00:02For the first time, we're hearing from one of the two U.S. Air Force officers shot down over
00:07Iran in April. The weapons systems officer, identified only by his call sign Bravo,
00:13told CBS's 60 Minutes about the moment their F-15E was hit, forcing him and his pilot to
00:18eject over the mountains of Iran. That day was just another day in the war for us until
00:25the moment where we got hit by an Iranian weapon. I think the best way I've been able to describe
00:31that moment was getting hit by a freight train. We do all we can to try to save the aircraft.
00:39It was evident that that wasn't possible, and soon thereafter, we ejected and found ourselves
00:46floating over the heart of Iran. So within seconds, you're ejecting. That's how quick the decision is.
00:52It is. I will be thankful to my dying day for my pilot and crewmate, Alpha, for saving our lives
01:00and ejecting us. Bravo's parachute was damaged, and he hit the ground with a broken back, arm,
01:06and shoulder. He landed about five miles from his pilot, Alpha, who was rescued by American forces
01:12about six hours after the crash. Military experts estimate Bravo plummeted to the ground at between
01:1970 and 100 miles per hour and called his survival a modern-day miracle. But even with broken bones
01:26in three places, Bravo kept moving, hiking and climbing a 7,000-foot ridgeline. That's him you can
01:33see here, alone behind enemy lines, evading capture without food or water for two days. Two elite Air Force
01:41pararescue operators finally reached him, ending one of the most complex and risky search and rescue
01:46operations in U.S. military history.
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