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Private Notes
When Medal of Honor winner LTC Iceal Hambleton’s plane is shot down while on a recon mission, a Navy SEAL and his South Vietnamese sidekick race to rescue him before North Vietnamese troops capture him. Hambleton, an expert on critical missile technology, is deep in enemy territory, surrounded by 30,000 enemy troops. Although hostile troops beat back the rescue team with superior gunfire, they refuse to give up. Meanwhile, despite the dangerous of discovery, Hambleton continues to report enemy positions and actions. USAF recon pilots photograph the areas Hambleton informs them about—and discover a potential rescue point. But how can they transmit the location to Hambleton without tipping off the enemy? A creative solution, and ingenious disguises play unique roles in this dramatic rescue.
In October 1983, rebel soldiers take over the island Commonwealth of Grenada. The rebels, emboldened by highly trained Cuban soldiers posing as construction workers, assassinate the Prime Minister and hold hostage Governor-General Paul Scoon, the legitimate head of the Grenadan government, in his residence. The U.S. is asked to send in American troops to liberate the island.
The SEALs swing into action. There is no time to gather intelligence, plan details or rehearse the assignments. In a perfect world, SEAL units try to get in, do their work and leave before the shooting begins. But Grenada is less than a perfect world.
Two military helicopters race through the night carrying the SEAL team over the capital city. Their mission is to seize Government House and rescue the Governor-General. Spotted as they arrive, the helicopters meet fierce enemy fire. Both badly hit, one chopper is ordered back to base, while the other hovers crippled over the firefight. The SEALs quickly drop into the warzone by “fast-roping”, a quick exit procedure where they slide down heavy ropes at breakneck speed. The SEALs land and infiltrate Government House and find Governor-General Scoon inside with his family and staff.
Moments after being attacked by an armored personnel carrier, the SEALs finally make contact with the Air Force AC-130 Spectre gunship that was providing close air support to the mission. With help from the Spectre, the small band of SEALs hold the building even though they are significantly outnumbered and outgunned, repelling the overwhelming ground forces until the Marines arrive the following morning.
Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega steps up his threats of violence against Americans and their assets in Panama, as his corrupt regime becomes more entrenched in the illegal drug trade. After Panamanian soldiers kill an American officer and brutalize two witnesses, President Bush takes action. Unlike Grenada, time exists for the SEALs to gather intelligence and make plans. The SEALs mission was to take down Paitilla Airport where Noriega kept his private jet. They were to disable the plane and wait for Noriega. The plan called for 48 SEALs, more than triple the number of SEALs normally sent on a mission. The SEALs’ mission was supported by the Air Force AC-130 Spectre gunship, patrolling high overhead.
As the invasion begins on December 20, 1989, the SEAL teams approach from the sea. Minutes before the attack there is still no contact with the Spectre gunship and the commander receives new orders. They are to capture Noriega at Paitilla as he attempts to flee the country. Now, instead of firing on the hangar, the SEALs are to disable his jet by slashing the tires. Someone in Special Ops Command has just thrown out all the weeks of planning and rehearsal and forced the SEAL teams into a deadly ambush.
They must now sneak into the hangar undetected. The airport’s expansive tarmac, however, offers little cover. Panamanian soldiers discover the dozens of SEALs approaching the hangar. Exposed on the tarmac, the SEALs prove an easy target for the Panamanians. A deadly crossfire ensues. They never made contact with the Spectre and were without the much needed air support. Four SEALs lie dead; nine more are seriously wounded. Noriega never arrives at the airfield. While putting down the resistance the SEALs destroy his plane.
SEAL Team 6 sneaks into Bosnia packed inside metal cargo containers to capture a brutal Serbian politician indicted for crimes against humanity. But once they seize their quarry, their work is only partially complete–they must navigate through sectors controlled by various cabals and nations and international barricades to reach a secret airfield. There, a plane awaits, ready to take the war criminal to the Hauge to stand trial.
