No Man Left Behind (2016) s01e05 Episode Script
Stealth Fighter Down
1 DALE ZELKO: I'M THINKING ONE BARK AND I WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY CAPTURED.
THIS IS NOT WAR, IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE.
FATHERS AND SONS TOGETHER, LINED UP AND SHOT IN COLD BLOOD.
IT BLEW OFF THE ENTIRE LEFT WING.
REPORTER: REPORTS THAT A NATO PLAN HAS BEEN BROUGH DOWN IN YUGOSLAVIA.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: I'M LIKE, CRAP, THIS ISN' SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
JIM CARDOSO: IT'S A BROTHER IN ARMS OUT THERE.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: OUT OF THE WAY.
JIM CARDOSO: HE'S IN DANGER, HE'S IN A BAD PLACE.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: YOU'RE IN ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT THAT THE SERBS WERE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN TRYING TO FIND HIM.
DALE ZELKO: I THOUGHT THEY GOT ME.
IT WAS AN ENORMOUS HONOR TO BE CHOSEN AS A STEALTH FIGHTER PILOT.
IT WAS CONSIDERED A SPECIAL DUTY, BLACK WORLD.
I FELT EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT.
I FELT LIKE THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE I BELONG.
THERE WERE EIGHT OF US THAT NIGHT, EIGHT F-117S.
EACH GOING AFTER SEPARATE TARGETS IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF SERBIA.
AT THAT POINT IN TIME I WAS THE ONLY F-117 PILO PARTICIPATING IN ALLIED FORCE WHO HAD PREVIOUS COMBA EXPERIENCE IN THE F-117.
OFFICER: MR.
ZELKO.
DALE ZELKO: SIR.
BECAUSE I'D FLEW 20 COMBA MISSIONS DURING DESERT STORM, SO I FELT VERY, VERY CAPABLE AND VERY CONFIDENT.
OFFICER: GO AHEAD GENTS, OPEN THEM UP.
DALE ZELKO: BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT THAT TARGET PACK I REALIZED MY JOB WAS TO TAKE OU ONE OF THE MOST HIGH VALUE, THE MOST HEAVILY DEFENDED TARGETS IN BELGRADE.
THE MOST DANGEROUS, THE MOST HIGH THREAT F-117 STRIKE MISSION THAT I HAD EVER FLOWN.
OFFICER: GOOD LUCK.
DALE ZELKO: YES SIR.
THE NEXT DAY WAS MY DAUGHTER GINA'S BIRTHDAY.
IT WAS GOING TO BE HER TENTH BIRTHDAY.
I WAS SO LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO CALL HER.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S GOING TO PREVENT ME FROM CALLING HER AND REACHING HER AND CONNECTING WITH HER ON HER BIRTHDAY.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: OH THANK YOU.
WE WERE EXPECTING A QUIET NIGHT BECAUSE THE F-117 STEALTH AIRCRAFT, WHAT IS A LOW RISK ASSET FOR US, IT'D NEVER BEEN SHOT DOWN, IT HAD A TREMENDOUS CAPABILITY TO GO IN AND OUT OF THE TARGET AREA WITH NO RISK.
THE FIRST THREE DAYS GAVE US GREAT CONFIDENCE, EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTHLY AND THAT'S THE WAY WE LIKE IT.
NIGHT FOUR STARTED OFF JUST THE SAME.
DALE ZELKO: I WAS CARRYING TWO 2000 POUNDS SMART BOMBS.
ALL THE SYSTEMS GOOD TO GO IN GREEN.
MY ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS GOING TO TAKE ME ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF SERBIA AND THEN SOUTH AND THEN I TURNED FOR MY TARGET RIGHT ACROSS BELGRADE.
AS I'M ABOUT TO ENTER ENEMY AIR SPACE, I STEALTHED UP.
ONCE YOU ARE STEALTHED UP, YOU DO NOT COMMUNICATE SO IF ANYTHING HAPPENED THERE IS A REAL GOOD CHANCE THAT NOBODY WOULD KNOW THA IT HAD HAPPENED.
I CROSSED INTO ENEMY TERRITORY.
I WAS ABOUT TO FLY INTO THE WORST AIRSPACE OF THE ENTIRE MISSION.
I'M GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE TARGET.
THE WEATHER WAS EXTREMELY CHALLENGING.
I'M IN AND OU OF SEEING THE GROUND, NOT SEEING THE GROUND, SEEING THE GROUND, NOT SEEING THE GROUND.
SUDDENLY I CAN PHYSICALLY FEEL THIS ANXIETY FLOW THROUGH MY BODY, FROM HEAD TO TOE AND IT WAS THIS HYPER ANXIETY AND REALLY TERROR.
I DROP ALTITUDE, A FEW THOUSAND FEET, TO GET BELOW THIS ONE DECK OF CLOUDS.
I CAN SEE THE TARGET, TIME TO GO, TEN SECONDS, NINE, I'M HOLDING THE WEAPONS RELEASE CONSENT BUTTON, EIGHT, SEVEN, I CAN FEEL THE WEAPON BAY DOORS OPEN, THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO, THE BOMB'S ARE IN THE AIR.
THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY.
THEN SUDDENLY I SEE MISSILES.
THE FIRST MISSILE WENT RIGH OVER THE TOP OF THE AIRCRAFT.
THE SECOND MISSILE CAME AFTER OVER THREE TIMES THE SPEED OF SOUND.
I COULD NOT OUTRUN THEM, I COULD NOT OUT MANEUVER THEM.
I THOUGHT THEY GOT ME.
[LOUD ALARM.]
[EXSPLOSION.]
THEY BLEW OFF THE ENTIRE LEFT WING.
I LOST 10,000 FEET OF ALTITUDE IN A MATTER OF SECONDS.
I'M COMPLETELY IMMOBILIZED IN THE STRAPS, PINNED AGAINST THE TOP OF THE, INSIDE THE CANOPY.
I REMEMBER THINKING I NEED TO START REACHING FOR THE EJECTION HANDLES.
AND THEN TOTAL AMNESIA.
I'D BLACKED OUT.
[EXPLOSION.]
DALE ZELKO: I REMEMBER EVERY MOMENT, EVERY FRAGMEN OF MY STRIKE MISSION, THE SHOOT DOWN, EXCEPT ONE.
I HAVE NO MEMORY OF ACTUALLY REACHING THE EJECTION HANDLES AND PULLING THEM.
NO MEMORY OF THE CANOPY BLOWING OFF.
NO MEMORY WHATSOEVER UNTIL.
I HAD NO SENSE OF UP, DOWN, RIGHT, LEFT, SKY, GROUND.
I WAS IN THIS STATE OF TEMPORAL DISTORTION WHERE TIME SLOWS DOWN DRAMATICALLY.
WHAT HAPPENS IN A MATTER OF SECONDS REAL TIME, FOR ME IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS MINUTES.
I'M THINKING, WHY AM I STILL IN THE SEAT? WHY AM I STILL IN THE SEAT? THE EJECTION SEAT'S SPARK CHAIR SHOULD BE KICKING ME OUT.
WHY IS THIS TAKING SO LONG? IF I DIDN'T GET OUT THIS SEAT PROPERLY, IT WOULD KILL ME.
THOUGHTS OF MY FAMILY ARE FLOODING THROUGH MY MIND, THE THOUGHT OF THEIR SADNESS AND SUFFERING WAS TERRIFYING.
SO I HAD TO GET OU OF THIS EJECTION SEAT.
AND I PUT MY HAND ON THIS HANDLE, IF YOU THINK THE SEAT HAS MALFUNCTIONED YOU CAN PULL THAT.
BUT IF I PULL IT PREMATURELY, THERE'S HUGE POTENTIALS FOR ME AND THE SEAT AND THE PARACHUTE TO GET ALL TANGLED TOGETHER.
I THOUGHT I'LL COUNT TO FIVE, THEN I'M PULLING IT.
ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO, THREE POTATO, FOUR POTATO, BAM.
THE BALLISTIC CHARGE BLOWS THE LAP BELT OFF AND THE EJECTION SEAT KICKED ME OUT AND THEN THE SEAT TUMBLED AWAY.
I HAD THIS HUGE SENSE OF RELIEF.
AT THE SAME TIME I DID HAVE A REALLY STRONG SENSE OF THE SERBIANS WOULD SPOT ME COMING DOWN AND THAT I WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY CAPTURED AND INTERROGATED.
I HAD JUST ATTACKED THEIR CAPITAL CITY, I WAS WELL AWARE THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE REAL HAPPY WITH ME.
I ABSOLUTELY EXPECTED TO BE TORTURED, PROBABLY BROUGHT TO THE POINT OF NEAR DEATH.
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, VEGAS 31.
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, VEGAS 31.
I WAS THINKING IS ANYBODY HEARING THESE CALLS OR NOT? 31 IS GOING DOWN.
I HAD A STRONG SENSE THA NOBODY KNEW THIS JUST HAPPENED AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE NO IDEA OF MY STATUS.
JUST NORTH OF ME WAS A SMALL TOWN OR A VILLAGE, JUST SOUTH OF ME WAS ANOTHER SMALL VILLAGE.
I COULD HEAR CARS, VEHICULAR TRAFFIC REALLY CLOSE, NOT EVEN HALF A MILE AWAY.
THERE WAS NOTHING THA YOU COULD HIDE BEHIND AND THEN I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SHALLOW IRRIGATION DITCH.
[PHONE RINGING.]
JOHN MCGONAGILL: MCGONAGILL.
MY MARINE CAPTAIN SAYS I THINK I'VE HEARD A MAYDAY CALL AND I THINK WE'VE LOST AN AIRCRAFT AND THEN HE SAID I THINK IT WAS VEGA 31.
I'M LIKE, WELL, THAT'S ALL CRAP THEN, WE GOT ONE OF OUR STEALTH ASSETS THAT JUST GOT SHOT DOWN.
I'LL BE RIGHT THERE.
THERE'S A STEALTH DOWN.
THIS ISN' SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
I WAS IN A FULL SPRINT FROM MY OFFICE ALL THE WAY TO THE BATTLE S.
A.
T.
FLOOR.
OUT OF THE WAY! THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT THAT THE SERBS WERE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN TRYING TO FIND DALE.
WHAT ARE WE SEEING? ALL OF OUR INTEL ON OUR CRAFT WERE PICKING UP SERBIAN TRANSMISSIONS.
THEY WERE MARSHALLING FORCES, THEY WERE GETTING LOCAL POLICE INVOLVED, ANYBODY THAT COULD GET OUT THERE AND SEARCH, THEY WERE INVOLVED IN THAT SEARCH.
THIS WAS A VALUABLE PRIZE, IF THEY COULD CAPTURE THIS GUY, THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG DEAL, THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE THE WHOLE WAR.
DALE ZELKO: IT WAS MOTIONLESS, SILENT, HUGGING THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE IRRIGATION DITCH AND I SAW TWO FIRES BURNING WHICH REPRESENTED EASILY WELL OVER $100 MILLION, WHICH I JUST ASSUMED THAT WOULD SORT OF BE THE CENTROID AREA OF SERBIAN SEARCH ACTIVITY AND I JUST ASSUMED THA IT WOULD BE A MASSIVE MANHUNT.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: WE DIDN' KNOW EXACTLY WHERE HE IS ON THE GROUND BUT WE KNEW THAT TIME IS LIMITED AND WE GOT TO GET HIM OUT.
KEEP ME POSTED ON ANY CHANGES.
THE ONLY THING WE COULD GO OFF OF WAS HIS LAST TARGET.
SO WE KNEW THAT HE WAS SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO BELGRADE.
DALE ZELKO: I ESTIMATED THA I WAS MAYBE 20 MILES WEST OF DOWNTOWN BELGRADE BUT THE WORST THING THAT I COULD DO WOULD BE TO PASS MY LOCATION TO SURVIVAL FORCES AND IT BE WRONG.
SO I GOT OUT MY GPS.
COME ON SATELLITES, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER EVEN STIRRING I LIKE THIS OVER THE TOP OF THAT FARM FIELD.
I ONLY GO FIVE SATELLITES UP.
YES.
SO I NOW HAD MY PRECISE LOCATION AND I JUST NEEDED SOMEBODY TO GIVE IT TO.
JIM CARDOSO: WHAT'S THE INTEL SIR? OFFICER: WE KNOW ZELKO'S TARGET WAS BELGRADE, WE THINK HE CAME DOWN AROUND HERE.
JIM CARDOSO: THAT'S DEEP IN ENEMY TERRITORY SIR.
THERE IS UNQUESTIONABLY AN UNWRITTEN CODE THAT WHEN A AIRCRAFT GOES DOWN, WHEN A PERSON'S ON THE GROUND, WE WILL DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO RETRIEVE THAT INDIVIDUAL.
IT'S A BROTHER IN ARMS OUT THERE.
HE'S IN DANGER, HE'S IN A BAD PLACE.
OKAY, LET'S MOVE OUT GUYS.
OFFICER: WE'LL CONFIRM A PRECISE LOCATION WHEN WE GET IT.
JIM CARDOSO: ALL RIGHT.
THAT WAS OUR JOB, THAT IS OUR MISSION, WE WERE LITERALLY DEPLOYED HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD TO GO PICK UP AVIATORS IN PERIL.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO THIS.
WHEN WE'RE NOTIFIED IT'S A F-117 THERE WAS A BIT OF, THERE WAS SURPRISE, THERE WAS DEFINITE SURPRISE.
THE STEALTH HAS THIS ALMOS LEGENDARY STATUS AND IT'S NO SUPPOSED TO GET SHO DOWN AND NO WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE SAME PLACE WHERE THAT HAPPENED, ALL RIGHT THA COULD BE INTERESTING.
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I, AND MANY OF THE FOLKS IN OUR FORMATION, HAD LAUNCHED ON A MISSION WHERE WE KNEW PEOPLE WERE GONNA BE TRYING TO SHOOT US DOWN.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: BELGRADE HAD VERY SERIOUS INTEGRATED AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS.
THEY COULD CLEARLY SEE US ON ANY RADAR, EVEN AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RADAR, THEY COULD SEE THE ENTIRE PACKAGE.
THE SURPRISE FACTOR'S GONE.
JIM CARDOSO: FLYING A HELICOPTER WE TEND TO FLY LOW AND SLOW, SO WE'RE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO SURFACE TO AIR SYSTEMS THAT ARE MORE CAPABLE AGAINST MOST LOW TARGETS AND THEN THERE'S JUST YOUR BASIC SOLIDER WITH A RIFLE OR A ROCKE PROPELLED GRENADE LAUNCHER.
IT JUST SHARPENS THE SENSES, IT SHARPENS THE FOCUS AND I MAKES YOU HYPER AWARE OF EVERYTHING YOU DO.
GENERAL SHORT: WHAT HAVE WE GOT? JOHN MCGONAGILL: I LOOKED AT GENERAL SHORT AND I SAID, SIR WE NEED TO LAUNCH SIX A-10S.
GENERAL SHORT: LET'S DO IT.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: A-10 IS A GREAT AIRCRAFT BECAUSE IT'S VERY COMFORTABLE IN THE LOW ALTITUDE ENVIRONMENT.
THEY'VE GOT A BIG MACHINE GUN.
[INAUDIBLE RADIO CHATTER.]
THEIR JOB WAS TO SET UP A ONE MILE BUBBLE AROUND ZELKO, NO-ONE IS GOING TO ENTER THA BUBBLE AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER IT'S A FARMER'S TRACTOR OR AN ARMED FORCE SEARCHING FOR THE SURVIVOR, THEY'RE GOING TO DO WHATEVER THEY NEED TO, TO STERILIZE THAT BUBBLE AROUND THE SURVIVOR.
SOLDIER: SANDIES ARE IN THE AIR SIR, SANDIES ARE IN THE AIR.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: EVERYTHING'S ON ALERT, COCKED AND READY TO GO.
SOLDIER: THEY'RE STABLE SIR, THEY'RE JUS WAITING FOR OUR COMMAND.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR DALE TO MAKE CONTACT.
DALE ZELKO: MAYDAY, MAYDAY.
I KEPT MAKING MAYDAY CALLS AND TRYING TO RAISE SOMEBODY ON THE RADIO.
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, VEGA 31.
AND I WASN' GETTING ANY RESPONSE.
[THUNDER AND LIGHTNING.]
SUDDENLY HEAVY RAIN IS COMING DOWN RIGHT ON TOP OF ME.
NO TELLING WHAT THE HEAVY RAIN COULD DO TO AFFECT ANY OF MY SURVIVAL AND EVASION EQUIPMENT.
BUT THEN I HEARD.
RADIO: VEGA 31, CAN YOU COPY? JIM CARDOSO: HEY VEGA 31, THIS IS SANDIE 30, ARE YOU OUT THERE? DALE ZELKO: SANDIE 30, THIS IS VEGA 31, COPY.
SOLDIER: SIR.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: YES.
SOLDIER: SANDIE IS SPEAKING TO VEGA 31 RIGHT NOW.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: AND I'M LIKE OH THANK GOD, THANK GOD HE'S TALKING TO HIM.
DALE ZELKO: IT'S A HUGE SENSE OF RELIEF, JUST TO BE IN CONTACT WITH A FRIENDLY, TO HAVE THIS, THIS CONNECTION TO HOME, TO BACK HOME.
AT THAT MOMEN I FELT REALLY GREAT, JUST MAYBE EVEN THE TINIEST, LITTLE EXTRA BIT OF HOPE NOW.
THEN SUDDENLY I STARTED TO HEAR VEHICULAR ACTIVITY.
[ENGINES AND FOREIGN DIALOGUE.]
IT SOUNDED LIKE MILITARY TRUCKS AND IT SEEMED TO BE EXTREMELY CLOSE TO ME.
[BARKING.]
I COULD ACTUALLY HEAR DOGS, I WAS JUS MOTIONLESS AND SILENT.
[BARKING AND HARD RAIN.]
I WAS JUST IMAGINING BEING CAPTURED, IMAGINING BEING INTERROGATED.
I DID NOT EXPEC TO BE TREATED WELL.
JIM CARDOSO: WE HAD A LOCATION TO RENDEZVOUS WITH THE A-10S SO THAT WE CAN THEN DO OUR FINAL PREPARATIONS IN FLIGH AND THEN PRESS INTO SERBIA FOR PICK UP.
AT THAT POINT WE FIND OUT FROM THE A-10S THAT THEY WERE RUNNING OUT OF FUEL.
COME ON.
WE'VE GOTTA TURN BACK, THE TANKS ARE RUNNING LOW.
SOLDIER: SIR, THE A-10S ARE RUNNING LOW ON FUEL.
SOLDIER: SIR, THE MH60S ARE DOWN TO RESERVE.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: OH THAT STARTED THE WHOLE CHAIN REACTION, HEY I'M OUT OF GAS, EVERYONE NEEDED TO GO AND HIT THE TANKERS.
JIM CARDOSO: WE HAD ALL THE PIECES IN PLACE, WE HAD THE TRAINING, WE HAD THE EXPERIENCE, WE HAD THE GEAR, WE HAD EVERYTHING WE NEEDED, IT WAS FRUSTRATING.
TIME IS TICKING AWAY.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: ALL OF SUDDEN EVERYTHING IS FALLING APART.
AND THEN IT GETS WORSE.
ANNOUNCER: THIS IS CNN, BREAKING NEWS.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: SIR? SIR, YOU NEED TO SEE THIS.
REPORTER: WE INTERUP OUR PROGRAMMING TO BRING YOU LATE BREAKING NEWS FROM YUGOSLAVIA.
REPORTER: SERBIAN TELEVISION BROKE INTO BROADCASTING A SHORT TIME AGO WITH PICTURES SHOWING WHAT WAS CLAIMED TO BE THE BURNING WRECKAGE OF A STEALTH 117A FIGHTER.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: WHEN CNN COMES ON AND THE WRECKAGE AND ALL THESE GUYS JUMPING UP AND DOWN, I THOUGHT CRAP, WE'RE DEFINITELY UNDER THE GUN.
YOU KNOW I FEEL THIS PAIN IN MY CHEST, IT'S LIKE THIS SLOW THING, YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE BEING SQUEEZED TO DEATH, YOU KNOW, EVERY FEW MINUTES, THERE'S SOMETHING, ANOTHER PIECE OF STRESS BEING ADDED TO THE MISSION.
REPORTER: THE AUTHORITIES HERE IN BELGRADE SAY THAT THE PILOT, THE AIRCREW HAVE NO BEEN SEIZED FROM THE STEALTH BUT THEY ARE SEARCHING FOR THE CREWMEN.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: I DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO REALIZE, HEY, DALE'S STILL OUT THERE.
RIGHT LET'S JUS KEEP IT GOING EVERYONE.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: IT WAS A TIMING MARK, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I KNOW FROM HERE ON OUT, EVERY MINUTE COUNTS, EVERY SECOND COUNTS ONCE THAT THING'S ON TV.
JIM CARDOSO: THEY FUELED US UP, ALL THREE HELICOPTERS HAD THREE AND A HALF HOURS OF ENDURANCE.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO THIS.
FINALLY, I MEAN THAT'S REALLY THE FIRST WORD THAT POPPED INTO MY HEAD, WAS FINALLY.
[HARD RAIN AND LIGHTNING.]
DALE ZELKO: SUDDENLY I HEARD SOMETHING APPROACHING ME.
[FAINT FOOTSTEPS.]
I VERY, VERY SLOWLY RAISED MY HEAD.
VERY, VERY SLOWLY REACHED DOWN TO GRAB MY SURVIVAL KNIFE.
I JUST WAITED.
[SERBIAN SOLDIER SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
.
[DOG BARKING.]
THE DOG STOPPED ABOU 15 YARDS SOUTH OF ME.
AND I THOUGHT OH NO, ONE BARK OUT OF THIS DOG AND THEY GOT ME.
THAT'S, THAT'S IT, I'M DONE.
SOLDIER: HEY BUDDY, COME AND HAVE A LOOK AT THIS.
SIR, THE SERBS ARE SAYING THAT THEY'VE CAPTURED AN AMERICAN PILOT.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: I REMEMBER ALL THESE GUYS LOOKING AT US LIKE, WELL I GUESS IT'S OVER.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: THERE'S A VERY TENSE MOMENT, FOR EVERYONE.
WE'RE OUT OF CONTACT WITH DALE.
HEARD ANYTHING? SOLDIER: NEGATIVE, SIR.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: AND WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO WE'RE KIND OF IN, WE'RE IN LIMBO RIGHT NOW.
DALE ZELKO: I WAS MOTIONLESS AND I WAS SOUNDLESS.
I'M THINKING WHAT IF SUDDENLY THE RADIO SQUAWKED AND SOMEBODY WAS TRYING TO GET HOLD OF ME.
WHAT DO I DO? DO I STAB IT, DO I SLIT ITS THROAT? I'M THINKING OKAY, IF I KILL THIS DOG, WHAT IF IT ENDS UP BEING A VILLAGER'S DOG AND THEN THE VILLAGERS ARE THE FIRST ONES WHO CAPTURE ME, THEY'RE GOING TO BE REALLY UPSET.
AND THEN JUST AS SUDDENLY AS IT ARRIVED, IT WENT AWAY.
SUDDENLY THE RADIO SQUAWKED.
[SERBIAN SOLDIER SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
.
IT SOUNDED PRETTY LOUD TO ME.
[SERBIAN SOLDIER SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
.
VEGA 31, VEGA 31, THIS IS SANDIE ARE YOU THERE? DALE ZELKO: THIS IS VEGA 31, COPY.
SOLDIER: SIR, SIR, WE GOT HIM BACK ON THE RADIO.
SANDIES TALKING TO VEGA 31 RIGHT NOW.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: IT WAS A FAIRLY INTENSE SITUATION, I MEAN THE SERBS PUT OU SOMETHING THAT THEY HAD CAPTURED AN AMERICAN PILOT.
SO WE NEEDED TO KNOW WHETHER IT'S REALLY DALE.
DALE ZELKO: SANDIES TRYING TO GET HOLD OF ME, I RESPOND.
VEGA 31, COPY.
AND THEN THEY ASK ME SOMETHING THAT REALLY CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD.
RADIO: VEGA 31, I UNDERSTAND THE COLOR OF YOUR MOTORCYCLE IS BLACK.
VEGA 31, I UNDERSTAND THE COLOR OF YOUR MOTORCYCLE IS BLACK, CAN YOU COPY? DALE ZELKO: AND I THOUGHT, MY MOTORCYCLE'S NOT BLACK.
THEN IT OCCURRED TO ME, OH OKAY, I GET WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
THEY THINK THAT THERE'S A REALLY GOOD CHANCE THA I'M COMPROMISED, THAT I'M UNDER DURESS, THAT THERE'S A GUN TO MY HEAD, THAT THEY'RE BEING LURED INTO AN AMBUSH.
IF I RESPOND WITH, YEAH, IT'S BLACK, THEY'LL KNOW, OKAY, DON'T COME IN THERE.
BUT IF I RESPOND WITH.
NO, IT'S RED.
THEY'LL KNOW HE'S GOOD TO GO.
SOLDIER: COPY THAT.
THE SURVIVOR'S BEEN AUTHENTICATED.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: THA WAS ALL I NEEDED TO KNOW.
YEAH WE'RE GOOD.
LET'S GET THIS THING GOING.
JIM CARDOSO: I WAS A MASSIVE RELIEF.
HE'S ON THE COMM'S.
THEY HAD AUTHENTICATED HIM, THANK GOD HE WAS OKAY AND THEN WE'RE GIVEN THE FINAL PUSH.
DALE ZELKO: RIGHT THEN I SAW AN AIRBORNE VEHICLE WITH A SPOT LIGHT ON.
AND THAT REALLY CONFUSED ME AND I SAID YOU GUYS HAVE A SPOT LIGHT ON, THINKING THEY'RE OUT OF THEIR MINDS.
IT'S MAKING THEM AN INSTANT TARGET.
THEN SUDDENLY I REALIZED THAT WAS AIRBORNE SERBIANS SEARCHING FOR ME.
I CAN SEE THAT THEY WERE GETTING CLOSER, WHICH MADE ME FEEL LIKE, OKAY, MAYBE THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHERE I AM.
[SERBIAN SOLDIER SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
.
JIM CARDOSO: I'M NOW FIVE MILES OUT OR SO, I ASK VEGA 31, IT'S THE A-10'S WHAT IS THE THREAT IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA.
VEGA 31, WHAT IS THE THREAT IN YOUR AREA? IS IT SAFE TO GO IN? I REPEAT IS IT SAFE TO GO IN? THERE WAS DEFINITELY A POSSIBILITY THAT THE SERBS ARE USING DALE TO TRY TO LURE IN THE RESCUE CORPS, SO THEY COULD SHOOT US DOWN.
VEGA 31 DO YOU COPY? DALE ZELKO: I DIDN'T ANSWER HIM, I COULDN'T ANSWER HIM.
JIM CARDOSO: VEGA 31, IS IT SAFE TO EXECUTE, OVER.
DALE ZELKO: I FELT THA THAT LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY TO COMMIT THESE GUYS INTO THIS VERY HIGH THREA AREA WAS OVERWHELMING.
TRULY THE HARDEST THING THAT I'VE EVER HAD TO DO IN MY WHOLE LIFE WAS TO, TO MAKE THAT DECISION, MAKE THAT CALL.
JIM CARDOSO: VEGA 31, IS IT SAFE TO EXECUTE, OVER? DALE ZELKO: FINALLY I SAID, OKAY.
YEAH, LET'S GO FOR IT.
JIM CARDOSO: HANG ON BOYS.
THIS IS THE SUPERBOWL, THE GAME'S ON THE LINE.
THERE'S A NO KIDDING PERSON OUT THERE THAT NEEDS US.
ALL RIGHT, GOGGLES DOWN, GOGGLES DOWN.
WE WERE PRESSING IN RIGHT ABOVE THE TREE TOPS, VERY LOW LEVEL.
ABOUT 100 FEE ABOVE THE GROUND.
SUDDENLY MY RIGH DOOR SCANNER SHOUTS OUT.
SCANNER: WHOA, WHOA, GUYS, GUYS! JIM CARDOSO: I DON'T THINK AT THAT POINT, I JUST REACT.
[INAUDIBLE.]
.
I'D REALIZED A THAT POINT OKAY, MAYBE WE JUST NEED TO BRING THE ALTITUDE UP A LITTLE BIT.
DALE ZELKO: I'M HEARING HELICOPTER NOISE APPROACHING FROM THE WEST.
THERE WAS THIS GREA SENSE OF RELIEF.
JIM CARDOSO: WE CAN NOW START TO HEAR HIM TALK.
SOLDIER: THEY'RE TALKING TO HIM SIR.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: WE GET THE CALL, THE HELICOPTER PACKAGE IS TALKING DIRECTLY TO DALE, THEY'RE CLOSING IN.
JIM CARDOSO: VEGA 31, ACTIVATE YOUR STROBE.
I REPEAT, ACTIVATE YOUR STROBE.
DALE ZELKO: I HAD ONE COVERT SIGNALING DEVICE, ONE INFRARED STROBE TO SIGNAL WITH, WHICH CAN ONLY BE SEEN WITH NIGHT VISION DEVICES.
SO I PUSHED THE BUTTON, FELT THE CLICK, CLICK, THEN I HEAR JIM CARDOSO: VEGA 31, I'M NOT SEEING YOUR STROBE, REPEAT.
DALE ZELKO: IT WAS NO WORKING, IT WAS BROKEN.
SO MY ONLY COVER SIGNALING DEVICE DIDN'T WORK.
JIM CARDOSO: WE ORBITED FOR ABOUT THREE TO FOUR MINUTES, HE WAS TRYING TO TALK US ON HIS POSITION.
SUDDENLY WE COULD SEE MILITARY TRUCKS ON THE ROAD NEAR HIS POSITION.
WE'RE RIGH OVER TOP OF 'EM.
THE ENEMY IS RIGHT THERE AS WELL.
WE NEED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
JIM CARDOSO: ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT, THE SERBS HAVE AN IDEA WHERE WE ARE.
NOW THEY KNOW.
THEY CAN HEAR US.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: THERE'S NO TURNING BACK NOW, WE'RE NOT FOOLING ANYBODY, THERE AIN'T TACTICAL DECEPTION GOING ON, WE'RE JUS GONNA FORCE OUR WAY IN.
BUT THE RESCUE PACKAGE DOESN'T HAVE A VISUAL ON DALE, HE CAN HEAR EVERYTHING BUT THERE'S NO VISUAL CONTACT.
JIM CARDOSO: I WAS FRUSTRATING.
WE KNEW WE WERE CLOSE, WE KNEW WE WERE VERY CLOSE.
DALE ZELKO: AND I HEAR VEGA 31, VEGA 31, IF WE'RE THIS CLOSE JUST GO OVERT.
JIM CARDOSO: VEGA 31, IF YOU COPY, GO OVERT, I REPEAT GO OVERT.
DALE ZELKO: THIS IS THE MOST RISKY, THE MOST DANGEROUS POINT OF THE ENTIRE RESCUE.
I'M EXPOSED NOW.
I GET OUT ONE OF MY SIGNAL FLARES.
THIS IS GOING TO COMPROMISE MY POSITION IMMEDIATELY.
JIM CARDOSO: VEGA 31, PUT OUT YOUR FLARE, I REPEAT PU OUT YOUR FLARE.
HE BLINDED US, WHEN YOU NIGHT VISION GOGGLES WITH A BASICALLY THE EQUIVALENT OF A ROAD FLARE, IT'S GONNA BLIND YOU.
THE H60 DROPPED OUT OF THE FORMATION AND STARTED ITS APPROACH.
DALE ZELKO: NOTHING'S HAPPENED, SECONDS WERE GOING BY, ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN AND THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THA FRIENDLIES ARE GONNA GRAB ME BEFORE THE SERBIANS CAN GRAB ME.
SUDDENLY I SEE THESE TWO SHAPES.
I HAD NO SENSE OF WHO I WAS, SERBIANS OR FRIENDLIES.
HE COMES RIGHT UP TO ME AND HE SAID, HOW YOU FEELING SIR? AND I SAID GREAT, LET'S GET OUT OF HERE.
JIM CARDOSO: THEY GOT HIM, THEY GOT HIM.
WHOO! LET'S GET OUT OF HERE! SOLDIER: THEY GOT HIM, SIR, THEY GOT HIM.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: IT WAS LIKE YOU KNOW TIME SQUARE, NEW YEAR'S EVE, I MEAN THINGS WERE FLYING AND PEOPLE WERE HIGH FIVING EACH OTHER.
I MEAN I WAS, I MEAN I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE WE'D FINALLY PULLED THIS THING OFF.
IT WAS A HELL OF A MOMENT THAT I DON'T THINK I WILL EVER FORGET.
DALE ZELKO: THE NEXT DAY I WAS ABLE TO CALL MY DAUGHTER GINA.
AND WISH HER A HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
GINA: HI DADDY, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY.
DALE ZELKO: IT MEAN EVERYTHING TO ME, WHEN I HEARD GINA'S VOICE, SHE SOUNDED VERY CHEERFUL, VERY HAPPY, VERY NORMAL.
THESE GUYS HAD JUST RISKED IT ALL TO COME AND GET ME AND TO BRING ME HOME.
THE EXTRAORDINARY INDIVIDUALS LIKE JIM CARDOSO.
JIM CARDOSO: WE DEPLOYED AND WE WERE TASKED TO DO SOMETHING, TO DO SOMETHING CHALLENGING, TO DO SOMETHING WORTHWHILE AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO I AND IT WAS A GOOD FEELING.
WE WENT IN WITH 37 PEOPLE AND WE CAME OUT WITH 38.
DALE ZELKO: IT'S JUS AN INDESCRIBABLY OVERWHELMING EMOTION OF AWE, UTTER AWE AND GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION AT WHAT THESE GUYS, THEY'RE WILLING TO DO, TO BRING HOME A FELLOW WAR FIGHTER.
THIS IS NOT WAR, IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE.
FATHERS AND SONS TOGETHER, LINED UP AND SHOT IN COLD BLOOD.
IT BLEW OFF THE ENTIRE LEFT WING.
REPORTER: REPORTS THAT A NATO PLAN HAS BEEN BROUGH DOWN IN YUGOSLAVIA.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: I'M LIKE, CRAP, THIS ISN' SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
JIM CARDOSO: IT'S A BROTHER IN ARMS OUT THERE.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: OUT OF THE WAY.
JIM CARDOSO: HE'S IN DANGER, HE'S IN A BAD PLACE.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: YOU'RE IN ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT THAT THE SERBS WERE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN TRYING TO FIND HIM.
DALE ZELKO: I THOUGHT THEY GOT ME.
IT WAS AN ENORMOUS HONOR TO BE CHOSEN AS A STEALTH FIGHTER PILOT.
IT WAS CONSIDERED A SPECIAL DUTY, BLACK WORLD.
I FELT EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT.
I FELT LIKE THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE I BELONG.
THERE WERE EIGHT OF US THAT NIGHT, EIGHT F-117S.
EACH GOING AFTER SEPARATE TARGETS IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF SERBIA.
AT THAT POINT IN TIME I WAS THE ONLY F-117 PILO PARTICIPATING IN ALLIED FORCE WHO HAD PREVIOUS COMBA EXPERIENCE IN THE F-117.
OFFICER: MR.
ZELKO.
DALE ZELKO: SIR.
BECAUSE I'D FLEW 20 COMBA MISSIONS DURING DESERT STORM, SO I FELT VERY, VERY CAPABLE AND VERY CONFIDENT.
OFFICER: GO AHEAD GENTS, OPEN THEM UP.
DALE ZELKO: BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT THAT TARGET PACK I REALIZED MY JOB WAS TO TAKE OU ONE OF THE MOST HIGH VALUE, THE MOST HEAVILY DEFENDED TARGETS IN BELGRADE.
THE MOST DANGEROUS, THE MOST HIGH THREAT F-117 STRIKE MISSION THAT I HAD EVER FLOWN.
OFFICER: GOOD LUCK.
DALE ZELKO: YES SIR.
THE NEXT DAY WAS MY DAUGHTER GINA'S BIRTHDAY.
IT WAS GOING TO BE HER TENTH BIRTHDAY.
I WAS SO LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO CALL HER.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S GOING TO PREVENT ME FROM CALLING HER AND REACHING HER AND CONNECTING WITH HER ON HER BIRTHDAY.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: OH THANK YOU.
WE WERE EXPECTING A QUIET NIGHT BECAUSE THE F-117 STEALTH AIRCRAFT, WHAT IS A LOW RISK ASSET FOR US, IT'D NEVER BEEN SHOT DOWN, IT HAD A TREMENDOUS CAPABILITY TO GO IN AND OUT OF THE TARGET AREA WITH NO RISK.
THE FIRST THREE DAYS GAVE US GREAT CONFIDENCE, EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTHLY AND THAT'S THE WAY WE LIKE IT.
NIGHT FOUR STARTED OFF JUST THE SAME.
DALE ZELKO: I WAS CARRYING TWO 2000 POUNDS SMART BOMBS.
ALL THE SYSTEMS GOOD TO GO IN GREEN.
MY ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS GOING TO TAKE ME ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF SERBIA AND THEN SOUTH AND THEN I TURNED FOR MY TARGET RIGHT ACROSS BELGRADE.
AS I'M ABOUT TO ENTER ENEMY AIR SPACE, I STEALTHED UP.
ONCE YOU ARE STEALTHED UP, YOU DO NOT COMMUNICATE SO IF ANYTHING HAPPENED THERE IS A REAL GOOD CHANCE THAT NOBODY WOULD KNOW THA IT HAD HAPPENED.
I CROSSED INTO ENEMY TERRITORY.
I WAS ABOUT TO FLY INTO THE WORST AIRSPACE OF THE ENTIRE MISSION.
I'M GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE TARGET.
THE WEATHER WAS EXTREMELY CHALLENGING.
I'M IN AND OU OF SEEING THE GROUND, NOT SEEING THE GROUND, SEEING THE GROUND, NOT SEEING THE GROUND.
SUDDENLY I CAN PHYSICALLY FEEL THIS ANXIETY FLOW THROUGH MY BODY, FROM HEAD TO TOE AND IT WAS THIS HYPER ANXIETY AND REALLY TERROR.
I DROP ALTITUDE, A FEW THOUSAND FEET, TO GET BELOW THIS ONE DECK OF CLOUDS.
I CAN SEE THE TARGET, TIME TO GO, TEN SECONDS, NINE, I'M HOLDING THE WEAPONS RELEASE CONSENT BUTTON, EIGHT, SEVEN, I CAN FEEL THE WEAPON BAY DOORS OPEN, THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO, THE BOMB'S ARE IN THE AIR.
THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY.
THEN SUDDENLY I SEE MISSILES.
THE FIRST MISSILE WENT RIGH OVER THE TOP OF THE AIRCRAFT.
THE SECOND MISSILE CAME AFTER OVER THREE TIMES THE SPEED OF SOUND.
I COULD NOT OUTRUN THEM, I COULD NOT OUT MANEUVER THEM.
I THOUGHT THEY GOT ME.
[LOUD ALARM.]
[EXSPLOSION.]
THEY BLEW OFF THE ENTIRE LEFT WING.
I LOST 10,000 FEET OF ALTITUDE IN A MATTER OF SECONDS.
I'M COMPLETELY IMMOBILIZED IN THE STRAPS, PINNED AGAINST THE TOP OF THE, INSIDE THE CANOPY.
I REMEMBER THINKING I NEED TO START REACHING FOR THE EJECTION HANDLES.
AND THEN TOTAL AMNESIA.
I'D BLACKED OUT.
[EXPLOSION.]
DALE ZELKO: I REMEMBER EVERY MOMENT, EVERY FRAGMEN OF MY STRIKE MISSION, THE SHOOT DOWN, EXCEPT ONE.
I HAVE NO MEMORY OF ACTUALLY REACHING THE EJECTION HANDLES AND PULLING THEM.
NO MEMORY OF THE CANOPY BLOWING OFF.
NO MEMORY WHATSOEVER UNTIL.
I HAD NO SENSE OF UP, DOWN, RIGHT, LEFT, SKY, GROUND.
I WAS IN THIS STATE OF TEMPORAL DISTORTION WHERE TIME SLOWS DOWN DRAMATICALLY.
WHAT HAPPENS IN A MATTER OF SECONDS REAL TIME, FOR ME IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS MINUTES.
I'M THINKING, WHY AM I STILL IN THE SEAT? WHY AM I STILL IN THE SEAT? THE EJECTION SEAT'S SPARK CHAIR SHOULD BE KICKING ME OUT.
WHY IS THIS TAKING SO LONG? IF I DIDN'T GET OUT THIS SEAT PROPERLY, IT WOULD KILL ME.
THOUGHTS OF MY FAMILY ARE FLOODING THROUGH MY MIND, THE THOUGHT OF THEIR SADNESS AND SUFFERING WAS TERRIFYING.
SO I HAD TO GET OU OF THIS EJECTION SEAT.
AND I PUT MY HAND ON THIS HANDLE, IF YOU THINK THE SEAT HAS MALFUNCTIONED YOU CAN PULL THAT.
BUT IF I PULL IT PREMATURELY, THERE'S HUGE POTENTIALS FOR ME AND THE SEAT AND THE PARACHUTE TO GET ALL TANGLED TOGETHER.
I THOUGHT I'LL COUNT TO FIVE, THEN I'M PULLING IT.
ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO, THREE POTATO, FOUR POTATO, BAM.
THE BALLISTIC CHARGE BLOWS THE LAP BELT OFF AND THE EJECTION SEAT KICKED ME OUT AND THEN THE SEAT TUMBLED AWAY.
I HAD THIS HUGE SENSE OF RELIEF.
AT THE SAME TIME I DID HAVE A REALLY STRONG SENSE OF THE SERBIANS WOULD SPOT ME COMING DOWN AND THAT I WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY CAPTURED AND INTERROGATED.
I HAD JUST ATTACKED THEIR CAPITAL CITY, I WAS WELL AWARE THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE REAL HAPPY WITH ME.
I ABSOLUTELY EXPECTED TO BE TORTURED, PROBABLY BROUGHT TO THE POINT OF NEAR DEATH.
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, VEGAS 31.
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, VEGAS 31.
I WAS THINKING IS ANYBODY HEARING THESE CALLS OR NOT? 31 IS GOING DOWN.
I HAD A STRONG SENSE THA NOBODY KNEW THIS JUST HAPPENED AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE NO IDEA OF MY STATUS.
JUST NORTH OF ME WAS A SMALL TOWN OR A VILLAGE, JUST SOUTH OF ME WAS ANOTHER SMALL VILLAGE.
I COULD HEAR CARS, VEHICULAR TRAFFIC REALLY CLOSE, NOT EVEN HALF A MILE AWAY.
THERE WAS NOTHING THA YOU COULD HIDE BEHIND AND THEN I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SHALLOW IRRIGATION DITCH.
[PHONE RINGING.]
JOHN MCGONAGILL: MCGONAGILL.
MY MARINE CAPTAIN SAYS I THINK I'VE HEARD A MAYDAY CALL AND I THINK WE'VE LOST AN AIRCRAFT AND THEN HE SAID I THINK IT WAS VEGA 31.
I'M LIKE, WELL, THAT'S ALL CRAP THEN, WE GOT ONE OF OUR STEALTH ASSETS THAT JUST GOT SHOT DOWN.
I'LL BE RIGHT THERE.
THERE'S A STEALTH DOWN.
THIS ISN' SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
I WAS IN A FULL SPRINT FROM MY OFFICE ALL THE WAY TO THE BATTLE S.
A.
T.
FLOOR.
OUT OF THE WAY! THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT THAT THE SERBS WERE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN TRYING TO FIND DALE.
WHAT ARE WE SEEING? ALL OF OUR INTEL ON OUR CRAFT WERE PICKING UP SERBIAN TRANSMISSIONS.
THEY WERE MARSHALLING FORCES, THEY WERE GETTING LOCAL POLICE INVOLVED, ANYBODY THAT COULD GET OUT THERE AND SEARCH, THEY WERE INVOLVED IN THAT SEARCH.
THIS WAS A VALUABLE PRIZE, IF THEY COULD CAPTURE THIS GUY, THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG DEAL, THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE THE WHOLE WAR.
DALE ZELKO: IT WAS MOTIONLESS, SILENT, HUGGING THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE IRRIGATION DITCH AND I SAW TWO FIRES BURNING WHICH REPRESENTED EASILY WELL OVER $100 MILLION, WHICH I JUST ASSUMED THAT WOULD SORT OF BE THE CENTROID AREA OF SERBIAN SEARCH ACTIVITY AND I JUST ASSUMED THA IT WOULD BE A MASSIVE MANHUNT.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: WE DIDN' KNOW EXACTLY WHERE HE IS ON THE GROUND BUT WE KNEW THAT TIME IS LIMITED AND WE GOT TO GET HIM OUT.
KEEP ME POSTED ON ANY CHANGES.
THE ONLY THING WE COULD GO OFF OF WAS HIS LAST TARGET.
SO WE KNEW THAT HE WAS SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO BELGRADE.
DALE ZELKO: I ESTIMATED THA I WAS MAYBE 20 MILES WEST OF DOWNTOWN BELGRADE BUT THE WORST THING THAT I COULD DO WOULD BE TO PASS MY LOCATION TO SURVIVAL FORCES AND IT BE WRONG.
SO I GOT OUT MY GPS.
COME ON SATELLITES, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER EVEN STIRRING I LIKE THIS OVER THE TOP OF THAT FARM FIELD.
I ONLY GO FIVE SATELLITES UP.
YES.
SO I NOW HAD MY PRECISE LOCATION AND I JUST NEEDED SOMEBODY TO GIVE IT TO.
JIM CARDOSO: WHAT'S THE INTEL SIR? OFFICER: WE KNOW ZELKO'S TARGET WAS BELGRADE, WE THINK HE CAME DOWN AROUND HERE.
JIM CARDOSO: THAT'S DEEP IN ENEMY TERRITORY SIR.
THERE IS UNQUESTIONABLY AN UNWRITTEN CODE THAT WHEN A AIRCRAFT GOES DOWN, WHEN A PERSON'S ON THE GROUND, WE WILL DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO RETRIEVE THAT INDIVIDUAL.
IT'S A BROTHER IN ARMS OUT THERE.
HE'S IN DANGER, HE'S IN A BAD PLACE.
OKAY, LET'S MOVE OUT GUYS.
OFFICER: WE'LL CONFIRM A PRECISE LOCATION WHEN WE GET IT.
JIM CARDOSO: ALL RIGHT.
THAT WAS OUR JOB, THAT IS OUR MISSION, WE WERE LITERALLY DEPLOYED HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD TO GO PICK UP AVIATORS IN PERIL.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO THIS.
WHEN WE'RE NOTIFIED IT'S A F-117 THERE WAS A BIT OF, THERE WAS SURPRISE, THERE WAS DEFINITE SURPRISE.
THE STEALTH HAS THIS ALMOS LEGENDARY STATUS AND IT'S NO SUPPOSED TO GET SHO DOWN AND NO WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE SAME PLACE WHERE THAT HAPPENED, ALL RIGHT THA COULD BE INTERESTING.
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I, AND MANY OF THE FOLKS IN OUR FORMATION, HAD LAUNCHED ON A MISSION WHERE WE KNEW PEOPLE WERE GONNA BE TRYING TO SHOOT US DOWN.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: BELGRADE HAD VERY SERIOUS INTEGRATED AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS.
THEY COULD CLEARLY SEE US ON ANY RADAR, EVEN AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RADAR, THEY COULD SEE THE ENTIRE PACKAGE.
THE SURPRISE FACTOR'S GONE.
JIM CARDOSO: FLYING A HELICOPTER WE TEND TO FLY LOW AND SLOW, SO WE'RE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO SURFACE TO AIR SYSTEMS THAT ARE MORE CAPABLE AGAINST MOST LOW TARGETS AND THEN THERE'S JUST YOUR BASIC SOLIDER WITH A RIFLE OR A ROCKE PROPELLED GRENADE LAUNCHER.
IT JUST SHARPENS THE SENSES, IT SHARPENS THE FOCUS AND I MAKES YOU HYPER AWARE OF EVERYTHING YOU DO.
GENERAL SHORT: WHAT HAVE WE GOT? JOHN MCGONAGILL: I LOOKED AT GENERAL SHORT AND I SAID, SIR WE NEED TO LAUNCH SIX A-10S.
GENERAL SHORT: LET'S DO IT.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: A-10 IS A GREAT AIRCRAFT BECAUSE IT'S VERY COMFORTABLE IN THE LOW ALTITUDE ENVIRONMENT.
THEY'VE GOT A BIG MACHINE GUN.
[INAUDIBLE RADIO CHATTER.]
THEIR JOB WAS TO SET UP A ONE MILE BUBBLE AROUND ZELKO, NO-ONE IS GOING TO ENTER THA BUBBLE AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER IT'S A FARMER'S TRACTOR OR AN ARMED FORCE SEARCHING FOR THE SURVIVOR, THEY'RE GOING TO DO WHATEVER THEY NEED TO, TO STERILIZE THAT BUBBLE AROUND THE SURVIVOR.
SOLDIER: SANDIES ARE IN THE AIR SIR, SANDIES ARE IN THE AIR.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: EVERYTHING'S ON ALERT, COCKED AND READY TO GO.
SOLDIER: THEY'RE STABLE SIR, THEY'RE JUS WAITING FOR OUR COMMAND.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR DALE TO MAKE CONTACT.
DALE ZELKO: MAYDAY, MAYDAY.
I KEPT MAKING MAYDAY CALLS AND TRYING TO RAISE SOMEBODY ON THE RADIO.
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, VEGA 31.
AND I WASN' GETTING ANY RESPONSE.
[THUNDER AND LIGHTNING.]
SUDDENLY HEAVY RAIN IS COMING DOWN RIGHT ON TOP OF ME.
NO TELLING WHAT THE HEAVY RAIN COULD DO TO AFFECT ANY OF MY SURVIVAL AND EVASION EQUIPMENT.
BUT THEN I HEARD.
RADIO: VEGA 31, CAN YOU COPY? JIM CARDOSO: HEY VEGA 31, THIS IS SANDIE 30, ARE YOU OUT THERE? DALE ZELKO: SANDIE 30, THIS IS VEGA 31, COPY.
SOLDIER: SIR.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: YES.
SOLDIER: SANDIE IS SPEAKING TO VEGA 31 RIGHT NOW.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: AND I'M LIKE OH THANK GOD, THANK GOD HE'S TALKING TO HIM.
DALE ZELKO: IT'S A HUGE SENSE OF RELIEF, JUST TO BE IN CONTACT WITH A FRIENDLY, TO HAVE THIS, THIS CONNECTION TO HOME, TO BACK HOME.
AT THAT MOMEN I FELT REALLY GREAT, JUST MAYBE EVEN THE TINIEST, LITTLE EXTRA BIT OF HOPE NOW.
THEN SUDDENLY I STARTED TO HEAR VEHICULAR ACTIVITY.
[ENGINES AND FOREIGN DIALOGUE.]
IT SOUNDED LIKE MILITARY TRUCKS AND IT SEEMED TO BE EXTREMELY CLOSE TO ME.
[BARKING.]
I COULD ACTUALLY HEAR DOGS, I WAS JUS MOTIONLESS AND SILENT.
[BARKING AND HARD RAIN.]
I WAS JUST IMAGINING BEING CAPTURED, IMAGINING BEING INTERROGATED.
I DID NOT EXPEC TO BE TREATED WELL.
JIM CARDOSO: WE HAD A LOCATION TO RENDEZVOUS WITH THE A-10S SO THAT WE CAN THEN DO OUR FINAL PREPARATIONS IN FLIGH AND THEN PRESS INTO SERBIA FOR PICK UP.
AT THAT POINT WE FIND OUT FROM THE A-10S THAT THEY WERE RUNNING OUT OF FUEL.
COME ON.
WE'VE GOTTA TURN BACK, THE TANKS ARE RUNNING LOW.
SOLDIER: SIR, THE A-10S ARE RUNNING LOW ON FUEL.
SOLDIER: SIR, THE MH60S ARE DOWN TO RESERVE.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: OH THAT STARTED THE WHOLE CHAIN REACTION, HEY I'M OUT OF GAS, EVERYONE NEEDED TO GO AND HIT THE TANKERS.
JIM CARDOSO: WE HAD ALL THE PIECES IN PLACE, WE HAD THE TRAINING, WE HAD THE EXPERIENCE, WE HAD THE GEAR, WE HAD EVERYTHING WE NEEDED, IT WAS FRUSTRATING.
TIME IS TICKING AWAY.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: ALL OF SUDDEN EVERYTHING IS FALLING APART.
AND THEN IT GETS WORSE.
ANNOUNCER: THIS IS CNN, BREAKING NEWS.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: SIR? SIR, YOU NEED TO SEE THIS.
REPORTER: WE INTERUP OUR PROGRAMMING TO BRING YOU LATE BREAKING NEWS FROM YUGOSLAVIA.
REPORTER: SERBIAN TELEVISION BROKE INTO BROADCASTING A SHORT TIME AGO WITH PICTURES SHOWING WHAT WAS CLAIMED TO BE THE BURNING WRECKAGE OF A STEALTH 117A FIGHTER.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: WHEN CNN COMES ON AND THE WRECKAGE AND ALL THESE GUYS JUMPING UP AND DOWN, I THOUGHT CRAP, WE'RE DEFINITELY UNDER THE GUN.
YOU KNOW I FEEL THIS PAIN IN MY CHEST, IT'S LIKE THIS SLOW THING, YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE BEING SQUEEZED TO DEATH, YOU KNOW, EVERY FEW MINUTES, THERE'S SOMETHING, ANOTHER PIECE OF STRESS BEING ADDED TO THE MISSION.
REPORTER: THE AUTHORITIES HERE IN BELGRADE SAY THAT THE PILOT, THE AIRCREW HAVE NO BEEN SEIZED FROM THE STEALTH BUT THEY ARE SEARCHING FOR THE CREWMEN.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: I DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO REALIZE, HEY, DALE'S STILL OUT THERE.
RIGHT LET'S JUS KEEP IT GOING EVERYONE.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: IT WAS A TIMING MARK, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I KNOW FROM HERE ON OUT, EVERY MINUTE COUNTS, EVERY SECOND COUNTS ONCE THAT THING'S ON TV.
JIM CARDOSO: THEY FUELED US UP, ALL THREE HELICOPTERS HAD THREE AND A HALF HOURS OF ENDURANCE.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO THIS.
FINALLY, I MEAN THAT'S REALLY THE FIRST WORD THAT POPPED INTO MY HEAD, WAS FINALLY.
[HARD RAIN AND LIGHTNING.]
DALE ZELKO: SUDDENLY I HEARD SOMETHING APPROACHING ME.
[FAINT FOOTSTEPS.]
I VERY, VERY SLOWLY RAISED MY HEAD.
VERY, VERY SLOWLY REACHED DOWN TO GRAB MY SURVIVAL KNIFE.
I JUST WAITED.
[SERBIAN SOLDIER SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
.
[DOG BARKING.]
THE DOG STOPPED ABOU 15 YARDS SOUTH OF ME.
AND I THOUGHT OH NO, ONE BARK OUT OF THIS DOG AND THEY GOT ME.
THAT'S, THAT'S IT, I'M DONE.
SOLDIER: HEY BUDDY, COME AND HAVE A LOOK AT THIS.
SIR, THE SERBS ARE SAYING THAT THEY'VE CAPTURED AN AMERICAN PILOT.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: I REMEMBER ALL THESE GUYS LOOKING AT US LIKE, WELL I GUESS IT'S OVER.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: THERE'S A VERY TENSE MOMENT, FOR EVERYONE.
WE'RE OUT OF CONTACT WITH DALE.
HEARD ANYTHING? SOLDIER: NEGATIVE, SIR.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: AND WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO WE'RE KIND OF IN, WE'RE IN LIMBO RIGHT NOW.
DALE ZELKO: I WAS MOTIONLESS AND I WAS SOUNDLESS.
I'M THINKING WHAT IF SUDDENLY THE RADIO SQUAWKED AND SOMEBODY WAS TRYING TO GET HOLD OF ME.
WHAT DO I DO? DO I STAB IT, DO I SLIT ITS THROAT? I'M THINKING OKAY, IF I KILL THIS DOG, WHAT IF IT ENDS UP BEING A VILLAGER'S DOG AND THEN THE VILLAGERS ARE THE FIRST ONES WHO CAPTURE ME, THEY'RE GOING TO BE REALLY UPSET.
AND THEN JUST AS SUDDENLY AS IT ARRIVED, IT WENT AWAY.
SUDDENLY THE RADIO SQUAWKED.
[SERBIAN SOLDIER SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
.
IT SOUNDED PRETTY LOUD TO ME.
[SERBIAN SOLDIER SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
.
VEGA 31, VEGA 31, THIS IS SANDIE ARE YOU THERE? DALE ZELKO: THIS IS VEGA 31, COPY.
SOLDIER: SIR, SIR, WE GOT HIM BACK ON THE RADIO.
SANDIES TALKING TO VEGA 31 RIGHT NOW.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: IT WAS A FAIRLY INTENSE SITUATION, I MEAN THE SERBS PUT OU SOMETHING THAT THEY HAD CAPTURED AN AMERICAN PILOT.
SO WE NEEDED TO KNOW WHETHER IT'S REALLY DALE.
DALE ZELKO: SANDIES TRYING TO GET HOLD OF ME, I RESPOND.
VEGA 31, COPY.
AND THEN THEY ASK ME SOMETHING THAT REALLY CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD.
RADIO: VEGA 31, I UNDERSTAND THE COLOR OF YOUR MOTORCYCLE IS BLACK.
VEGA 31, I UNDERSTAND THE COLOR OF YOUR MOTORCYCLE IS BLACK, CAN YOU COPY? DALE ZELKO: AND I THOUGHT, MY MOTORCYCLE'S NOT BLACK.
THEN IT OCCURRED TO ME, OH OKAY, I GET WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
THEY THINK THAT THERE'S A REALLY GOOD CHANCE THA I'M COMPROMISED, THAT I'M UNDER DURESS, THAT THERE'S A GUN TO MY HEAD, THAT THEY'RE BEING LURED INTO AN AMBUSH.
IF I RESPOND WITH, YEAH, IT'S BLACK, THEY'LL KNOW, OKAY, DON'T COME IN THERE.
BUT IF I RESPOND WITH.
NO, IT'S RED.
THEY'LL KNOW HE'S GOOD TO GO.
SOLDIER: COPY THAT.
THE SURVIVOR'S BEEN AUTHENTICATED.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: THA WAS ALL I NEEDED TO KNOW.
YEAH WE'RE GOOD.
LET'S GET THIS THING GOING.
JIM CARDOSO: I WAS A MASSIVE RELIEF.
HE'S ON THE COMM'S.
THEY HAD AUTHENTICATED HIM, THANK GOD HE WAS OKAY AND THEN WE'RE GIVEN THE FINAL PUSH.
DALE ZELKO: RIGHT THEN I SAW AN AIRBORNE VEHICLE WITH A SPOT LIGHT ON.
AND THAT REALLY CONFUSED ME AND I SAID YOU GUYS HAVE A SPOT LIGHT ON, THINKING THEY'RE OUT OF THEIR MINDS.
IT'S MAKING THEM AN INSTANT TARGET.
THEN SUDDENLY I REALIZED THAT WAS AIRBORNE SERBIANS SEARCHING FOR ME.
I CAN SEE THAT THEY WERE GETTING CLOSER, WHICH MADE ME FEEL LIKE, OKAY, MAYBE THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHERE I AM.
[SERBIAN SOLDIER SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE.]
.
JIM CARDOSO: I'M NOW FIVE MILES OUT OR SO, I ASK VEGA 31, IT'S THE A-10'S WHAT IS THE THREAT IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA.
VEGA 31, WHAT IS THE THREAT IN YOUR AREA? IS IT SAFE TO GO IN? I REPEAT IS IT SAFE TO GO IN? THERE WAS DEFINITELY A POSSIBILITY THAT THE SERBS ARE USING DALE TO TRY TO LURE IN THE RESCUE CORPS, SO THEY COULD SHOOT US DOWN.
VEGA 31 DO YOU COPY? DALE ZELKO: I DIDN'T ANSWER HIM, I COULDN'T ANSWER HIM.
JIM CARDOSO: VEGA 31, IS IT SAFE TO EXECUTE, OVER.
DALE ZELKO: I FELT THA THAT LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY TO COMMIT THESE GUYS INTO THIS VERY HIGH THREA AREA WAS OVERWHELMING.
TRULY THE HARDEST THING THAT I'VE EVER HAD TO DO IN MY WHOLE LIFE WAS TO, TO MAKE THAT DECISION, MAKE THAT CALL.
JIM CARDOSO: VEGA 31, IS IT SAFE TO EXECUTE, OVER? DALE ZELKO: FINALLY I SAID, OKAY.
YEAH, LET'S GO FOR IT.
JIM CARDOSO: HANG ON BOYS.
THIS IS THE SUPERBOWL, THE GAME'S ON THE LINE.
THERE'S A NO KIDDING PERSON OUT THERE THAT NEEDS US.
ALL RIGHT, GOGGLES DOWN, GOGGLES DOWN.
WE WERE PRESSING IN RIGHT ABOVE THE TREE TOPS, VERY LOW LEVEL.
ABOUT 100 FEE ABOVE THE GROUND.
SUDDENLY MY RIGH DOOR SCANNER SHOUTS OUT.
SCANNER: WHOA, WHOA, GUYS, GUYS! JIM CARDOSO: I DON'T THINK AT THAT POINT, I JUST REACT.
[INAUDIBLE.]
.
I'D REALIZED A THAT POINT OKAY, MAYBE WE JUST NEED TO BRING THE ALTITUDE UP A LITTLE BIT.
DALE ZELKO: I'M HEARING HELICOPTER NOISE APPROACHING FROM THE WEST.
THERE WAS THIS GREA SENSE OF RELIEF.
JIM CARDOSO: WE CAN NOW START TO HEAR HIM TALK.
SOLDIER: THEY'RE TALKING TO HIM SIR.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: WE GET THE CALL, THE HELICOPTER PACKAGE IS TALKING DIRECTLY TO DALE, THEY'RE CLOSING IN.
JIM CARDOSO: VEGA 31, ACTIVATE YOUR STROBE.
I REPEAT, ACTIVATE YOUR STROBE.
DALE ZELKO: I HAD ONE COVERT SIGNALING DEVICE, ONE INFRARED STROBE TO SIGNAL WITH, WHICH CAN ONLY BE SEEN WITH NIGHT VISION DEVICES.
SO I PUSHED THE BUTTON, FELT THE CLICK, CLICK, THEN I HEAR JIM CARDOSO: VEGA 31, I'M NOT SEEING YOUR STROBE, REPEAT.
DALE ZELKO: IT WAS NO WORKING, IT WAS BROKEN.
SO MY ONLY COVER SIGNALING DEVICE DIDN'T WORK.
JIM CARDOSO: WE ORBITED FOR ABOUT THREE TO FOUR MINUTES, HE WAS TRYING TO TALK US ON HIS POSITION.
SUDDENLY WE COULD SEE MILITARY TRUCKS ON THE ROAD NEAR HIS POSITION.
WE'RE RIGH OVER TOP OF 'EM.
THE ENEMY IS RIGHT THERE AS WELL.
WE NEED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
JIM CARDOSO: ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT, THE SERBS HAVE AN IDEA WHERE WE ARE.
NOW THEY KNOW.
THEY CAN HEAR US.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: THERE'S NO TURNING BACK NOW, WE'RE NOT FOOLING ANYBODY, THERE AIN'T TACTICAL DECEPTION GOING ON, WE'RE JUS GONNA FORCE OUR WAY IN.
BUT THE RESCUE PACKAGE DOESN'T HAVE A VISUAL ON DALE, HE CAN HEAR EVERYTHING BUT THERE'S NO VISUAL CONTACT.
JIM CARDOSO: I WAS FRUSTRATING.
WE KNEW WE WERE CLOSE, WE KNEW WE WERE VERY CLOSE.
DALE ZELKO: AND I HEAR VEGA 31, VEGA 31, IF WE'RE THIS CLOSE JUST GO OVERT.
JIM CARDOSO: VEGA 31, IF YOU COPY, GO OVERT, I REPEAT GO OVERT.
DALE ZELKO: THIS IS THE MOST RISKY, THE MOST DANGEROUS POINT OF THE ENTIRE RESCUE.
I'M EXPOSED NOW.
I GET OUT ONE OF MY SIGNAL FLARES.
THIS IS GOING TO COMPROMISE MY POSITION IMMEDIATELY.
JIM CARDOSO: VEGA 31, PUT OUT YOUR FLARE, I REPEAT PU OUT YOUR FLARE.
HE BLINDED US, WHEN YOU NIGHT VISION GOGGLES WITH A BASICALLY THE EQUIVALENT OF A ROAD FLARE, IT'S GONNA BLIND YOU.
THE H60 DROPPED OUT OF THE FORMATION AND STARTED ITS APPROACH.
DALE ZELKO: NOTHING'S HAPPENED, SECONDS WERE GOING BY, ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN AND THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THA FRIENDLIES ARE GONNA GRAB ME BEFORE THE SERBIANS CAN GRAB ME.
SUDDENLY I SEE THESE TWO SHAPES.
I HAD NO SENSE OF WHO I WAS, SERBIANS OR FRIENDLIES.
HE COMES RIGHT UP TO ME AND HE SAID, HOW YOU FEELING SIR? AND I SAID GREAT, LET'S GET OUT OF HERE.
JIM CARDOSO: THEY GOT HIM, THEY GOT HIM.
WHOO! LET'S GET OUT OF HERE! SOLDIER: THEY GOT HIM, SIR, THEY GOT HIM.
JOHN MCGONAGILL: IT WAS LIKE YOU KNOW TIME SQUARE, NEW YEAR'S EVE, I MEAN THINGS WERE FLYING AND PEOPLE WERE HIGH FIVING EACH OTHER.
I MEAN I WAS, I MEAN I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE WE'D FINALLY PULLED THIS THING OFF.
IT WAS A HELL OF A MOMENT THAT I DON'T THINK I WILL EVER FORGET.
DALE ZELKO: THE NEXT DAY I WAS ABLE TO CALL MY DAUGHTER GINA.
AND WISH HER A HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
GINA: HI DADDY, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY.
DALE ZELKO: IT MEAN EVERYTHING TO ME, WHEN I HEARD GINA'S VOICE, SHE SOUNDED VERY CHEERFUL, VERY HAPPY, VERY NORMAL.
THESE GUYS HAD JUST RISKED IT ALL TO COME AND GET ME AND TO BRING ME HOME.
THE EXTRAORDINARY INDIVIDUALS LIKE JIM CARDOSO.
JIM CARDOSO: WE DEPLOYED AND WE WERE TASKED TO DO SOMETHING, TO DO SOMETHING CHALLENGING, TO DO SOMETHING WORTHWHILE AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO I AND IT WAS A GOOD FEELING.
WE WENT IN WITH 37 PEOPLE AND WE CAME OUT WITH 38.
DALE ZELKO: IT'S JUS AN INDESCRIBABLY OVERWHELMING EMOTION OF AWE, UTTER AWE AND GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION AT WHAT THESE GUYS, THEY'RE WILLING TO DO, TO BRING HOME A FELLOW WAR FIGHTER.