Bobby Goodman Robert O . Goodman is a former A - 6 Intruder Bombardier Navigator and class of 1978 graduate of the United States Naval Academy . He was shot down over Lebanon on December 4 , 1983 . Captured upon ejection from his stricken plane , he was held captive for 30 days . His release on January 3 , 1984 , was facilitated by Reverend Jesse Jackson . Background . In October 1983 USS " John F . Kennedy " ( CV - 67 ) was diverted to Beirut , Lebanon from her planned Indian Ocean deployment , after the Beirut barracks bombing killed 241 US Military personnel taking part in the Multinational Force in Lebanon , and spent the rest of that year and early 1984 patrolling the region . On 4 December , in response to two US F - 14 aircraft havng been fired upon the previous day , ten A - 6 Intruders of VA - 85 " Black Falcons " along with A - 6 and A - 7 Corsair aircraft from USS " Independence " ( CV - 62 ) took part in a bombing raid over Beirut . Capture . While on a bombing mission , the two - man crew from VA - 85 was hit by an infrared homing missile ( SA - 7 or SA - 9 ) into the engine nozzle upon dropping its bomb - load , while still in a dive through 1 , 800 feet ( 554 m ) AGL . The fuselage and a wing were immediately engulfed in flames , and then the right side engine erupted . The pilot , United States Navy Lieutenant Mark Lange , a Naval Aviator , tried to control the aircraft in order to safely eject the crew . After a rapid , low - level descent , the Intruder was seen to pull up and likely stalled , resulting in a crash on a 1 , 000 AGL hill , above a village surrounded by Syrian AAA - positions . Lange ejected both himself and Goodman in the final moment , but his parachute failed to properly deploy by the time he hit the ground . Lange ' s left leg was severely injured and he died shortly after capture by Syrian troops and Lebanese civilians . Goodman , rendered unconscious , broke three ribs , injured a shoulder and a knee during the landing , but was otherwise stable . He was captured and awakened by the Syrians and taken to Damascus . Captivity . Goodman was held for over a month , during which the US government made numerous attempts to free him . He had a few visitors , including Ambassador Robert Paganelli who brought him Christmas dinner . Freedom . In January 1984 , Jesse Jackson travelled to Libya and Syria within a party of approximately 20 volunteers including ; Wyatt T Walker , Jeremiah Wright and Louis Farrakhan . The mission ' s peaceful purpose was accomplished , as they secured the release of Goodman . White House Reception . U . S . President Ronald Reagan welcomed LT Goodman at the White House January 4 , 1984 , hours after he and Rev . Jackson arrived back in the U . S . Reagan said that LT Goodman " exemplified qualities of leadership and loyalty " and said Jackson ' s " mission of mercy " had " earned our gratitude and our admiration . " In turn , Jackson praised Reagan for sending a letter to Syrian President Assad calling for cooperation in bringing peace to Lebanon . Aftermath . Following captivity , release , and return to the United States , Lieutenant Goodman remained in active service . As a Lt Commander , Bobby Goodman was featured in an episode of " Wings over the Gulf " ( In Harms way , 1992 ) in which he discussed his experiences in the Gulf War of 1991 with Iraq where he flew the A - 6 Intruder . He retired as a Commander in 1995 .