A-6 Intruder shot down over Lebanon 1983

[Budd_wiser]

Do any members on the forum here have any recollection of an A-6 Intruder that was
shot down over Lebanon in December 1983. Why were US aircraft carriers involved in
air strikes on Syrian targets.

[Snoshi]

In retaliation for the attacks, France launched an airstrike in the Beqaa Valley against alleged Islamic Revolutionary Guards positions. President Reagan assembled his national security team and planned to target the Sheik Abdullah barracks in Baalbek, Lebanon, which housed Iranian Revolutionary Guards believed to be training Hezbollah fighters.[10] Defense Secretary Weinberger lobbied successfully against the mission, because he was not certain that Iran was to blame for the attacks.[9]

Besides a few shellings, there was no serious retaliation for the Beirut bombing from the Americans. In December 1983, U.S. aircraft attacked Syrian targets in Lebanon, but this was in response to Syrian missile attacks on planes, not the barracks bombing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Beirut_barracks_bombing

[Budd_wiser]

Thanks Snoshi,

Apparently a second aircraft (A-7) was shot down on the same day.

I find it hard to believe that the US sent two carriers East of Cyprus
during this timeframe, but these links help to explain the air srtikes.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE2D6163CF935A3575BC0A96F948260

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_278.shtml

[KB]

Do any members on the forum here have any recollection of an A-6 Intruder that was
shot down over Lebanon in December 1983. Why were US aircraft carriers involved in
air strikes on Syrian targets.

Strikes were flown from the JFK and Independence.

A-6 piloted by Lt. Mark Lange went down in target area; Lange was KIA. BN Robert Goodman was captured and released by the Syrians to Jesse Jackson.

A-7 made it to the coast, pilot (CAG) ejected into the drink.

One of the more FUBAR moments in US Naval aviation history. Poorly planned, poorly executed with negligible results.

[giggler]

Because of the poorly planned strikes for that mission, Strike U was started so that screw ups like that would not happen and CAGs rank got forked up to O-6, SecNav Lehman didn't like how poorly planned the strikes were planned. It would have been better to let the USS New Jersey let her guns loose instead that would have woken up the neighborhood.

[One?]

my brother saw it when it got shot over beirut...he was about 8 years old at that time. Nothing but respect to the US forces that were in lebanon. From personal experience they did indeed capture my family's heart and minds !