by Sharon Rondeau
(Apr. 5, 2026) — At 12:08 a.m. on Easter Sunday, President Trump announced on Truth Social the rescue of a systems weapons officer shot down in Iranian territory Friday during Operation Epic Fury.
The airman, an Air Force colonel, was flying in an F15-E fighter jet whose pilot was also shot down but promptly recovered by U.S. forces.
“WE GOT HIM!” Trump declared. “My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND!”
At 7:52 a.m., Trump followed up by disclosing the officer was “seriously wounded” and announcing a press conference for Monday afternoon.
On March 12, the White House described the purpose of Operation Epic Fury as to “obliterate Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and production capacity, annihilate its navy, sever its support for terrorist proxies, and ensure the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism will never acquire a nuclear weapon.”
Thus far, the Iranian regime, though now led by unidentified parties, Ali Khamenei, was killed on the first day of the now-five-week campaign, has not acceded to Trump’s demand to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil is transported.
The regime closed the Strait shortly after the launch of Operation Epic Fury, justifying it on March 12 by pairing it with its desire to see U.S. military bases in Middle-Eastern nations closed.
Trump has given Iran until Monday night to reconsider, writing, “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!”
“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue,” Trump continued his initial post on the rescue. “At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine.”
He then revealed that the retrieval of the pilot was not “confirmed” to the press so as to avoid compromising the rescue of the colonel. “This miraculous Search and Rescue Operation comes in addition to a successful rescue of another brave Pilot, yesterday, which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation,” he wrote.
“This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory.” Trump went on. “WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND! The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies. This is a moment that ALL Americans, Republican, Democrat, and everyone else, should be proud of and united around. We truly have the best, most professional, and lethal Military in the History of the World. GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, AND HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!”
LEST WE FORGET
On March 24, 1970, Major Michael Davis O’Donnell, a helicopter pilot with the 170th Assault Helicopter Company, was commanding a UH-1H (“Huey”) Iroquois helicopter on a high-stakes mission deep in Cambodia’s Ratanokiri Province.
His task was to extract a beleaguered Special Forces MACV-SOG long-range reconnaissance patrol team, led by 1LT Jerry Pool, which had been relentlessly pursued by enemy forces through the night. The team, exhausted and under fire, radioed that immediate extraction was critical.
O’Donnell, known for his courage and quick decision-making, assessed the situation and landed his helicopter in a small, treacherous clearing despite the absence of a proper landing zone. After four tense minutes on the ground, he successfully loaded all eight team members, including his crew—WO John Hosken, SP4 Rudy Becerra, and SP4 Berman Ganoe—along with the LRRP team.
As the helicopter ascended, it was struck by enemy fire, triggering a devastating explosion. The crippled UH-1H struggled briefly, traveling about 300 meters before a second explosion tore through the aircraft, causing it to crash into the dense jungle below. Witnesses in a nearby Cobra helicopter reported seeing a yellow flash and thick black smoke rising from the crash site, with debris scattered widely, suggesting a catastrophic impact. Intense enemy ground fire prevented immediate rescue efforts, and aerial searches found no signs of survivors amidst the wreckage, which burned upon impact.
The dense jungle and hostile presence thwarted ground teams from reaching the site, and on April 18, search efforts were abandoned, leaving O’Donnell and the others listed as Missing in Action.
Decades later, in 1995, remains were recovered from the crash site, and by 2001, O’Donnell’s were identified through DNA testing, confirming his death. His bravery earned him posthumous honors, including the Distinguished Flying Cross and a Purple Heart, and his poignant poem, written months earlier, immortalized his call to honor “those gentle heroes you left behind.”
“If you are able, save for them a place inside of you….and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go…..Be not ashamed to say you loved them….
Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own….And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind.” — Major Michael Davis O’Donnell.
NEVER FORGOTTEN