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The Rescue of DUDE 44: Inside the Massive
Operation to Save Two Downed Airmen In Iran

Original Article

Posted By: Dreadnought, 4/6/2026 9:04:41 PM

The dramatic and sprawling two-day operation to save the crew of an F-15E Strike Eagle shot down over Iran on April 3 involved hundreds of personnel, dozens of aircraft—and multiple close calls. In an April 6 press briefing at the White House, President Trump and top government officials walked reporters through how the massive rescue operation unfolded and outlined new details of the risky, high-stakes operation. Trump, who spoke alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, called the successful operation “one of the largest, most complex, most harrowing

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Reply 1 - Posted by: DVC 4/6/2026 10:33:53 PM (No. 2089714)
Nothing much new besides the callsign Dude four-four. Flying aircraft over a 'wrong site' location is a good move, interesting that they flew in the little Hughes 500s inside the C-120s and then abandoned them and destroyed them, too. Oh, well, helos can be replaced. I hope that Dude Four Four Bravo is going to fully recover from his injuries.
13 people like this.

Reply 2 - Posted by: DVC 4/6/2026 10:43:35 PM (No. 2089718)
If you like to read about hero pilots, look up the Vietnam war exploits of Bernie Fisher in Hobo Five-One. Amazing stuff has been done, and continues to be done.
13 people like this.

Reply 3 - Posted by: DVC 4/6/2026 10:45:15 PM (No. 2089719)
uh-oh, typo--- "inside the C-130s".....AFAIK, there are no C-120 military aircraft.
8 people like this.

Reply 4 - Posted by: DVC 4/6/2026 10:53:06 PM (No. 2089720)
The story of Hobo Five-One.....in a ballad, by another Vietnam pilot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuoHU1PL2uQ
5 people like this.

Reply 5 - Posted by: Older Lady 4/6/2026 11:14:19 PM (No. 2089725)
There are a lot of sad Democrats today because they didn't want the mission to rescue this crew member to be successful. I wish we could send every one of those Democrats to Iran and just leave them there since they want Iran to be the winners in this fight.
26 people like this.

Reply 6 - Posted by: mifla 4/7/2026 4:24:35 AM (No. 2089751)
I hope the Biden types who were involved with their Afghanistan catastrophe were taking notes.
11 people like this.

Reply 7 - Posted by: Sorosisbehindit 4/7/2026 7:30:14 AM (No. 2089810)
That press conference was must see tv! I had thought Raizin' Caine would be older.
7 people like this.

Reply 8 - Posted by: Zbogwan2 4/7/2026 10:42:18 AM (No. 2089907)
Thank God, Obama, Biden and the Bushes weren't in office when this event occurred!
3 people like this.

Reply 9 - Posted by: DVC 4/7/2026 11:25:57 AM (No. 2089926)
Re #7. The average age for promotion to one star is late 40s to early 50s. One USN two star in my family retired at 53, after being two stars for three or four years. Caine could be late 50s or early 60s very likely.
1 person likes this.

Reply 10 - Posted by: Phantomll 4/7/2026 1:51:00 PM (No. 2089981)
General Caine is 57.
0 people like this.

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