This week's hero is...
Ulrich Wegener
Ulrich Wegener (no relation to Armin Wegener) was born on August 22, 1929 in Jüterbog, Germany. While growing up he was forcefully conscripted into the German Army during the final days of World War II. After the end of the war, Wegener became a police officer in Western Germany. He eventually rose to the rank of colonel. In 1972 however, Wegener and the rest of the world watched as a terrible tragedy unfolded during the Summer Olympics in the city of Munich.
On September 5, 1972, 8 Palestinian terrorists infiltrated the olympic compounds and took 11 Israeli athletes and coaches hostage. After a day long standoff, German police attempted to rescue the hostages and kill the terrorists. However, the rescue was botched and all 11 hostages were killed (along with a German police officer). Wegener was among those who watched the horror unfold on International TV.
Inquiries into the massacre concluded that the botched rescue happened due to a lack of coordination and a lack of training among the German police in handling terrorist situations. The German government concluded that the country needed to have an elite police force that was equipped and trained to deal with terrorists (especially hostage situations). Ulrich Wegener was asked to create and lead this elite unit. Wegener (who had been affected by the massacre) accepted the task. He then got in contact with special forces from Great Britain, Israel, and the United States. With their help, Wegener was able to create the elite police unit that could combat terrorists. This unit was officially established on April 17, 1973 and was named, "GSG-9". The creation of GSG-9 came not a moment too soon.
On October 12, 1977, a German airliner (Lufthansa Flight 181) took off with 86 passengers and 5 crew members on board. Minutes after takeoff the plane was hijacked by four Palestinian terrorists of the PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine). The terrorists diverted the plane to five different airports before finally stopping at an airport in Mogadishu, Somalia after running low on fuel. Once there, the four terrorists demanded the release of 13 imprisoned terrorists and a ransom of $15 million. The situation became even more dire when the terrorists executed the pilot of the flight and threatened to begin executing more hostages if their demands were not met. To save the hostages and not give in to the terrorists's demands, German chancellor Helmut Schmidt gave the green light for Colonel Wegener to launch a rescue mission codenamed: Operation Feuerzauber (Fire Magic).
Wegener led 30 commandos of GSG-9 to Mogadishu on October 18, 1977. They quietly landed at the airport and took positions around the hijacked aircraft. Wegener decided to launch the rescue from the aircraft's rear (this was its blind spot). While this was happening, a negotiator distracted the terrorist leader and Somali soldiers lit a bonfire in front of the aircraft which caused the remaining terrorists to rush to cockpit. This left the hostages unguarded and presented a window of opportunity for the rescue. Wegener and GSG-9 did not waste the opportunity. At 2:07 their assault began. They climbed onto the wings and blasted open the aircrafts emergency doors. The commandos then threw stun grenades which disoriented the terrorists and made them easy prey. Within seven minutes three of the terrorists were killed and the fourth was severely wounded and captured.
As a result of the rescue all of the remaining 90 hostages on Lufthansa Flight 181 were saved. Operation Fire Magic was declared a major success and the GSG-9 commandos returned to a hero's welcome in Germany. Ulrich Wegener received the Federal Cross of Merit for his heroism in leading the rescue. He would continue to command GSG-9 until 1979 when he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General of German Federal Police. He retired from the police force in 1988 and went on to train many countries in ways of countering terrorism. Ulrich Wegener died on December 28, 2017 at the age of 88.
To this day, thousands of people around the world have been victimized by acts of terrorism. Ranging from aircraft hijackings, hostage situations, mass shootings, and bombings, these acts of killed many people and left deep scars on the world. However, there are those who stand up to terrorists and find a way to fight back against them and deter future attacks. Ulrich Wegener was one of those people. He was a man who witnessed a terrible act of terrorism and resolved to find a way to prevent future attacks from happening. Because of this, the hostages of Flight 181 all survived their ordeal and many other people have been rescued from similar situations. I believe that Ulrich Wegener is one of the greatest heroes in history.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/obituaries/ulrich-wegener-dead-german-commando-ended-hijacking.html
http://www.dw.com/en/ulrich-wegener-german-hero-of-mogadishu-dies-aged-88/a-42018291
https://special-ops.org/sof/mission/hijacking-of-lufthansa-737-airplane/
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