Captain Scott O’Grady, U.S. Air Force F-16C fighter pilot, was shot down by a Bosnian Serb surface-to-air missile while enforcing a NATO No-Fly zone on June 2, 1995. He successfully evaded capture until being rescued by U.S. Marines on June 8. The Ejection & Evasion: O’Grady ejected from his exploding aircraft at 26,000 feet and parachuted safely into a forest. For nearly six days, he evaded trigger-happy paramilitary patrols by hiding in the woods, surviving on rainwater, leaves, grass, and ants.

The Rescue Mission: Utilizing a small window of opportunity, a massive U.S. military package was deployed from the Adriatic Sea. U.S. Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (aboard heavy-helicopter squadron HMH-464) flew into hostile territory on two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters, covered by AH-1W Super Cobra gunships. The Dramatic Extraction: O'Grady sprinted out of the woods into the open with his 9mm pistol drawn. The rescue team took heavy small-arms and missile fire during the operation, but successfully extracted him and safely brought him back to the USS Kearsarge ants.

This book is a fictional account of the rescue of BASHER 52 written by Tireur Isolé, 3e REP, French Foreign Legion.