KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana |LA Soldiers Assist In Hostage Rescue

LA Soldiers Assist In Hostage Rescue

June 16, 2005
Reported by Pam Dixon

Louisiana National Guardsmen were part of the mission that led to the June 15 rescue of an Australian hostage in Baghdad. Members of the 256th Brigade Combat Team were assisting Iraqi soldiers when they found 63 year old hostage, Douglas Wood.

Wood in a old kidnappers' videotape says, "Please help me. I don't want to die."

The Australian engineer is a free man after 47 days in captivity thanks to a lucky break when Iraqi soldiers stumbled upon him in a house being searched for weapons and insurgents. Wood says, "You don't know how pleased I am to see you."

When Wood was rescued, Louisiana National Guardsmen were assisting the Iraqi forces in searching 400 homes in Baghdad. The 256th's Cpt. Randy Green of Bossier City was in charge of the Military Transition Team assisting them. Green says, "We were there looking for bad guys. I mean, we were there just doing our everyday jobs. They were doing a cordon and search. It was planned to be a three hour operation. We were only about 45 minutes into the operation when we ran upon Mr. Woods."

Green and Cpl. Ryan Simon of Lafayette were 200 meters away when they heard shots fired at the home. They drove up as a dazed and disoriented Wood was coming out. Green says, "I went up and introduced myself to him and told him that we were here to take him home" Simon says, "He was hugging everybody he could and just praising everybody. This man was so overjoyed. I was overwhelmed myself and all I could think of was how lucky this guy was and how great a thing we have done."

What a morale booster the rescue was for both American and Iraqi troops. Simon says, "We work with them (Iraqis) everyday and they're such great soldiers, and you could tell they were so excited to see what happened and to see that they're actually doing a great part to take back control of their country." Green says, "I'm always proud of my guys. They do a great job every day. This day was no different. We were pretty much doing our jobs, but we were lucky we came upon a hostage. We've done a lot of other things. Some of it hits the news. Some of it doesn't. We were able to give this man his life back."

Wood says, "God bless America." Saving a life, all in a day's work for members of the Louisiana National Guard.

An Iraqi hostage was also rescued from the same house, and several Iraqis were taken into custody. No one was killed in the raid.