Scott O'Grady
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| Scott Francis O'Grady | |
|---|---|
 Scott O'Grady (center) at a press conference after the Mrkonjić Grad incident. |
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| Nickname | Zulu |
| Born | October 12, 1965 Brooklyn, New York |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1989–2001 |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Other work | author:Return With Honor, Basher Five-Two, speaker |
Scott Francis O'Grady (born October 12, 1965) is a former USAF Captain and former United States Air Force fighter pilot who gained prominence after the June 2, 1995 Mrkonjić Grad incident, in which he ejected over Bosnia when his F-16C was shot down by a Bosnian Serb SA-6 while he was patrolling the no-fly zone. He also participated in the Banja Luka incident where he fired upon one enemy aircraft. The film "Behind Enemy Lines" is loosely based upon his experiences.
In Sept. 2011, O'Grady announced a run for the 2012 Republican nomination for Texas State Senate District 8[1], but he later suspended his campaign due to uncertainties over the Texas redistricting fight.[2]
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[edit] Incidents
The Mrkonjić Grad incident occurred June 2, 1995, near Mrkonjić Grad in Serb territory. He survived for almost six days by eating leaves, grass and ants, and avoiding Serb patrols while trying to contact Magic, NATO's airborne command center. He evaded capture and was rescued on June 8 by U.S. Marines of the 3rd Battalion 8th Marines within the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit based on the USS Kearsarge.[3]
[edit] Media
The incident was depicted on the documentary television program Situation Critical in episode #5 "Downed Pilot". This has been shown on the National Geographic Channel.[4] It was also covered in "Escape! – Escape From Bosnia: The Scott O'Grady Story" on the History Channel. BBC also made a documentary entitled "Missing in Action" that was later purchased by 20th Century Fox and Discovery Communications.
The 2001 film Behind Enemy Lines starring Gene Hackman and Owen Wilson is loosely based on this event.[5] Although O'Grady gave it a positive rating on the film review television show Hot Or Not, he sued the film company in 2002 for making the film without his permission. O'Grady took the legal action against 20th Century Fox for a film he believes was made about him without seeking his permission. He took action over the documentary, Behind Enemy Lines: The Scott O'Grady Story, which was a reedited version of a BBC documentary purchased and edited by Discovery Communications, which owns the Discovery Channel. The documentary was broadcast several times on the Discovery Channel, and O'Grady accused Fox of using it to promote the film. O'Grady took offense at the portrayal of 'his' character in Behind Enemy Lines "as a pilot who disobeys orders and swears".[6] The suits were settled in 2004. Fox made a confidential settlement with O'Grady.[7] A Texas court ruled against O'Grady and in favor of Discovery Communications stating in effect that the events in a persons life is not the same thing as one's likeness or image.[8]
O'Grady co-authored two books, one with Michael French detailing his experiences of being shot down over Bosnia and his eventual rescue — Basher Five-Two: The True Story of F-16 Fighter Pilot Captain Scott O'Grady.[9] He later wrote a book concerning the spiritual effects from his experience in Return with Honor with Jeff Coplon.[10] Another book has also been written: "Good to Go": The Rescue of Capt. Scott O'Grady, USAF, from Bosnia by Mary Pat Kelly.[11]
[edit] Personal life
O'Grady was born in Brooklyn, New York, a son of William P. O'Grady and Mary Lou Scardapane (née Giustra, remarried), and graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, Washington. He is a former cadet in the Civil Air Patrol and a 1989 Air Force ROTC graduate from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's campus in Prescott, Arizona. Three years after he was rescued, O'Grady left active duty in the U.S. Air Force and joined the Air Force Reserve, where he continued to fly the F-16. In May 2007, he completed a master's degree in biblical studies at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas. He resides in Frisco in Collin County, Texas.[12]
O'Grady is an active Republican, having spoken at the 1996 Republican convention in support of Bob Dole.[13] In 2004, O'Grady, supporting George W. Bush for re-election, accused Bush's opponent John Kerry of "treason" for actions taken during the Vietnam War.[14] More recently O'Grady endorsed Brian Birdwell in his successful 2010 bid for the Texas State Senate[15]; Birdwell is a recovered burn victim of the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon. On September 19, 2011, O'Grady announced his own candidacy for the Texas statehouse, seeking the 2012 Republican nomination in Senate District 8 following the retirement of Sen. Florence Shapiro.[16] O'Grady dropped out of the race in early 2012, claiming Shapiro had reneged on a promise to support him in the primary.[17]
[edit] Bibliography
- O'Grady, Captain Scott (with Jeff Coplon). Return with Honor, New York: Doubleday, 1995. (ISBN 0-385-48330-9)
- O'Grady, Scott (with Michael French). Basher Five-Two: The True Story of F-16 Fighter Pilot Captain Scott O'Grady, New York: Doubleday, 1997. (ISBN 0-385-32300-X)
- Kelly, Mary Pat. "Good to Go": The Rescue of Capt. Scott O'Grady, USAF, from Bosnia, Naval Institute Press, 1996. (ISBN 1-55750-459-8)
[edit] References
- ^ "Shapiro not seeking reelection; O’Grady announces". Austin American Statesman statesman.com. http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2011/09/19/shapiro_not_seeking_reelection.html. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
- ^ O'Grady suspends bid for Collin County seat in Texas Senate. Trail Blazers Blog for the Dallas Morning News. January 30, 2012.
- ^ Bruce B. Auster (19 June 1995). "One Amazing Kid - Capt. Scott O' Grady escapes from Bosnia-Herzegovina". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5zHdif1Rp.
- ^ http://www.ovguide.com/tv_episode/national-geographic-documentaries-season-3-episode-2-situation-critical-downed-pilot-549081
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0159273/
- ^ "Pilot sues over Bosnian escape film". BBC News. 20 August 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2205560.stm. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
- ^ Sarah Hall (21 January 2004). ""Behind Enemy Lines" Suit Settled". Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5zHeSRm6x.
- ^ TEXAS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW JOURNAL http://www.pattersonsheridan.com/images/uploads/TIPLJ-18-1-4-Jaasma-AuthorPDF.pdf
- ^ Basher Five-Two: The True Story of F-16 Fighter Pilot Captain Scott O'Grady Publisher: Yearling; Reprint edition (July 6, 1998)Language: English ISBN 978-0440413134 ASIN: 0440413133
- ^ Return with Honor Publisher: HarperTorch (August 23, 1996) Language: English ISBN 978-0061011474
- ^ "Good to Go": The Rescue of Capt. Scott O'Grady, USAF, from Bosnia by Mary Pat Kelly (Hardcover - Apr 1996) - Illustrated Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; 1st Printing edition (November 13, 2001) Language: English ISBN 978-0385729994
- ^ "Former fighter pilot Scott O’Grady running for new Rockwall Co. House seat". therockwallnews.com. http://therockwallnews.com/2011/0803/government/ogrady. Retrieved August 10, 201.
- ^ Convention Notes (Monday night). CNN. August 12, 1996.
- ^ O'Grady: Kerry's actions after Vietnam constituted treason. Associated Press (via Minnesota Public Radio). August 13, 2004.
- ^ "Endorsements of Brian Birdwell". brianbirdwell.net. http://www.brianbirdwell.net/endrosements.htm. Retrieved September 11, 2010.[dead link]
- ^ "Shapiro not seeking reelection; O’Grady announces". Austin American Statesman statesman.com. http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2011/09/19/shapiro_not_seeking_reelection.html. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
- ^ In Senate race, Scott O'Grady details split with Florence Shapiro. Trail Blazers Blog for the Dallas Morning News. February 2, 2012.
[edit] External links
- Bellamy, Christopher (July 7, 1995). "All-American hero's errors bring Nato down to earth". London: The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/allamerican-heros-errors-bring-nato-down-to-earth-1590222.html. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- "O'Grady calls rescuers who saved American pilot 'heroes'". CNN. 1999-03-30. http://edition.cnn.com/US/9903/30/ogrady/index.html. Retrieved 2006-07-30.
- "Captain Scott F. O'Grady (profile)". Last Frontier Council, Boy Scouts of America. http://www.lastfrontiercouncil.org/character-counts-speaker-06.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
- "Pilot sues over Bosnian escape film". BBC News. 2002-08-20. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2205560.stm. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
- More Information on the rescue of Scott O'Grady
- National Geographic Critical Situation profiles Scott O'Grady's story
