James Lee Dozier | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 10, 1931 Arcadia, Florida, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1950–1985 |
| Rank |  Major general |
| Commands | Deputy Chief of Staff at NATO's Southern European land forces |
| Battles / wars | Cold War |
| Awards | |
James Lee Dozier (born April 10, 1931) is a retired United States Army officer. In December 1981, he was kidnapped by the Italian Red Brigades Marxist guerilla group. He was rescued by NOCS, an Italian special force, with assistance from the Intelligence Support Activity's Operation Winter Harvest, after 42 days of captivity. General Dozier was the deputy Chief of Staff at NATO's Southern European land forces headquarters at Verona, Italy. The Red Brigades, in a statement to the press, stated the reason behind kidnapping an American general was that the U.S. and Italian governments had enjoyed excellent diplomatic relations and that Dozier was an American soldier invited to work in Italy, which to them justified their abduction of him. To date, Dozier is the only American flag officer to have been taken prisoner by a violent non-state actor.[1]
- ^ BBC On This Day | 28 | 1982: US general rescued from Red Brigade. BBC News (1986-01-28). Retrieved on 2011-08-28.