
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 Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n AAA-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
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
.
Captivity
Goodman was held for over a month, during which the US government made numerous attempts to free him. He had a few visitors, including Ambassador Robert Paganelli who brought him Christmas dinnerChristmas dinner
Christmas dinner is the primary meal traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. In many ways the meal is similar to a standard Sunday dinner. Christmas feasts have traditionally been luxurious and abundant...
.
Freedom
In January 1984, Jesse JacksonJesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
travelled to Libya and Syria with in a party of approximately 20 volunteers including; Wyatt T Walker, Jeremiah Wright
Jeremiah Wright
Jeremiah Alvesta Wright, Jr. is Pastor Emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ , a megachurch in Chicago exceeding 6,000 members...
and Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
. The mission's peaceful purpose was accomplished, as they secured the release of Goodman.
White House Reception
U.S. President Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
welcomed LT Goodman at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
January 4, 1984, hours after he and Rev. Jackson arrived back in the U.S.
Reagan said that 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.
Aftermath
Following captivity, release, and return to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Lieutenant Goodman remained in active service.
As a Lt Commander, Bobby Goodman was featured in an episode of "Wings over the Gulf" (In Harms 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 as a Commander in 1995.