From HuckFunn: America was celebrating 200 years of independence just as 94 Israeli citizens and 12 Air France crew were being held hostage by terrorists at the Entebbe Airport in Idi Amin's Uganda. The Israeli government decided upon a bold raid, named Operation Thunderbolt, to free the hostages and kill the terrorists. The raid was a huge success… the terrorists were killed and the hostages were freed and flown home to Israel. The leader of the raid, Col. Yoni Netanyahu was the only Israeli soldier killed during the raid. He was the brother of Israel's current Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. I remember watching the news of the raid on TV that day and for all of us watching it elevated our celebration of 200 years as a nation.
The Israeli force of four Hercules transport planes took off from Sharm El Sheikh, at the southern tip of the Sinai Desert, heading for Africa. The Unit’s force was flown in three of these planes, with the lead plane carrying Yoni and his initial assault party of 29 men. At the stroke of midnight, Ugandan time, on July 4, 1976, the first plane landed at Entebbe airport. Yoni and his men, driving in a Mercedes and two Landrovers, which were meant to simulate a Ugandan force, got off the plane and proceeded to the Old Terminal, where the hostages were held. Contact was soon made with Ugandan soldiers. A brief battle developed with the Ugandans and the terrorists, following which the terrorists in the building were killed and the hostages freed. During the battle, Yoni was hit in the chest, as he ran forward, and lay critically wounded outside the main hall where the hostages were held.