On this date in 1982, US Army Brigadier General James Dozier was rescued by Italian police. Dozier, who had been kidnapped by Italian Red Brigades terrorists 42 days earlier, was being held in an apartment in the northern Italian city of Padua. After determining the General’s location, the Italian police sent in the NOCS, a special operations unit trained in hostage rescue. A bulldozer was started near the building to cover the noise of the rescuers as they moved into position. A 12-man NOCS team stormed the apartment and overpowered the terrorists without firing a shot, rescuing the General, and taking five of his captors into custody.
Further reading:
Wikipedia – James L. Dozier
Wikipedia – Red Brigades
NY Times – General Dozier Freed in Major Red Brigades Defeat
Air & Space Power Journal – The Dozier Kidnapping: Confronting the Red Brigades
SpecWarNet – NOCS
His ordeal is still used in class study. Textbook case of how one should never establish a public routine.
I attended a lecture he gave in 1999 at Hurlburt Field, FL. He was very up front about the mistakes he made that led to his abduction.
John D.:
I agree with LC…never let “them” know what you’re doing…change it up and keep ‘em guessin’.
Bet that lecture was first-rate, too.
Good post.
Stay safe out there.
The lecture was excellent. There’s nothing like hearing from someone who’s been there, short of being there yourself. And a hostage situation is somewhere is somewhere I’d rather not experience myself.