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Downloaded from
YTS.MX

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[soft dramatic music]

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♪

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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

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[indistinct radio chatter]

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♪

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- To take off from
a nuclear carrier

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in a helicopter
from a clear deck--

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yeah, it was very exhilarating,

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exhilarating to know
what we were going to do.

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- This was
a classified operation.

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Nobody knew.

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♪

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[dramatic music]

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♪

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♪

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[helicopter whirring]

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- We have passed
the point of no return...

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- I thought that
President Carter's guidance

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to put together
a rescue mission

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was absolutely appropriate.

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- We knew we were doing
something that was right.

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[crowds chanting
in foreign language]]

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- If you say Desert One,

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the average American,
they don't remember that.

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- What I saw was chilling.

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♪

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[crowd shouting]
[cheers and applause]

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♪

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- When I was about 11,

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my father got a job

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in Southern Iran
in the oil business,

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and I actually went there
with him for about a year.

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[distant chatter,
sheep bleating]

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I learned
a little bit of Farsi

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and got an appreciation
for Southern Iran,

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came back
to the United States,

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and years later, I enlisted.

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The army asked me
if I would like

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to be a foreign area officer,

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and Iran was on the list.

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Little-known fact,
Iran has the potential

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for having some
of the very best skiing

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in the entire world,

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the perfect champagne
powder snow conditions.

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[funky synth music]

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♪

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So when they offered Iran,

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I knew a little bit
about the language.

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I knew a little bit
about the country.

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I figured, hey,
this is gonna be a cornerstone

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of American foreign policy
for the rest of my career.

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Why not specialize?
So I did.

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[wind whooshing]

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- My father was assigned
to Iran

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with something called
community development.

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It was the ancestor of USAID,

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and I was a college student
at the time,

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and so I was able to go there

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in the summer of '62
to visit them.

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This was my first time
out of the United States.

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Years later,
when I went into Peace Corps,

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they said Iran, and I said,
"Well, that sounds fine.

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I have this little bit
of exposure to it."

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So I was assigned there
as an English teacher.

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[indistinct speech over PA]

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Of course,
the art is interesting.

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The poetry is beautiful.

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Some of the architecture
is exquisite,

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but the main thing there
is at the end of my service,

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I met my--my wife.

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[tender music]

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and we ended up having
both of our children there.

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♪

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I joined
the U.S. Foreign Service,

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and because I knew
Persian pretty well,

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the State Department asked me,

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"Do you want
to serve in Iran?"

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and I said no because

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I thought our policies
were too--

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we were too close
to the Shah...

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[grand band music playing]

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And under the Shah,

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Iran was a dictatorship.

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[trumpet fanfare playing]

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The Shah was seen
as an American puppet

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doing what the Americans
wanted to do.

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[cheers and applause]

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[indistinct shouting]

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- This is the latest
American spy plane.

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The Shah of Iran
will get seven of them.

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He says he's proven himself
as an ally of the west,

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defending a long border
with the Soviet Union.

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- Iran permits
no democratic opposition.

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Critics of the Shah claim
the military buildup

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is intended
for internal control.

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- The Shah of Iran has met
with every U.S. president

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since Truman,
and has enjoyed a long

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and friendly relationship
with the United States.

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[cheers and applause]

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♪

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- Jimmy Carter?
- Jimmy who?

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- I don't know who he is.

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- I heard he was
a peanut farmer.

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[cheers and applause]

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- I'm running for president.

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[cheers and applause]

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- What was the song?

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- Oh, Jimmy Carter,
you know, was the song.

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"I saw a young man speaking out
just the other day."

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- ♪ So stopped
to take a listen ♪

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♪ To what he had to say

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♪ He spoke straight
and simple ♪

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♪ By that I was impressed,
he said ♪

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♪ Once and for all,
why not the best? ♪

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[soulful music]

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- ♪ He said his name
was Jimmy Carter ♪

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♪ And I'm running
for president ♪

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[laughing] That's definitely--
excuse me, lousy voice.

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I had a good--
had a good singer.

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- Mark.
Excuse me.

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- My life had been mostly
one of successes.

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[soft music]

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You know, I had been elected
president with a great surprise

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to almost everybody except me.

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So help me, God.
- Congratulations.

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[cheers and applause]

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- Well, I had been
a state senator and governor.

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I saw that a lot of things
that I wanted to do

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in public office
were not being done.

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I wanted to maintain peace

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and not let the United States
get involved in wars

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and also bring peace to others,

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and I wanted to enhance

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the United States' input
on human rights.

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[static buzzes]

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- The Shah of Iran arrived
for a state visit

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to be greeted by the president,

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drums, trumpets, ceremony
on the White House lawn.

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[bright band music playing]

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- Jimmy Carter,
who is so closely identified

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with the cause
of human rights,

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a phrase that many believe
mocks reality in Iran.

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- Just as the Shah arrived
on the White House grounds,

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his opponents surged across
toward his supporters,

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and the streets of Washington
became a battleground.

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[indistinct shouting]

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- President Carter had just
launched into his welcome

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for the Shah
when up from the ellipse

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rolled a wave of tear gas,

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threatening,
but never breaking the will

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of the principals to carry on.

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[applause]

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- [sniffs]

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- We attach utmost importance

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to our relations
with the United States.

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We have never had

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the slightest shadow

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passing over our relations.

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[applause]

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[crowd chanting
in foreign language]

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[tense percussive music]

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- I got to the embassy
in August

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of 1978.

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My timing was impeccable.

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The revolution was

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in its very beginning stages.

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♪

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- All of the resentment
against the Shah

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had built up over many years

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and found a leader in a cleric

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called Ayatollah Khomeini,

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and he became this voice

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of all different currents
of opposition.

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- 3,000 miles away in the mud
of a tiny French village,

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Ayatollah Khomeini
was bringing down

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the Shah's ultra-modern armies

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with commands to followers
sent by tape cassette

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and long-distance phone call.

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[camera shutter clicks]
- The Shah was at his palace,

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and at least here
within its sedate grounds,

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all seems right
with the world,

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but in streets a few miles
from the palace gates,

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the rioting and revolution
that ushered 1978 out

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was there as 1979 began.

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Within days, he would turn
over governing responsibility

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and flee his country
to watch from abroad

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as his illusions
of a dynasty collapsed.

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[soft dramatic music]

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[cars honking]

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[crowd shouting indistinctly]

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- I saw it all on TV,
of course.

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There was shock and amazement

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at the size of the crowds,

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so I felt like
this was gonna be different.

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[crowd shouting
in foreign language]

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- And I was told,

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"Your foreign area officer
study time in Iran is over.

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Go home," and so I did.

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And that summer,

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they traded out
everybody in the embassy.

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[pensive music]

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- I was, at that point,
in charge

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of the American consulate
in Tabriz, Western Iran.

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There were only a couple of us
who spoke Persian, Farsi,

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and so we were asked
to stay on.

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We ended up being
taken back to Tehran,

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and I then joined
the embassy staff.

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- The State Department
sent out a notice saying,

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"We need people
with experience.

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00:12:04,099 --> 00:12:06,141
We want people
who know the language

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to go there and serve,"
so I volunteered to go,

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but my family stayed
in Saudi Arabia.

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Iran was in ferment,

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and for a foreign
service officer,

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ferment is always what you like
because things are happening.

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- I was 20 years old,
a young marine,

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experienced, trained,

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and I was assigned
to the United States embassy

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in Tehran, Iran.

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I had never in my life
ever heard of that country.

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♪

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I realized I was actually
going to be assigned

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to go into a revolution.

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- This was interesting stuff.

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How often do you get a chance
to see a tornado

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coming right down your street?

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You know, you wanna watch it.

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00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,363
It might be stupid,

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00:13:02,407 --> 00:13:04,866
counterproductive, dangerous,

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00:13:04,910 --> 00:13:07,327
but it's the kind of thing
people do.

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00:13:07,370 --> 00:13:09,120
- Today,
a State Department source

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00:13:09,164 --> 00:13:11,039
says the Shah has cancer.

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He was taken
to New York Hospital

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on Manhattan's
Upper East Side.

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00:13:34,773 --> 00:13:38,191
- Most of us at the--
at the embassy thought,

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"We're finished.

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We're done.

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Something bad
is gonna happen."

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00:13:45,826 --> 00:13:47,075
[crowd chanting
in foreign language]

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00:13:47,118 --> 00:13:50,078
[tense music]

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00:13:50,121 --> 00:13:53,373
♪

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00:13:53,416 --> 00:13:54,916
- Suddenly,

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00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:58,503
I hear a big racket
out in the streets.

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♪

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00:14:00,507 --> 00:14:02,507
I open the gate,
I peek down the street,

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00:14:02,551 --> 00:14:06,177
and sure enough, thousands
upon thousands of people

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00:14:06,221 --> 00:14:08,763
coming down to the embassy,

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00:14:08,807 --> 00:14:11,891
and it became
a little unnerving to me.

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♪

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00:14:14,479 --> 00:14:18,189
I locked the gate,
started walking back,

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and they started
climbing over the gates.

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00:14:21,152 --> 00:14:24,112
[gate rattling]

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00:14:24,155 --> 00:14:30,243
♪

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00:14:30,287 --> 00:14:33,288
I ran as fast as I could back
to that front door,

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00:14:33,331 --> 00:14:35,832
and they weren't more than
a couple steps behind me

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as the doors were slammed.

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00:14:38,336 --> 00:14:42,547
Immediately, the embassy
was put on shutdown.

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♪

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00:14:45,176 --> 00:14:47,135
- This group calling itself

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00:14:47,178 --> 00:14:50,972
Muslim Student Followers
of the Imam's Line...

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00:14:51,016 --> 00:14:53,182
[crowd chanting
in foreign language continues]

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00:14:53,226 --> 00:14:55,935
Banged their way in
with a set of bolt cutters.

264
00:14:55,979 --> 00:14:57,145
[glass shatters]

265
00:14:57,188 --> 00:15:00,523
- As they came in
the basement window,

266
00:15:00,567 --> 00:15:04,193
the marines were being told,
"Don't shoot.

267
00:15:04,237 --> 00:15:07,822
Hold your cool,
and eventually retreat."

268
00:15:07,866 --> 00:15:09,908
♪

269
00:15:09,951 --> 00:15:11,367
My heart was pounding.

270
00:15:11,411 --> 00:15:14,996
♪

271
00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:17,248
I--I wanted to run,

272
00:15:17,292 --> 00:15:20,001
but there was nowhere to go.

273
00:15:20,045 --> 00:15:21,336
They blindfolded me,

274
00:15:21,379 --> 00:15:24,464
they handcuffed me
behind my back,

275
00:15:24,507 --> 00:15:28,384
and I began to panic.

276
00:15:28,428 --> 00:15:30,929
I began to get scared.

277
00:15:30,972 --> 00:15:34,182
I didn't know what was going
to happen to us.

278
00:15:34,225 --> 00:15:41,230
♪

279
00:15:47,781 --> 00:15:49,864
- The sprawling
26-acre embassy compound

280
00:15:49,908 --> 00:15:51,574
once had a staff of 1,000.

281
00:15:51,618 --> 00:15:54,994
Now it is little more
than a jail.

282
00:16:11,304 --> 00:16:15,223
[crowd chanting
in foreign language]

283
00:16:45,130 --> 00:16:46,921
- According to
a Khomeini spokesman,

284
00:16:46,965 --> 00:16:49,549
the occupation has
the ayatollah's full support.

285
00:16:49,592 --> 00:16:51,426
The hostages will
remain captive

286
00:16:51,469 --> 00:16:53,136
until the Shah is returned.

287
00:16:53,179 --> 00:16:56,556
[crowd chanting
in foreign language]

288
00:16:56,599 --> 00:17:00,101
[angry shouting]

289
00:17:00,145 --> 00:17:03,354
- He added that their fate
is now in Carter's hands.

290
00:17:33,219 --> 00:17:34,385
- At the State Department,

291
00:17:34,429 --> 00:17:36,345
spokesman Hodding Carter
was emphatic.

292
00:17:36,389 --> 00:17:38,598
- Are we considering
handing him over?

293
00:17:38,641 --> 00:17:40,349
Are there any plans to do so
or to meet that demand?

294
00:17:40,393 --> 00:17:41,976
The answer is no.

295
00:17:42,020 --> 00:17:44,645
- The administration is now
emphasizing diplomacy,

296
00:17:44,689 --> 00:17:46,230
leaning on
the Iranian government

297
00:17:46,274 --> 00:17:48,441
as the way to get
the Americans released.

298
00:17:48,485 --> 00:17:50,234
- No one should underestimate

299
00:17:50,278 --> 00:17:52,445
the resolve
of the American government

300
00:17:52,489 --> 00:17:55,198
and the American people
in this matter.

301
00:17:55,241 --> 00:17:56,991
We did two things.

302
00:17:57,035 --> 00:18:00,495
One, we told the--
Ayatollah Khomeini

303
00:18:00,538 --> 00:18:03,122
that if he injured a hostage,

304
00:18:03,166 --> 00:18:06,125
that we would com--
impose a complete blockade

305
00:18:06,169 --> 00:18:09,712
against all trade or commerce
in and out of Iran,

306
00:18:09,756 --> 00:18:11,714
and if he killed a hostage,

307
00:18:11,758 --> 00:18:14,675
then we would attack
Iran militarily.

308
00:18:14,719 --> 00:18:17,011
[shutters clicking]

309
00:18:17,055 --> 00:18:18,638
- But the fact of it was,

310
00:18:18,681 --> 00:18:22,683
in case the Iranians paid
no attention to diplomacy,

311
00:18:22,727 --> 00:18:27,188
we needed to do
something about it.

312
00:18:27,232 --> 00:18:29,732
Could we have a rescue mission
that would work?

313
00:18:29,776 --> 00:18:32,652
Is there some way
of untangling this?

314
00:18:32,695 --> 00:18:34,529
Is there some way of--

315
00:18:34,572 --> 00:18:37,698
of getting these hostages
out of there?

316
00:18:37,742 --> 00:18:40,618
- Nobody else was aware

317
00:18:40,662 --> 00:18:45,248
that we were already
beginning to think,

318
00:18:45,291 --> 00:18:49,043
you know, that we might have
to use a military instrument

319
00:18:49,087 --> 00:18:52,547
to extract the--the hostages.

320
00:18:52,590 --> 00:18:55,633
[indistinct radio chatter]
- Keep your eyes open.

321
00:18:55,677 --> 00:18:58,136
- These are the men
of the Special Forces,

322
00:18:58,179 --> 00:18:59,512
some of the toughest

323
00:18:59,556 --> 00:19:02,056
and most highly-trained
soldiers in the world.

324
00:19:02,100 --> 00:19:04,225
- One of the most unique
military organizations

325
00:19:04,269 --> 00:19:05,560
in history,

326
00:19:05,603 --> 00:19:07,353
men who have accepted
the challenge

327
00:19:07,397 --> 00:19:09,313
of some of the most
daring assignments.

328
00:19:09,357 --> 00:19:10,648
[dramatic music]

329
00:19:10,692 --> 00:19:12,525
They learn
to function together.

330
00:19:12,569 --> 00:19:14,402
They become a team.

331
00:19:14,445 --> 00:19:17,071
- I was honored because
only certain people

332
00:19:17,115 --> 00:19:20,283
get picked to fly
with the Special Ops.

333
00:19:20,326 --> 00:19:21,742
The camaraderie

334
00:19:21,786 --> 00:19:24,370
and the closeness that you get,

335
00:19:24,414 --> 00:19:26,414
you don't get
with other people.

336
00:19:26,457 --> 00:19:28,791
You have their back,

337
00:19:28,835 --> 00:19:31,460
and they have yours.

338
00:19:31,504 --> 00:19:35,256
- A Delta Force group
had been created in 1975

339
00:19:35,300 --> 00:19:37,175
by Colonel Beckwith.

340
00:19:37,218 --> 00:19:39,468
- Charlie Alvin Beckwith.

341
00:19:39,512 --> 00:19:41,470
I first heard of him
when he was a major

342
00:19:41,514 --> 00:19:43,139
and they were interviewing him

343
00:19:43,183 --> 00:19:46,309
and he didn't speak very well
of the South Vietnamese troops.

344
00:19:46,352 --> 00:19:47,602
And this reporter asked him,

345
00:19:47,645 --> 00:19:49,395
"Well, what about
the North Vietnamese?"

346
00:19:49,439 --> 00:19:53,191
- What kind of fighters are the
Viet Cong that you met here?

347
00:19:55,361 --> 00:19:59,322
- I would give anything to have
200 of them under my command.

348
00:19:59,365 --> 00:20:02,200
They're the finest soldiers
I've ever seen.

349
00:20:02,243 --> 00:20:05,328
- I mean, that was sort of
politically un--incorrect

350
00:20:05,371 --> 00:20:07,788
to say in those days,

351
00:20:07,832 --> 00:20:11,459
but political correctness
was not one of the things

352
00:20:11,502 --> 00:20:14,462
for which
Charlie Beckwith was known.

353
00:20:14,505 --> 00:20:16,547
Sometimes he did things,
and we wondered, you know,

354
00:20:16,591 --> 00:20:20,676
is this guy 20% genius
and 80% moron,

355
00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:22,595
or is it the other way around,
you know?

356
00:20:22,639 --> 00:20:25,473
But the--of course,
in the end, he wasn't this

357
00:20:25,516 --> 00:20:28,601
dumb country boy
he sometimes pretended to be.

358
00:20:30,647 --> 00:20:33,689
- Our first initial mission

359
00:20:33,733 --> 00:20:38,277
set for the first two years
was just rescuing people,

360
00:20:38,321 --> 00:20:39,779
and there's
no greater privilege

361
00:20:39,822 --> 00:20:42,323
than rescuing somebody,

362
00:20:42,367 --> 00:20:44,659
bringing an American home.

363
00:20:44,702 --> 00:20:47,703
[birds chirping]

364
00:20:49,499 --> 00:20:53,834
- I was mowing the grass
in my house in California,

365
00:20:53,878 --> 00:20:56,170
and my wife at the time
came to the door and said,

366
00:20:56,214 --> 00:20:58,422
"Hey, you have a phone call,

367
00:20:58,466 --> 00:21:01,259
somebody from the Pentagon,"

368
00:21:01,302 --> 00:21:05,179
and they said, "We want you to
come to Washington tomorrow."

369
00:21:05,223 --> 00:21:08,349
- Tuesday night
before Thanksgiving,

370
00:21:08,393 --> 00:21:11,519
I got a call saying I needed
to show up to flight line

371
00:21:11,562 --> 00:21:16,357
the next morning about 6:00
with my flight gear.

372
00:21:16,401 --> 00:21:18,776
They didn't tell us
what it was about.

373
00:21:18,820 --> 00:21:20,486
[soft acoustic music]

374
00:21:20,530 --> 00:21:22,738
- I said,
"Okay, where are we going?"

375
00:21:22,782 --> 00:21:24,448
He says, "I don't know."

376
00:21:24,492 --> 00:21:28,369
"Well, what are we gonna do?"
He says, "I don't know."

377
00:21:28,413 --> 00:21:29,704
"Well, how long
we gonna be gone?

378
00:21:29,747 --> 00:21:31,831
30 days, you know, 60 days?"

379
00:21:31,874 --> 00:21:34,583
He said, "Don't know."

380
00:21:34,627 --> 00:21:36,377
- You don't know
what's coming, really,

381
00:21:36,421 --> 00:21:40,548
but it's "yes, sir"
and get on with it.

382
00:21:40,591 --> 00:21:43,884
♪

383
00:21:43,928 --> 00:21:46,846
- When I found out that
the aviators were called up,

384
00:21:46,889 --> 00:21:48,764
you started to get the idea
that something

385
00:21:48,808 --> 00:21:51,726
is being planned,
something is happening.

386
00:21:51,769 --> 00:21:55,271
He would, of course,
never said no.

387
00:21:55,315 --> 00:21:58,399
His mindset was to do a job,
get it done,

388
00:21:58,443 --> 00:22:01,736
so we were really left alone.

389
00:22:01,779 --> 00:22:03,738
- He would get these calls
in the middle of the night.

390
00:22:03,781 --> 00:22:05,281
Away he'd go.

391
00:22:05,325 --> 00:22:07,825
He'd be gone
for three, four days,

392
00:22:07,869 --> 00:22:09,744
and then he'd come home,

393
00:22:09,787 --> 00:22:13,372
but he would never say where
he was because he couldn't.

394
00:22:13,416 --> 00:22:16,417
- These men who worked
or work with my dad

395
00:22:16,461 --> 00:22:18,836
would just show up and say,
"Let's go do this."

396
00:22:20,506 --> 00:22:21,839
It was like in that commercial

397
00:22:21,883 --> 00:22:24,508
where you see the boys
grabbing the dad's leg,

398
00:22:24,552 --> 00:22:26,427
and they're walking out
the kitchen.

399
00:22:26,471 --> 00:22:28,554
That was what it was like
in our house.

400
00:22:28,598 --> 00:22:31,766
My mom was the patriarch

401
00:22:31,809 --> 00:22:34,560
at that period of our lives,

402
00:22:34,604 --> 00:22:38,272
and so she ran everything,
and he went off and flew.

403
00:22:38,316 --> 00:22:39,732
[chuckles softly]

404
00:22:39,776 --> 00:22:42,735
[pensive music]

405
00:22:42,779 --> 00:22:49,658
♪

406
00:22:49,702 --> 00:22:50,993
- Iranian students today

407
00:22:51,037 --> 00:22:52,828
warned that they would
kill their captives

408
00:22:52,872 --> 00:22:56,082
if the United States tried
to intervene with force.

409
00:23:04,008 --> 00:23:06,675
- Today, Iran must be the only
country in the world

410
00:23:06,719 --> 00:23:08,010
with a television program

411
00:23:08,054 --> 00:23:11,305
on how to fire
an automatic rifle.

412
00:23:11,349 --> 00:23:13,057
Every night,
an invited studio audience

413
00:23:13,101 --> 00:23:14,558
apparently want to know

414
00:23:14,602 --> 00:23:17,019
how to tackle American
commandos in the street.

415
00:23:17,063 --> 00:23:20,022
- [speaking
in foreign language]

416
00:23:20,066 --> 00:23:23,067
♪

417
00:23:23,111 --> 00:23:25,403
- In Beverly Hills,
California,

418
00:23:25,446 --> 00:23:27,905
Iranian students had scheduled
their demonstration

419
00:23:27,949 --> 00:23:30,491
to begin at 10:30
in a small park,

420
00:23:30,535 --> 00:23:33,577
but a group of about
25 anti-Iranian demonstrators

421
00:23:33,621 --> 00:23:34,578
showed up first.

422
00:23:34,622 --> 00:23:35,996
In less than a minute,

423
00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:37,832
they began
to attack the students.

424
00:23:37,875 --> 00:23:40,668
[all shouting angrily]

425
00:23:40,711 --> 00:23:44,046
At one point the mob
cornered one of the Iranians.

426
00:23:44,090 --> 00:23:45,840
When he tried
to protect himself,

427
00:23:45,883 --> 00:23:47,675
this is what happened.

428
00:24:04,819 --> 00:24:07,069
- Mr. Speaker,
our phones are ringing.

429
00:24:07,113 --> 00:24:09,405
They will continue to ring
from irate citizens

430
00:24:09,449 --> 00:24:11,824
across the country
for the apparent

431
00:24:11,868 --> 00:24:14,994
weak-kneed non-policy
of this administration

432
00:24:15,037 --> 00:24:17,455
in dealing with the crisis
in Iran.

433
00:24:17,498 --> 00:24:21,667
- The fact that Americans
were treated and held hostage

434
00:24:21,711 --> 00:24:25,546
this way really traumatized
the American people

435
00:24:25,590 --> 00:24:28,424
and traumatized all of us.

436
00:24:28,468 --> 00:24:31,093
I can only tell you
that the president just went

437
00:24:31,137 --> 00:24:35,055
at this issue every day,
tried everything he could,

438
00:24:35,099 --> 00:24:39,852
but any strategies that raised
the risk of our hostages

439
00:24:39,896 --> 00:24:43,397
getting hurt,
he would never allow it,

440
00:24:43,441 --> 00:24:47,443
so we had to concentrate
on diplomacy.

441
00:24:47,487 --> 00:24:49,403
- It's very odd.

442
00:24:49,447 --> 00:24:51,780
Here's a person who was
a Naval Academy graduate,

443
00:24:51,824 --> 00:24:56,577
a submarine officer
who was in the nuclear navy,

444
00:24:56,621 --> 00:25:00,539
but Carter had
a great antipathy

445
00:25:00,583 --> 00:25:02,541
to the use of military force.

446
00:25:02,585 --> 00:25:06,587
- I felt that when
we could possibly resolve

447
00:25:06,631 --> 00:25:09,757
differences between us,
we should do with--

448
00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:14,053
you know, with generosity
and with maintaining peace.

449
00:25:14,096 --> 00:25:18,098
I invited the entire group
of family members,

450
00:25:18,142 --> 00:25:21,602
close friends to the State
Department to meet with them

451
00:25:21,646 --> 00:25:24,813
so I knew who they were
and I knew about every hostage

452
00:25:24,857 --> 00:25:26,607
that was being held
and so forth,

453
00:25:26,651 --> 00:25:29,026
so I was very deeply
and personally involved

454
00:25:29,070 --> 00:25:31,111
with the hostages
and their plight.

455
00:25:31,155 --> 00:25:34,698
I am not going to take
any military action

456
00:25:34,742 --> 00:25:37,576
that would cause bloodshed
or arouse

457
00:25:37,620 --> 00:25:41,121
the unstable captors
of our hostages

458
00:25:41,165 --> 00:25:42,998
to attack them
or to punish them.

459
00:25:43,042 --> 00:25:47,503
I'm gonna be very moderate,
very cautious.

460
00:25:47,547 --> 00:25:49,922
- Since this crisis began,
the U.S. government

461
00:25:49,966 --> 00:25:52,591
hasn't had a great deal
of leverage in Iran.

462
00:25:52,635 --> 00:25:54,218
Now it has even less.

463
00:25:54,262 --> 00:25:56,136
In covering
the State Department,

464
00:25:56,180 --> 00:25:59,098
particularly that daily grind

465
00:25:59,141 --> 00:26:01,725
of the noon briefing,

466
00:26:01,769 --> 00:26:04,103
I learned to listen

467
00:26:04,146 --> 00:26:07,815
very carefully
to what people say.

468
00:26:07,858 --> 00:26:12,027
President Carter's statements
were ill-considered.

469
00:26:12,071 --> 00:26:14,071
I'm sure it was intended

470
00:26:14,115 --> 00:26:18,075
to put the minds
of the families at ease...

471
00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:19,743
[shutter clicks]

472
00:26:19,787 --> 00:26:21,662
But if you're holding
the hostages

473
00:26:21,706 --> 00:26:23,664
and the president
of the United States

474
00:26:23,708 --> 00:26:25,499
has just said to you,

475
00:26:25,543 --> 00:26:27,918
"As long as you keep on
holding those hostages,

476
00:26:27,962 --> 00:26:29,545
no military action,"

477
00:26:29,589 --> 00:26:33,007
I thought it was about
as foolish a policy statement

478
00:26:33,050 --> 00:26:34,717
as you could make.

479
00:26:36,053 --> 00:26:40,639
- You can't look weak here.
America has to be strong.

480
00:26:40,683 --> 00:26:44,101
And, um, and I don't think...

481
00:26:44,145 --> 00:26:47,521
[laughs]
I don't think Carter cared.

482
00:26:47,565 --> 00:26:50,566
His priority
in this whole thing

483
00:26:50,610 --> 00:26:53,110
was to get the hostages
home safe.

484
00:27:39,450 --> 00:27:41,992
- One time they had
Mr. Khomeini,

485
00:27:42,036 --> 00:27:44,745
who's the current supreme
leader and at that time

486
00:27:44,789 --> 00:27:46,705
was the Friday prayer leader
of Tehran,

487
00:27:46,749 --> 00:27:48,666
so a big deal,
he came to visit us.

488
00:27:53,130 --> 00:27:54,880
- We had an exchange

489
00:27:54,924 --> 00:27:57,966
which made the television news
in Tehran that night

490
00:27:58,010 --> 00:28:01,303
and also made
the American newspapers.

491
00:28:33,295 --> 00:28:36,004
- I didn't want to berate him.
I didn't want to insult him.

492
00:28:36,048 --> 00:28:38,090
I was putting
the needle in him,

493
00:28:38,134 --> 00:28:39,383
but the message
was pretty clear,

494
00:28:39,427 --> 00:28:41,343
which was you have violated

495
00:28:41,387 --> 00:28:45,222
a basic tradition
of your own culture,

496
00:28:45,266 --> 00:28:48,058
and what you have done
is outrageous.

497
00:29:04,368 --> 00:29:06,076
- When the hostages
were taken,

498
00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:11,039
we immediately began planning
for the hostage rescue,

499
00:29:11,083 --> 00:29:13,917
and ultimately, we came up
with the plan that we used.

500
00:29:13,961 --> 00:29:15,043
[indistinct chatter]

501
00:29:15,087 --> 00:29:17,254
The mission was very
plain and simple.

502
00:29:17,298 --> 00:29:20,674
Bring home
52 American hostages.

503
00:29:20,718 --> 00:29:23,677
[percussive music]

504
00:29:23,721 --> 00:29:26,680
♪

505
00:29:26,724 --> 00:29:29,892
- We would launch
in two separate elements,

506
00:29:29,935 --> 00:29:33,729
fly the ground force in
by C-130s,

507
00:29:33,773 --> 00:29:35,898
and the helicopters
would launch off

508
00:29:35,941 --> 00:29:38,817
of the USS "Nimitz"

509
00:29:38,861 --> 00:29:42,738
and fly into a remote
desert location

510
00:29:42,782 --> 00:29:46,909
about 100 miles from Tehran,

511
00:29:46,952 --> 00:29:48,911
and then we would all get
in the helicopters,

512
00:29:48,954 --> 00:29:51,705
and we would fly
to a mountain location

513
00:29:51,749 --> 00:29:53,999
outside of Tehran.

514
00:29:54,043 --> 00:29:55,876
♪

515
00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:57,461
We would come down
the mountain,

516
00:29:57,505 --> 00:30:00,422
get in trucks that were being
brought to us

517
00:30:00,466 --> 00:30:04,718
by a couple of agents
that were inside there,

518
00:30:04,762 --> 00:30:08,096
and then drive to the embassy
very clandestinely.

519
00:30:08,140 --> 00:30:11,016
On cue,
we would hit that embassy.

520
00:30:11,060 --> 00:30:14,394
We would go right to where
we thought the hostages were,

521
00:30:14,438 --> 00:30:15,938
and the helicopters would land

522
00:30:15,981 --> 00:30:18,232
in the soccer stadium
next door.

523
00:30:18,275 --> 00:30:20,484
♪

524
00:30:20,528 --> 00:30:22,903
We'd blow a hole
in the wall of the embassy,

525
00:30:22,947 --> 00:30:25,906
get those hostages...
[tires screech]

526
00:30:25,950 --> 00:30:28,075
Go into the soccer stadium,

527
00:30:28,118 --> 00:30:32,246
load them up,
and we would all take off.

528
00:30:32,289 --> 00:30:34,998
So that was the plan.

529
00:30:35,042 --> 00:30:37,876
- And remember, this was
a classified operation.

530
00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:39,461
Nobody knew.

531
00:30:39,505 --> 00:30:41,755
- The whole nature
of the rescue,

532
00:30:41,799 --> 00:30:44,925
every piece of it
involved risk.

533
00:30:44,969 --> 00:30:46,426
I don't think any country
in the world

534
00:30:46,470 --> 00:30:48,804
could have even contemplated

535
00:30:48,848 --> 00:30:52,432
an operation like this.

536
00:30:52,476 --> 00:30:54,184
- The plan was a very
difficult plan,

537
00:30:54,228 --> 00:30:56,478
but it was not
an impossible plan.

538
00:30:56,522 --> 00:30:59,356
I was responsible
for a lot of lives,

539
00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:03,277
and I certainly didn't want
to butcher it all up.

540
00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:06,947
I wanted to do well.
I wanted the unit to do well.

541
00:31:08,325 --> 00:31:10,117
- We had what I considered,

542
00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:12,953
what all our military leaders
considered to be

543
00:31:12,997 --> 00:31:17,457
a very firm and potentially
successful mission.

544
00:31:17,501 --> 00:31:20,502
[indistinct chatter]

545
00:31:27,052 --> 00:31:30,971
- We had CIA operatives
in Tehran,

546
00:31:31,015 --> 00:31:33,140
but they happened to be
in the embassy,

547
00:31:33,183 --> 00:31:36,143
so therefore,
they were captured as well.

548
00:31:36,186 --> 00:31:38,478
Why is that important?

549
00:31:38,522 --> 00:31:41,982
- We need to know
which way the doors open.

550
00:31:42,026 --> 00:31:44,151
We need to know what
the windows are made out of.

551
00:31:44,194 --> 00:31:48,488
We need to know how many guards
are outside that embassy.

552
00:31:48,532 --> 00:31:51,533
We need to know where
the hostages are being held.

553
00:31:51,577 --> 00:31:55,245
- Guess how we got most
of our intelligence as to that?

554
00:31:55,289 --> 00:31:58,248
[upbeat music]

555
00:31:58,292 --> 00:32:01,835
♪

556
00:32:01,879 --> 00:32:04,838
- Again today,
Iran is the major story.

557
00:32:04,882 --> 00:32:09,176
People knew that for
half an hour every evening,

558
00:32:09,219 --> 00:32:13,221
they would get
an in-depth look at one story.

559
00:32:13,265 --> 00:32:16,350
That subject
would be the hostages.

560
00:32:16,393 --> 00:32:17,935
[shutter clicking]

561
00:32:17,978 --> 00:32:21,063
- We watched Ted Koppel
and "Nightline,"

562
00:32:21,106 --> 00:32:23,190
which really started
with the hostage crisis.

563
00:32:23,233 --> 00:32:24,524
We watched them religiously,

564
00:32:24,568 --> 00:32:27,277
primarily to get
more intelligence.

565
00:32:27,321 --> 00:32:28,570
- A cameraman from Iran's

566
00:32:28,614 --> 00:32:30,238
state-controlled
television network

567
00:32:30,282 --> 00:32:32,366
was allowed inside
the compound this week

568
00:32:32,409 --> 00:32:34,368
to film these scenes.

569
00:32:34,411 --> 00:32:35,869
- I'm serious.

570
00:32:35,913 --> 00:32:39,206
The Delta Force would watch
any kind of footage

571
00:32:39,249 --> 00:32:40,582
that would be available,

572
00:32:40,626 --> 00:32:44,044
and they would
analyze the demeanor,

573
00:32:44,088 --> 00:32:45,545
how they held their weapons,
etcetera,

574
00:32:45,589 --> 00:32:47,965
to try to get an idea
of what kind of guards

575
00:32:48,008 --> 00:32:50,258
might be around the embassy.

576
00:32:54,932 --> 00:32:57,933
So Colonel Beckwith really
wanted eyes on the target.

577
00:32:59,436 --> 00:33:00,936
- Beckwith and Carter

578
00:33:00,980 --> 00:33:03,605
had a meeting
in the Situation Room,

579
00:33:03,649 --> 00:33:06,942
and Charlie Beckwith
started to talking.

580
00:33:06,986 --> 00:33:08,944
Jimmy said,

581
00:33:08,988 --> 00:33:10,362
"You're from the South.
You sound--"

582
00:33:10,406 --> 00:33:12,447
and he said, "Better than that,
Mr. President.

583
00:33:12,491 --> 00:33:16,118
I'm from Sumter County,"
which is where Plains is,

584
00:33:16,161 --> 00:33:19,121
and Jimmy says--
listen to the dialect,

585
00:33:19,164 --> 00:33:21,248
"Who are your folks?"
[chuckles]

586
00:33:21,291 --> 00:33:23,000
And he says, you know,

587
00:33:23,043 --> 00:33:25,544
"Oh, yeah, yeah,
I used to eat at his--"

588
00:33:25,587 --> 00:33:29,256
[laughing] I mean, it was
really like out of a movie,

589
00:33:29,299 --> 00:33:31,925
and he said,

590
00:33:31,969 --> 00:33:35,262
"How many helicopters
do you need?"

591
00:33:35,305 --> 00:33:37,264
- The minimum number
of helicopters

592
00:33:37,307 --> 00:33:41,268
that the military wanted
were six.

593
00:33:41,311 --> 00:33:45,022
One more was added
as insurance,

594
00:33:45,065 --> 00:33:48,316
and Carter added another one,
so there were eight.

595
00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:50,110
There were two in reserve.

596
00:33:50,154 --> 00:33:52,446
[helicopters whirring]

597
00:33:52,489 --> 00:33:55,449
[dramatic music]

598
00:33:55,492 --> 00:33:59,369
♪

599
00:33:59,413 --> 00:34:02,289
- When I showed up,
we really had to start flying

600
00:34:02,332 --> 00:34:04,249
and find out
where everybody was.

601
00:34:04,293 --> 00:34:06,293
♪

602
00:34:06,336 --> 00:34:08,211
Night vision goggles
were basically made

603
00:34:08,255 --> 00:34:09,963
for jeep drivers at night.

604
00:34:10,007 --> 00:34:11,381
That's what
they were made for,

605
00:34:11,425 --> 00:34:13,008
so I told the pilot,

606
00:34:13,052 --> 00:34:14,676
"I want you to demonstrate
the fact

607
00:34:14,720 --> 00:34:17,971
"that you can take
six of these aircraft,

608
00:34:18,015 --> 00:34:21,308
"fly them 600 nautical miles,
200 feet or below at night,

609
00:34:21,351 --> 00:34:23,977
no lights, no radios,
and land at point B."

610
00:34:24,021 --> 00:34:25,645
♪

611
00:34:25,689 --> 00:34:28,440
These kids got to be
pretty good.

612
00:34:28,484 --> 00:34:35,155
♪

613
00:34:35,199 --> 00:34:36,698
- Every time we had
a rehearsal,

614
00:34:36,742 --> 00:34:40,327
the feeling within the other
parts of the task force were,

615
00:34:40,370 --> 00:34:42,079
let's just hope
the helicopters make it

616
00:34:42,122 --> 00:34:45,082
'cause they got the toughest
part of the mission.

617
00:34:45,125 --> 00:34:46,541
I was the commander
of the squadron

618
00:34:46,585 --> 00:34:49,669
that was selected to provide
four of the six crews

619
00:34:49,713 --> 00:34:53,048
flying the C-130s
on the rescue mission.

620
00:34:53,092 --> 00:34:55,467
- I just happened to be in the
wrong place at the wrong time,

621
00:34:55,511 --> 00:34:56,676
or the right place
at the right time.

622
00:34:56,720 --> 00:34:59,304
I--you know, I don't know.

623
00:34:59,348 --> 00:35:02,182
The learning curve was very,
very fast, very, very steep.

624
00:35:03,727 --> 00:35:06,520
You can do all you want
in the daylight.

625
00:35:06,563 --> 00:35:09,272
It's a much different world
at night.

626
00:35:09,316 --> 00:35:13,610
- There was a mixture
of enthusiasm

627
00:35:13,654 --> 00:35:16,488
and "wow,"

628
00:35:16,532 --> 00:35:18,782
but also skepticism

629
00:35:18,826 --> 00:35:21,743
because before
the actual mission,

630
00:35:21,787 --> 00:35:25,664
there was never
a full-up dress rehearsal

631
00:35:25,707 --> 00:35:28,125
with all the moving parts.

632
00:35:30,420 --> 00:35:32,671
- These people had hardly
known each other

633
00:35:32,714 --> 00:35:35,674
before operational
planning began.

634
00:35:35,717 --> 00:35:38,718
- We prepared so that
when President Carter said go,

635
00:35:38,762 --> 00:35:40,512
we would take off,

636
00:35:40,556 --> 00:35:43,557
and as we went
into early 1980,

637
00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:44,808
Carter still said,

638
00:35:44,852 --> 00:35:48,270
"In case
diplomatic efforts fail,

639
00:35:48,313 --> 00:35:49,646
then we might do it,"

640
00:35:49,690 --> 00:35:52,107
so he delayed for a long time.

641
00:35:54,695 --> 00:35:57,696
[indistinct chatter,
cars honking]

642
00:36:23,223 --> 00:36:25,307
- Okay.

643
00:36:25,350 --> 00:36:26,725
For about two weeks,

644
00:36:26,768 --> 00:36:30,604
I had to sleep with my hands
in plastic handcuffs.

645
00:36:30,647 --> 00:36:34,482
Well, imagine that
you're in this position...

646
00:36:36,486 --> 00:36:37,903
And you're on the floor.

647
00:36:40,449 --> 00:36:43,491
Well, you can't sleep.
I mean, you can sleep,

648
00:36:43,535 --> 00:36:45,535
but you have to sleep
like this.

649
00:36:45,579 --> 00:36:48,371
You can't put your hand
under your head.

650
00:36:48,415 --> 00:36:51,499
On the other hand, imagine
what you have to go through

651
00:36:51,543 --> 00:36:54,336
to go to the toilet.

652
00:36:54,379 --> 00:36:56,630
You can't clean yourself,

653
00:36:56,673 --> 00:36:58,673
so you end up

654
00:36:58,717 --> 00:37:02,385
living in feces
with your hands tied.

655
00:37:02,429 --> 00:37:06,264
You know, but this is standard
stupidity in prisons.

656
00:37:06,308 --> 00:37:07,641
[tense music]

657
00:37:07,684 --> 00:37:10,560
- In February or March

658
00:37:10,604 --> 00:37:12,437
of 1980,

659
00:37:12,481 --> 00:37:15,190
they came into our rooms
about 2:00 in the morning

660
00:37:15,234 --> 00:37:18,485
with masks on and with weapons.

661
00:37:18,528 --> 00:37:20,237
- They took us out
into the hallway.

662
00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:22,864
They stripped us down
to our undershorts.

663
00:37:22,908 --> 00:37:25,158
They handcuffed us
behind our backs.

664
00:37:25,202 --> 00:37:26,493
They blindfolded us.

665
00:37:26,536 --> 00:37:28,620
- And they let us out

666
00:37:28,664 --> 00:37:30,789
and took us down the hall,

667
00:37:30,832 --> 00:37:33,625
lined us up against a wall,
and started chambering rounds.

668
00:37:33,669 --> 00:37:35,502
[gun clicks]
[indistinct chatter]

669
00:37:35,545 --> 00:37:37,170
- One of the Iranians
was running up

670
00:37:37,214 --> 00:37:38,505
and down the hallway,

671
00:37:38,548 --> 00:37:40,507
shouting out
execution commands

672
00:37:40,550 --> 00:37:41,925
at the top of his lungs.

673
00:37:41,969 --> 00:37:43,843
- [shouting
in foreign language]

674
00:37:43,887 --> 00:37:46,930
- I remember
one of the other Americans

675
00:37:46,974 --> 00:37:49,683
just shouting
at the top of his lungs,

676
00:37:49,726 --> 00:37:51,810
"Just get it
over with already!"

677
00:37:51,853 --> 00:37:54,521
and cursing them, like,
at the top of his lungs,

678
00:37:54,564 --> 00:37:57,524
and, um,

679
00:37:57,567 --> 00:38:00,694
and I was scared to death.

680
00:38:00,737 --> 00:38:03,863
- I knew there was absolutely
nothing I could do about it.

681
00:38:03,907 --> 00:38:05,907
I mean, if it was goi--
if it was going to--

682
00:38:05,951 --> 00:38:07,284
if we were going
to be shot then,

683
00:38:07,327 --> 00:38:08,743
I was going to be shot then.

684
00:38:08,787 --> 00:38:10,495
- [speaking
in foreign language]

685
00:38:10,539 --> 00:38:11,830
[gun clicks]

686
00:38:11,873 --> 00:38:14,624
♪

687
00:38:14,668 --> 00:38:17,961
- And...

688
00:38:18,005 --> 00:38:21,923
as quickly as it started
and it happened, it was over.

689
00:38:21,967 --> 00:38:25,552
- To this day,
I don't know why they did it.

690
00:38:25,595 --> 00:38:29,264
I suspect they did it
because they could.

691
00:38:29,308 --> 00:38:30,890
- I just seethed,

692
00:38:30,934 --> 00:38:32,726
and I had a whole other level

693
00:38:32,769 --> 00:38:35,687
of hatred and resentment,

694
00:38:35,731 --> 00:38:38,773
just feeling that, um,

695
00:38:38,817 --> 00:38:41,901
I had been abandoned.

696
00:38:41,945 --> 00:38:45,405
- There was a feeling of

697
00:38:45,449 --> 00:38:48,575
growing desperation

698
00:38:48,618 --> 00:38:50,744
as the days turned into weeks

699
00:38:50,787 --> 00:38:53,371
and the weeks
turned into months.

700
00:38:53,415 --> 00:38:55,707
- It's eight weeks now
since the takeover

701
00:38:55,751 --> 00:38:57,709
of the American embassy
in Tehran.

702
00:38:57,753 --> 00:38:59,419
- 87th day of captivity.

703
00:38:59,463 --> 00:39:03,006
- 142 days now of
the Iran hostage crisis.

704
00:39:04,634 --> 00:39:07,635
- People were tying
yellow ribbons around trees

705
00:39:07,679 --> 00:39:09,637
all over the country.

706
00:39:09,681 --> 00:39:11,514
[indistinct chatter]

707
00:39:11,558 --> 00:39:13,850
That became the symbol

708
00:39:13,894 --> 00:39:17,687
of the absent hostages.

709
00:39:17,731 --> 00:39:21,775
- Meanwhile, we were getting
ready to run for reelection.

710
00:39:21,818 --> 00:39:24,277
- Isn't it about time
that this country

711
00:39:24,321 --> 00:39:26,613
stopped worrying about
whether someone likes us

712
00:39:26,656 --> 00:39:29,783
and decides we're going
to be respected in the world...

713
00:39:29,826 --> 00:39:31,409
[cheers and applause]

714
00:39:31,453 --> 00:39:34,788
Respected to the point that
never again will any dictator

715
00:39:34,831 --> 00:39:39,042
dare invade an American embassy
and hold our people hostage?

716
00:39:39,086 --> 00:39:41,378
- Reagan was saying,

717
00:39:41,421 --> 00:39:43,755
"I don't understand
why it takes so long.

718
00:39:43,799 --> 00:39:46,674
I would give them 24 hours,
then boom, boom."

719
00:39:48,095 --> 00:39:51,721
We were not going to have a war
over the hostages.

720
00:39:51,765 --> 00:39:56,476
- Everything we tried
diplomatically

721
00:39:56,520 --> 00:39:59,646
would get knocked down
by the ayatollah.

722
00:40:08,657 --> 00:40:11,658
- He had decided that
Carter was a monster,

723
00:40:11,701 --> 00:40:13,451
and he wasn't gonna
deal with him.

724
00:40:13,495 --> 00:40:17,539
- We were just being
dragged around by the nose.

725
00:40:17,582 --> 00:40:21,000
Trying to use other countries
as intermediaries didn't work.

726
00:40:21,044 --> 00:40:25,338
Using these sketchy characters
as intermediaries didn't work.

727
00:40:25,382 --> 00:40:27,924
Nothing seemed to work.

728
00:40:27,968 --> 00:40:30,885
- The president
then decided that

729
00:40:30,929 --> 00:40:34,931
he was going to go
with the military option,

730
00:40:34,975 --> 00:40:39,018
and then Carter said
in a very dramatic way,

731
00:40:39,062 --> 00:40:42,480
"If we are successful,

732
00:40:42,524 --> 00:40:45,900
"it will be your achievement.

733
00:40:45,944 --> 00:40:48,445
"If we are not successful,

734
00:40:48,488 --> 00:40:50,780
it will be my defeat."

735
00:40:50,824 --> 00:40:53,533
- That evening in the White
House when he approved

736
00:40:53,577 --> 00:40:56,619
the plan to go into Iran,
being very frank about it,

737
00:40:56,663 --> 00:40:58,997
I had no idea
that President Carter

738
00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:00,498
would make the decision
that he made.

739
00:41:00,542 --> 00:41:03,376
In fact,
I almost fell out of my chair.

740
00:41:03,420 --> 00:41:07,881
- I felt that the rescue
mission was justified.

741
00:41:07,924 --> 00:41:11,384
I was convinced at the time
by my military advisors

742
00:41:11,428 --> 00:41:12,802
that it would be successful.

743
00:41:12,846 --> 00:41:15,054
And so,

744
00:41:15,098 --> 00:41:18,933
I was very determined
to get the hostages released

745
00:41:18,977 --> 00:41:21,561
by going in
and bringing them out.

746
00:41:21,605 --> 00:41:23,688
[helicopter whirring]

747
00:41:23,732 --> 00:41:27,901
- I was at Fort Bragg
in the Delta compound

748
00:41:27,944 --> 00:41:31,446
when Charlie Beckwith came back
and said, "It's a go."

749
00:41:31,490 --> 00:41:32,780
- We got the word.

750
00:41:32,824 --> 00:41:34,949
I picked my bag up
and kissed my wife

751
00:41:34,993 --> 00:41:37,035
and said, "I'm gone."

752
00:41:37,078 --> 00:41:39,829
- He said, "I'll see you
when I see you,"

753
00:41:39,873 --> 00:41:41,873
and I said,
"Where are you going?"

754
00:41:41,917 --> 00:41:44,417
and he said,
"You know I can't tell you."

755
00:41:44,461 --> 00:41:47,045
- She had no idea
where I was going.

756
00:41:47,088 --> 00:41:51,132
- I knew in my heart that
he was going to go to Iran.

757
00:41:51,176 --> 00:41:52,675
- Oh, I shouldn't say that.

758
00:41:52,719 --> 00:41:55,470
She probably had an idea,
you know?

759
00:41:55,514 --> 00:41:57,055
[static buzzes]

760
00:41:57,098 --> 00:41:59,015
- Things are pretty tough for
the families of the Americans

761
00:41:59,059 --> 00:42:00,517
held by the Iranian students.

762
00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:02,769
- In Milwaukee,
the mother of a marine

763
00:42:02,812 --> 00:42:05,730
desperate to hear
some good news from Tehran.

764
00:42:05,774 --> 00:42:08,441
- I read the reports
and hear on the news

765
00:42:08,485 --> 00:42:12,445
that they're not in any danger,
that they're not being harmed,

766
00:42:12,489 --> 00:42:15,114
but that doesn't
really convince me.

767
00:42:19,246 --> 00:42:22,956
all: ♪ It's a long road
to freedom ♪

768
00:42:22,999 --> 00:42:26,668
♪ A-winding, steep, and hard

769
00:42:33,134 --> 00:42:36,469
Roger O'Neill,
NBC News, Milwaukee.

770
00:42:36,513 --> 00:42:37,845
all: ♪ Bye, bye, bye

771
00:42:37,889 --> 00:42:41,057
- Mom got very frightened,

772
00:42:41,101 --> 00:42:43,810
and she made it her mission

773
00:42:43,853 --> 00:42:45,979
that she was going to do
whatever she could

774
00:42:46,022 --> 00:42:48,982
to see me one more time.

775
00:42:49,025 --> 00:42:52,026
Of course, I didn't know
any of this was going on.

776
00:43:20,307 --> 00:43:22,140
[soft dramatic music]

777
00:43:22,183 --> 00:43:25,852
- The guards came in,
and they said,

778
00:43:25,895 --> 00:43:28,730
"You're coming with me,"
and they grabbed me.

779
00:43:28,773 --> 00:43:31,190
They put a blindfold on.

780
00:43:31,234 --> 00:43:34,068
I have no idea
what's going on.

781
00:43:34,112 --> 00:43:35,945
I was afraid.

782
00:43:35,989 --> 00:43:39,073
And they led me into
a different building.

783
00:43:39,117 --> 00:43:40,575
♪

784
00:43:40,619 --> 00:43:43,202
They seated me on a sofa.

785
00:43:43,246 --> 00:43:45,788
They took my handcuffs off.

786
00:43:45,832 --> 00:43:48,625
I didn't have a blindfold on.

787
00:43:48,668 --> 00:43:52,170
All of a sudden, I hear this
rustling by one of the doors.

788
00:43:52,213 --> 00:43:54,714
The door opens,

789
00:43:54,758 --> 00:43:57,925
and in walks my mom.

790
00:43:57,969 --> 00:44:03,181
♪

791
00:44:03,224 --> 00:44:06,559
She came running over
and hugged me

792
00:44:06,603 --> 00:44:09,646
and virtually collapsed
in my arms,

793
00:44:09,689 --> 00:44:11,981
and as I hugged her,
I said to her,

794
00:44:12,025 --> 00:44:15,109
"There are microphones in the--

795
00:44:15,153 --> 00:44:17,236
this plant in front of us,"

796
00:44:17,280 --> 00:44:21,699
so all we could talk about
was personal stuff

797
00:44:21,743 --> 00:44:24,661
about home and family
and sports.

798
00:44:24,704 --> 00:44:27,246
I wanted to know

799
00:44:27,290 --> 00:44:29,832
how did she get here,
why is she here,

800
00:44:29,876 --> 00:44:31,751
what's being done
to get us out.

801
00:44:31,795 --> 00:44:34,921
I wanted hard news,
and my mom was shaking

802
00:44:34,964 --> 00:44:38,925
the entire 20 or so minutes
we were together.

803
00:44:38,968 --> 00:44:42,053
And as fast as it started,
it ended.

804
00:44:42,097 --> 00:44:46,099
"Mrs. Timm,
it's time to leave."

805
00:44:46,142 --> 00:44:49,018
And my mom stood up.
I stood up.

806
00:44:49,062 --> 00:44:51,312
I hugged her,
and they whisked her away,

807
00:44:51,356 --> 00:44:53,815
and my mom was like,
"No, no, it's not--

808
00:44:53,858 --> 00:44:55,775
no, it's too soon, too soon."

809
00:44:55,819 --> 00:44:58,778
- He assured me that
he has not lost his faith.

810
00:44:58,822 --> 00:45:01,948
He said, "One thing I do know.
I've become a better person,

811
00:45:01,991 --> 00:45:03,908
and I've become
a stronger person.

812
00:45:09,249 --> 00:45:10,373
- No.

813
00:45:10,417 --> 00:45:12,291
- In Washington,
the State Department says

814
00:45:12,335 --> 00:45:15,628
the policy now
is to allow no more relatives

815
00:45:15,672 --> 00:45:17,922
to visit
the prisoners in Tehran,

816
00:45:17,966 --> 00:45:20,216
but the Timms would not
be prosecuted, it said,

817
00:45:20,260 --> 00:45:23,970
because they went just before
this new policy took effect.

818
00:45:24,013 --> 00:45:25,972
- Little did anybody know--

819
00:45:26,015 --> 00:45:28,933
except those
who were planning it--

820
00:45:28,977 --> 00:45:33,312
the reason--
a reason for the travel ban

821
00:45:33,356 --> 00:45:36,733
was that the president

822
00:45:36,776 --> 00:45:40,069
was about to order
the rescue mission.

823
00:45:40,113 --> 00:45:42,113
[indistinct chatter]

824
00:45:42,157 --> 00:45:44,407
My mom is in Iran

825
00:45:44,451 --> 00:45:47,910
just as all of these events
are culminating.

826
00:45:51,166 --> 00:45:53,166
[dramatic trumpet music]

827
00:45:53,209 --> 00:45:57,754
- We land at an airfield
in Southern Egypt.

828
00:45:57,797 --> 00:46:00,131
♪

829
00:46:00,175 --> 00:46:03,342
We were all trying to get over
the time zone change,

830
00:46:03,386 --> 00:46:06,179
trying to get acclimated
to the heat.

831
00:46:06,222 --> 00:46:09,348
Everybody that was going
to be on the ground

832
00:46:09,392 --> 00:46:12,018
had what the military
likes to call,

833
00:46:12,061 --> 00:46:14,187
"relaxed grooming standards."

834
00:46:14,230 --> 00:46:16,981
Many people
had scruffy beards.

835
00:46:17,025 --> 00:46:19,358
Everybody had long hair.

836
00:46:19,402 --> 00:46:23,237
It was a very
ragtag-looking group

837
00:46:23,281 --> 00:46:26,407
of highly-skilled folks.

838
00:46:26,451 --> 00:46:28,826
- When we got
to Wadi Qena, Egypt,

839
00:46:28,870 --> 00:46:32,914
General Vaught told us
exactly what the mission was.

840
00:46:32,957 --> 00:46:37,043
"Yes, this is the mission,
period, and it cannot fail."

841
00:46:37,086 --> 00:46:40,129
- We knew we were doing
something that was right,

842
00:46:40,173 --> 00:46:43,382
and you can--
might say teach

843
00:46:43,426 --> 00:46:45,343
the ayatollah a lesson.

844
00:46:45,386 --> 00:46:48,471
- Candidly, I didn't think
it was going to succeed.

845
00:46:48,515 --> 00:46:51,390
There were too many
moving parts, okay?

846
00:46:51,434 --> 00:46:54,435
As a soldier,
I felt two things.

847
00:46:54,479 --> 00:46:58,773
Number one, the president
of the United States says go.

848
00:46:58,817 --> 00:47:01,150
I'm a soldier.
I take commands.

849
00:47:01,194 --> 00:47:03,152
Number two,

850
00:47:03,196 --> 00:47:05,738
my buddies are going in.

851
00:47:05,782 --> 00:47:07,990
If they're gonna go,
I'm gonna go.

852
00:47:08,034 --> 00:47:10,743
[rousing martial music]

853
00:47:10,787 --> 00:47:13,412
[planes buzzing]

854
00:47:13,456 --> 00:47:17,291
- We flew from Wadi Qena
to Masirah Island,

855
00:47:17,335 --> 00:47:19,085
got on the C-130s,

856
00:47:19,128 --> 00:47:21,838
then we went into Iran.

857
00:47:21,881 --> 00:47:28,427
♪

858
00:47:28,471 --> 00:47:32,181
[soft dramatic music]

859
00:47:32,225 --> 00:47:34,809
♪

860
00:47:34,853 --> 00:47:39,146
- To take off from a nuclear
carrier in a helicopter--

861
00:47:39,190 --> 00:47:42,400
yeah,
it was very exhilarating.

862
00:47:42,443 --> 00:47:46,487
We took off into the twilight

863
00:47:46,531 --> 00:47:48,155
headed for the coast.

864
00:47:48,199 --> 00:47:55,204
♪

865
00:47:59,919 --> 00:48:00,960
[indistinct chatter]

866
00:48:01,004 --> 00:48:03,921
[device beeping]

867
00:48:03,965 --> 00:48:06,465
- Yes, General Jones is here.
- Thank you.

868
00:48:21,441 --> 00:48:23,232
[martial music]

869
00:48:23,276 --> 00:48:27,194
♪

870
00:48:27,238 --> 00:48:31,991
- It was dusk when we flew
across the Iranian coast.

871
00:48:32,035 --> 00:48:33,826
It was dark.

872
00:48:33,870 --> 00:48:36,162
[helicopters whooshing]

873
00:48:36,205 --> 00:48:37,872
[control board beeping]

874
00:48:37,916 --> 00:48:40,833
The pilot told me,
"You got a blade problem,"

875
00:48:40,877 --> 00:48:45,296
so the pilot looked
for a place to land,

876
00:48:45,340 --> 00:48:48,007
and as I was going up
on the rotor head,

877
00:48:48,051 --> 00:48:50,426
I saw another
aircraft landing.

878
00:48:50,470 --> 00:48:53,429
I saw the blade was bad,

879
00:48:53,473 --> 00:48:56,265
but the pilot in command
had to make the call.

880
00:48:56,309 --> 00:48:57,600
You know,

881
00:48:57,644 --> 00:48:59,602
there were such parameters
that you couldn't go on,

882
00:48:59,646 --> 00:49:02,146
and one of them
was a failed blade.

883
00:49:02,190 --> 00:49:03,898
[helicopter whirring]

884
00:49:03,942 --> 00:49:08,861
And he decided that
we would go to the aircraft,

885
00:49:08,905 --> 00:49:11,030
so we got on
that other aircraft,

886
00:49:11,074 --> 00:49:12,907
and we flew towards
Desert One.

887
00:49:12,951 --> 00:49:14,617
♪

888
00:49:14,661 --> 00:49:17,370
- Now we have
one less helicopter,

889
00:49:17,413 --> 00:49:19,622
but nobody's making radio calls

890
00:49:19,666 --> 00:49:22,041
to let
the leadership know this.

891
00:49:22,085 --> 00:49:23,626
We didn't want
to break radio silence.

892
00:49:23,670 --> 00:49:27,546
Our instructions
were total radio silence.

893
00:49:27,590 --> 00:49:30,549
[planes whooshing]

894
00:49:30,593 --> 00:49:32,885
- Now, you have to understand
that we had to land

895
00:49:32,929 --> 00:49:35,888
in the most firm soil,
and the place we landed at

896
00:49:35,932 --> 00:49:38,265
was a dry lake bed,

897
00:49:38,309 --> 00:49:42,269
and the most firm soil was in
the middle of the dry lake bed.

898
00:49:42,313 --> 00:49:44,355
For that same reason,
over the years,

899
00:49:44,399 --> 00:49:47,358
there had been a little road
that went through there.

900
00:49:47,402 --> 00:49:48,901
We knew that.

901
00:49:48,945 --> 00:49:51,278
- Intel said,
"The road you're landing by

902
00:49:51,322 --> 00:49:54,323
"is very--
nobody but banditos and stuff.

903
00:49:54,367 --> 00:49:56,575
Very--never traveled,
nuh, buh, buh."

904
00:49:56,619 --> 00:49:58,160
Okay.

905
00:49:58,204 --> 00:50:00,579
- What I had worked out was
I would go to the rear

906
00:50:00,623 --> 00:50:04,417
of the 130 and establish
initial security.

907
00:50:04,460 --> 00:50:07,461
I hear a motorcycle coming up.
[tires rustle on dirt]

908
00:50:07,505 --> 00:50:10,381
It's one of my Rangers,
Bob Rubio.

909
00:50:10,425 --> 00:50:12,508
I get on the back
of the motorcycle.

910
00:50:12,552 --> 00:50:13,926
[engine revving]

911
00:50:13,970 --> 00:50:15,302
[tense music]

912
00:50:45,293 --> 00:50:47,626
- You're on NVGs,
night vision goggles.

913
00:50:47,670 --> 00:50:49,378
Well,

914
00:50:49,422 --> 00:50:51,964
when any light comes in,
it washes them out, and it's--

915
00:50:52,008 --> 00:50:54,425
it's like--it's like
when you wake up at night

916
00:50:54,469 --> 00:50:56,135
and you turn the light on
and you go,

917
00:50:56,179 --> 00:50:58,262
"Whoa," same principle.

918
00:50:58,306 --> 00:51:00,097
All of a sudden,
there's this light.

919
00:51:00,141 --> 00:51:02,099
♪

920
00:51:02,143 --> 00:51:04,310
- We see headlights
coming down to us,

921
00:51:04,353 --> 00:51:07,021
and I see a Mercedes emblem.

922
00:51:07,065 --> 00:51:08,522
- I turn around,

923
00:51:08,566 --> 00:51:11,650
and in not more than 150 yards
behind the airplane

924
00:51:11,694 --> 00:51:13,986
coming towards us is a bus.

925
00:51:14,030 --> 00:51:16,030
- And the next thing
I hear is "phwoop."

926
00:51:16,074 --> 00:51:17,156
[grenade round fwips]

927
00:51:17,200 --> 00:51:18,574
Little John fired
a grenade round.

928
00:51:18,618 --> 00:51:20,701
[explosion]
[tires screech]

929
00:51:20,745 --> 00:51:22,620
The bus stops.

930
00:51:45,394 --> 00:51:48,395
[indistinct shouting]

931
00:52:03,371 --> 00:52:05,704
[helicopter whirring]

932
00:52:05,748 --> 00:52:07,206
- We had dispersed,

933
00:52:07,250 --> 00:52:09,416
and we get out
of the mountains,

934
00:52:09,460 --> 00:52:13,212
and good golly.

935
00:52:13,256 --> 00:52:15,506
The weather is looking
just like they forecast.

936
00:52:15,550 --> 00:52:17,591
It is gorgeous.

937
00:52:17,635 --> 00:52:20,553
I mean, you could see
the shadow of the aircraft

938
00:52:20,596 --> 00:52:22,138
along the desert floor.

939
00:52:22,181 --> 00:52:24,140
I mean, it was that good.

940
00:52:24,183 --> 00:52:27,226
And we are cruising along,
and I said,

941
00:52:27,270 --> 00:52:31,105
"Chuck, give me a turkey loaf
with some fruit cup in it

942
00:52:31,149 --> 00:52:35,276
so I can get something to eat
before we get to Desert One."

943
00:52:35,319 --> 00:52:37,194
All of a sudden, I look out,

944
00:52:37,238 --> 00:52:39,697
and I see this kinda,
like, uh,

945
00:52:39,740 --> 00:52:42,575
rolling fogbank.

946
00:52:42,618 --> 00:52:44,577
- It was like
putting your head

947
00:52:44,620 --> 00:52:47,788
inside of a brown paper
grocery bag.

948
00:52:47,832 --> 00:52:50,499
That's about how far
you could see.

949
00:52:50,543 --> 00:52:54,545
What we later found out
was this was called a haboob.

950
00:52:54,589 --> 00:52:57,840
It's a dust cloud that's
suspended for thousands of feet

951
00:52:57,884 --> 00:53:01,218
and for miles in any direction.

952
00:53:01,262 --> 00:53:04,847
This stuff was as fine
as talcum powder.

953
00:53:04,891 --> 00:53:07,474
Our navigation equipment

954
00:53:07,518 --> 00:53:10,186
and our flight instruments

955
00:53:10,229 --> 00:53:12,104
were starting to fail,

956
00:53:12,148 --> 00:53:14,815
so the pilots
didn't have a good feel

957
00:53:14,859 --> 00:53:18,110
for what was level,

958
00:53:18,154 --> 00:53:21,405
and one of them was starting
to experience vertigo.

959
00:53:21,449 --> 00:53:26,118
♪

960
00:53:26,162 --> 00:53:28,787
With there being such
a distance left

961
00:53:28,831 --> 00:53:32,458
to go to Desert One,
passing the mountains,

962
00:53:32,501 --> 00:53:35,794
and the condition
of the helicopter,

963
00:53:35,838 --> 00:53:40,132
the decision was made
to return to the "Nimitz",

964
00:53:40,176 --> 00:53:43,427
get as much repair as we could,

965
00:53:43,471 --> 00:53:45,596
and then come back
the next night.

966
00:53:45,640 --> 00:53:52,228
♪

967
00:54:25,554 --> 00:54:26,887
[engine rumbling]
[indistinct shouting]

968
00:54:26,931 --> 00:54:28,430
- Next thing you know,

969
00:54:28,474 --> 00:54:30,474
here comes another
set of lights down the road.

970
00:54:30,518 --> 00:54:32,768
We ain't even been
on the ground five minutes.

971
00:54:32,812 --> 00:54:34,853
It's like, damn,
this is Grand Central Station.

972
00:54:34,897 --> 00:54:37,564
- So we start heading down
this dirt road.

973
00:54:37,608 --> 00:54:40,526
So I said, "Rube,
grab one of the damn WLAs,

974
00:54:40,569 --> 00:54:43,404
come up on me, and take cover
behind the berm."

975
00:54:43,447 --> 00:54:46,699
Here I am,
hoping that if anybody sees me,

976
00:54:46,742 --> 00:54:49,493
they'll hope I'm the second
coming of Genghis Khan

977
00:54:49,537 --> 00:54:52,204
coming out of Mongolia.

978
00:54:52,248 --> 00:54:53,872
And I know it's a truck
coming at me.

979
00:54:53,916 --> 00:54:55,708
[truck whirring]

980
00:54:55,751 --> 00:54:58,544
Carter had dictated
minimal use of force.

981
00:54:58,587 --> 00:54:59,962
[tense music]

982
00:55:00,006 --> 00:55:04,300
I've got an M16,
a 5.56 millimeter rifle.

983
00:55:04,343 --> 00:55:05,926
I know I can't stop a truck.

984
00:55:05,970 --> 00:55:08,262
♪

985
00:55:08,306 --> 00:55:09,763
But I start firing
at the radiator.

986
00:55:09,807 --> 00:55:11,223
[gunshots]

987
00:55:11,267 --> 00:55:12,725
And I finally said,
"To hell with this."

988
00:55:12,768 --> 00:55:14,351
And I raise my point.
I aim...

989
00:55:14,395 --> 00:55:17,521
♪

990
00:55:17,565 --> 00:55:19,481
But he's still coming.

991
00:55:19,525 --> 00:55:20,941
"Rube, sir, fire."

992
00:55:20,985 --> 00:55:24,445
[whooshing, explosion]

993
00:55:24,488 --> 00:55:26,739
Holy shit.
[indistinct shouting]

994
00:55:26,782 --> 00:55:29,491
[fire whooshing]

995
00:55:29,535 --> 00:55:32,411
We hit a 3,000-gallon
fuel truck.

996
00:55:32,455 --> 00:55:35,497
[fire whooshing]

997
00:55:35,541 --> 00:55:38,751
I started circling in.
I'm hearing this bizarre noise.

998
00:55:38,794 --> 00:55:41,754
As I came closer in,
it's this damn radio playing,

999
00:55:41,797 --> 00:55:43,756
and it's playing
this Persian music.

1000
00:55:43,799 --> 00:55:45,466
[Persian music playing]

1001
00:55:45,509 --> 00:55:46,967
Then out of the corner
of my eye,

1002
00:55:47,011 --> 00:55:48,969
I see another
damn vehicle coming.

1003
00:55:49,013 --> 00:55:50,971
[running footsteps]
[vehicle whirring]

1004
00:55:51,015 --> 00:55:53,766
[tires squeal]

1005
00:55:53,809 --> 00:55:55,434
- The driver got out,
got in the other vehicle,

1006
00:55:55,478 --> 00:55:56,810
and they went away.

1007
00:56:00,066 --> 00:56:01,815
[device beeping]

1008
00:57:39,707 --> 00:57:43,041
[plane whooshing]

1009
00:57:43,085 --> 00:57:46,128
- The other five airplanes
came in.

1010
00:57:46,172 --> 00:57:48,964
They had difficulty because
of the burning fuel truck

1011
00:57:49,008 --> 00:57:51,091
destroying their night vision.

1012
00:57:54,597 --> 00:57:55,888
- I got off the airplane.

1013
00:57:55,931 --> 00:57:58,891
I was expecting darkness,

1014
00:57:58,934 --> 00:58:02,853
and there's this huge fire
burning down at the south end,

1015
00:58:02,897 --> 00:58:05,439
and you can see
like it's daylight,

1016
00:58:05,483 --> 00:58:09,401
and there's this group
of people huddled over there,

1017
00:58:09,445 --> 00:58:12,738
and so I thought that was
actually maybe "my stick,"

1018
00:58:12,781 --> 00:58:14,406
my chalk of people
that were supposed

1019
00:58:14,450 --> 00:58:16,575
to get on the airplane,
so I walked over to them,

1020
00:58:16,619 --> 00:58:18,160
and I asked them,
"What chalk is this?"

1021
00:58:18,204 --> 00:58:20,662
and the guy answered me
in Farsi, and I was--

1022
00:58:20,706 --> 00:58:22,748
what the hell is going on here?
[laughs]

1023
00:58:22,791 --> 00:58:25,417
[helicopter whooshing]

1024
00:58:25,461 --> 00:58:26,752
[suspenseful percussive music]

1025
00:58:26,795 --> 00:58:29,421
- 57 minutes after
we think the first one

1026
00:58:29,465 --> 00:58:33,800
should have arrived
comes the first one in,

1027
00:58:33,844 --> 00:58:37,429
and the others come in
shortly thereafter.

1028
00:58:37,473 --> 00:58:41,767
- Because of the refuel
and flight time,

1029
00:58:41,810 --> 00:58:44,061
it was probably
going to be daylight

1030
00:58:44,104 --> 00:58:46,939
before we got to
the planned hide site...

1031
00:58:46,982 --> 00:58:50,609
- And greatly increase
the risk to the force.

1032
00:58:50,653 --> 00:58:55,113
- We had six aircraft
at Desert One, kay?

1033
00:58:55,157 --> 00:58:56,782
Six.
We were still a go.

1034
00:58:56,825 --> 00:58:59,117
[indistinct shouting]

1035
00:58:59,161 --> 00:59:01,995
- Ed Seiffert,
commander of the helicopters,

1036
00:59:02,039 --> 00:59:04,498
goes around to make
a last-minute check.

1037
00:59:04,542 --> 00:59:06,041
[hatch clicks]

1038
00:59:06,085 --> 00:59:10,128
Ed sees that a hydraulic pump
literally is glowing red.

1039
00:59:10,172 --> 00:59:12,589
♪

1040
00:59:12,633 --> 00:59:15,634
- I had investigated
one too many accidents

1041
00:59:15,678 --> 00:59:18,136
where a primary
hydraulic system had been lost

1042
00:59:18,180 --> 00:59:20,597
and we had lost the aircraft
subsequent to that.

1043
00:59:20,641 --> 00:59:23,725
The risk was just too high.

1044
00:59:23,769 --> 00:59:26,186
♪

1045
00:59:26,230 --> 00:59:30,482
I told Charlie Beckwith,
"We are down to five,"

1046
00:59:30,526 --> 00:59:33,068
and he got irritated.

1047
00:59:33,112 --> 00:59:36,071
I have the utmost respect
for Charlie Beckwith,

1048
00:59:36,115 --> 00:59:40,158
but Charlie didn't know enough
about the helicopters

1049
00:59:40,202 --> 00:59:44,496
to have an opinion that,
in my opinion,

1050
00:59:44,540 --> 00:59:46,873
was worth a tinker's damn.

1051
00:59:46,917 --> 00:59:49,042
- I'm carrying this
whole country,

1052
00:59:49,086 --> 00:59:52,671
and this particular operation
is beginning to unravel,

1053
00:59:52,715 --> 00:59:56,508
and it's beginning to go sour,
and I'm a part of this.

1054
00:59:56,552 --> 00:59:58,510
We're going to embarrass
our country.

1055
00:59:58,554 --> 01:00:01,013
♪

1056
01:00:01,056 --> 01:00:02,973
- They launched eight
from the "Nimitz."

1057
01:00:03,017 --> 01:00:05,183
We needed six
to do the mission.

1058
01:00:05,227 --> 01:00:08,145
♪

1059
01:00:08,188 --> 01:00:10,897
- We had an op-sched,
an operations schedule,

1060
01:00:10,941 --> 01:00:12,983
a "what if?" list,
if you will,

1061
01:00:13,027 --> 01:00:15,027
and there was one word,

1062
01:00:15,070 --> 01:00:18,071
"Less than six helicopters,
leave Desert One."

1063
01:00:18,115 --> 01:00:20,073
The word was "abort."

1064
01:00:20,117 --> 01:00:25,662
♪

1065
01:00:25,706 --> 01:00:27,873
- We were upstairs
in the residence,

1066
01:00:27,916 --> 01:00:31,710
and we're getting ready
for the campaign.

1067
01:00:31,754 --> 01:00:35,047
I went through the spots
we were gonna do,

1068
01:00:35,090 --> 01:00:39,301
and they came in
with a note for Carter,

1069
01:00:39,345 --> 01:00:41,053
and he got up and walked out.

1070
01:00:41,096 --> 01:00:43,055
- He left
the campaign meeting,

1071
01:00:43,098 --> 01:00:46,099
went into his private office.

1072
01:00:46,143 --> 01:00:49,811
- The president
was talking to Beckwith,

1073
01:00:49,855 --> 01:00:51,730
and Beckwith said,
"Mr. President,

1074
01:00:51,774 --> 01:00:54,900
"I hate to say this, but I think
we--we've gotta abort this.

1075
01:00:54,943 --> 01:00:56,735
It can't work."

1076
01:00:58,280 --> 01:01:02,199
Well, the president said,
"Yes, we'll abort it."

1077
01:01:02,242 --> 01:01:03,575
- So the idea was

1078
01:01:03,619 --> 01:01:06,078
we would try to come back
the following night.

1079
01:01:06,121 --> 01:01:07,704
We'll just have to do it again.

1080
01:01:07,748 --> 01:01:11,083
- We'd built up a lot of hope

1081
01:01:11,126 --> 01:01:13,085
for this rescue mission,

1082
01:01:13,128 --> 01:01:17,214
and I remember he turned

1083
01:01:17,257 --> 01:01:20,676
a deep white, ashen.

1084
01:01:20,719 --> 01:01:23,011
I think he was hurt

1085
01:01:23,055 --> 01:01:26,973
right down to the very bottom.

1086
01:01:27,017 --> 01:01:31,269
- Well, I was heartbroken
and disappointed

1087
01:01:31,313 --> 01:01:34,940
when I told them to--
you know, to leave.

1088
01:01:34,983 --> 01:01:36,858
I thought it would be a--
a departure

1089
01:01:36,902 --> 01:01:39,194
where we would take
all of our equipment out

1090
01:01:39,238 --> 01:01:40,987
except what we had--
what we had to leave behind.

1091
01:01:44,243 --> 01:01:46,284
[plane whirring]

1092
01:01:48,080 --> 01:01:51,289
[wind whooshing]

1093
01:01:51,333 --> 01:01:53,834
- My airplane left because

1094
01:01:53,877 --> 01:01:57,337
we had been on the ground
forever and ever and ever.

1095
01:01:57,381 --> 01:01:58,964
You're sitting there going,
"Why?"

1096
01:01:59,007 --> 01:02:00,632
[stammers]

1097
01:02:00,676 --> 01:02:03,969
"Why--what did we do
to deserve this?

1098
01:02:04,012 --> 01:02:06,054
We trained so hard
for so long."

1099
01:02:06,098 --> 01:02:09,808
- Everybody who felt
like I felt,

1100
01:02:09,852 --> 01:02:12,728
felt tremendously deflated,

1101
01:02:12,771 --> 01:02:16,189
saddened, embarrassed,

1102
01:02:16,233 --> 01:02:20,235
you know,
pissed about the helicopters.

1103
01:02:20,279 --> 01:02:22,362
- I have had nobody

1104
01:02:22,406 --> 01:02:25,323
come back and tell me

1105
01:02:25,367 --> 01:02:27,743
that that was acceptable

1106
01:02:27,786 --> 01:02:30,078
to go with that condition.

1107
01:02:30,122 --> 01:02:32,664
None, okay?

1108
01:02:32,708 --> 01:02:36,251
Any hydraulic engineer will
tell you the same damn thing,

1109
01:02:36,295 --> 01:02:39,671
and all I say is BS,
have a nice fricking day.

1110
01:02:39,715 --> 01:02:41,006
My decision.

1111
01:02:41,049 --> 01:02:43,300
I was the air component
commander.

1112
01:02:43,343 --> 01:02:45,677
Go stuff it somewhere.

1113
01:02:45,721 --> 01:02:49,014
[indistinct shouting]

1114
01:02:49,057 --> 01:02:50,766
- Then the next phase was,

1115
01:02:50,809 --> 01:02:53,351
well, we have to tank up
all the helicopters

1116
01:02:53,395 --> 01:02:56,354
and fly the ones
that are flyable back out.

1117
01:02:56,398 --> 01:02:59,107
I had been on the airplane

1118
01:02:59,151 --> 01:03:00,984
that was the tanker

1119
01:03:01,028 --> 01:03:03,987
that was refueling
the helicopter behind us.

1120
01:03:04,031 --> 01:03:06,364
Aviation fuel smells terrible,

1121
01:03:06,408 --> 01:03:11,745
so I started walking off
to get some fresh air.

1122
01:03:11,789 --> 01:03:14,206
- It was getting light.

1123
01:03:14,249 --> 01:03:15,707
[indistinct chatter]

1124
01:03:15,751 --> 01:03:18,084
We rolled everything back up,

1125
01:03:18,128 --> 01:03:20,754
closed the ramp and door.
[door bangs]

1126
01:03:20,798 --> 01:03:23,215
The helicopter took off.
[helicopter whirring]

1127
01:03:23,258 --> 01:03:26,176
- I just kinda hunkered down
under my jacket

1128
01:03:26,220 --> 01:03:29,888
and kept walking away
with my back to the airplane

1129
01:03:29,932 --> 01:03:32,390
as this dust swirl hit me,

1130
01:03:32,434 --> 01:03:34,434
and I could hear
the helicopter picking up

1131
01:03:34,478 --> 01:03:36,228
and picking up and picking up.

1132
01:03:36,271 --> 01:03:38,396
[wind whooshing]
[helicopter whirring]

1133
01:03:38,440 --> 01:03:40,899
- The pilot actually thought
he was going away

1134
01:03:40,943 --> 01:03:44,236
from the C-130 when he wasn't.

1135
01:03:44,279 --> 01:03:46,905
- He--what they call--
browned out.

1136
01:03:46,949 --> 01:03:51,076
He had no visual--
didn't know where he was at.

1137
01:03:51,119 --> 01:03:53,787
- And all of a sudden,
the sky behind me lit up.

1138
01:03:53,831 --> 01:03:56,122
[helicopter whirring]
[explosion]

1139
01:03:56,166 --> 01:03:59,251
♪

1140
01:03:59,294 --> 01:04:01,294
[indistinct chatter]

1141
01:04:08,804 --> 01:04:11,429
- I had 46 Delta Force

1142
01:04:11,473 --> 01:04:13,974
inside the plane.

1143
01:04:14,017 --> 01:04:16,977
We went over to the left side
of the airplane,

1144
01:04:17,020 --> 01:04:18,937
opened up
the paratroop door...

1145
01:04:18,981 --> 01:04:21,231
[fire whooshes]

1146
01:04:21,275 --> 01:04:22,858
And there was
nothing but fire.

1147
01:04:22,901 --> 01:04:24,860
[soldiers shouting]

1148
01:04:24,903 --> 01:04:28,905
Being inside
of a closed airplane--

1149
01:04:28,949 --> 01:04:32,117
and now, when I say closed,
it was closed up, blocked up.

1150
01:04:32,160 --> 01:04:34,911
There is no place

1151
01:04:34,955 --> 01:04:37,998
to get out of that plane.

1152
01:04:38,041 --> 01:04:41,251
But your training kicks in.
[running footsteps]

1153
01:04:41,295 --> 01:04:45,130
I closed it,
went over to the right side.

1154
01:04:45,173 --> 01:04:47,465
[hatch clicks]
I opened it up.

1155
01:04:47,509 --> 01:04:49,801
♪

1156
01:04:49,845 --> 01:04:52,095
- It was like a scene
from some movie

1157
01:04:52,139 --> 01:04:53,847
where these troops
came walking out

1158
01:04:53,891 --> 01:04:56,391
of what looked like out
of the middle of a fireball,

1159
01:04:56,435 --> 01:04:59,936
you know, walking out of hell.

1160
01:04:59,980 --> 01:05:04,190
- Delta Force are
so well-trained to listen,

1161
01:05:04,234 --> 01:05:06,902
not to panic,

1162
01:05:06,945 --> 01:05:09,821
and God be with us, there was--

1163
01:05:09,865 --> 01:05:12,490
there was no panicking
in the plane whatsoever.

1164
01:05:12,534 --> 01:05:14,326
[indistinct shouting]

1165
01:05:14,369 --> 01:05:16,036
I jumped down.

1166
01:05:16,079 --> 01:05:19,039
I looked up,
and there was JJ in the door.

1167
01:05:19,082 --> 01:05:21,833
- JJ Beyers--
JJ couldn't get out.

1168
01:05:21,877 --> 01:05:23,335
He was--

1169
01:05:23,378 --> 01:05:26,379
he was still
caught in the flames.

1170
01:05:26,423 --> 01:05:30,008
A couple of the Delta guys
ran back into the airplane

1171
01:05:30,052 --> 01:05:31,551
and got him out.

1172
01:05:31,595 --> 01:05:35,138
- He was on fire,
and they put him out.

1173
01:05:35,182 --> 01:05:37,307
We were lucky there.

1174
01:05:37,351 --> 01:05:41,186
- I saw the--the cockpit

1175
01:05:41,229 --> 01:05:43,063
in complete flames.

1176
01:05:43,106 --> 01:05:46,858
- What I saw was chilling.

1177
01:05:46,902 --> 01:05:53,907
♪

1178
01:05:55,452 --> 01:05:57,911
I saw him standing.

1179
01:05:57,955 --> 01:06:00,038
♪

1180
01:06:00,082 --> 01:06:03,333
It must have been the
flight engineer, Joel Mayo.

1181
01:06:03,377 --> 01:06:05,961
He was up out of his seat.

1182
01:06:06,004 --> 01:06:09,089
That was hard.
That was--that was hard.

1183
01:06:09,132 --> 01:06:10,882
♪

1184
01:06:10,926 --> 01:06:14,594
You know that the people
up there no longer exist.

1185
01:06:14,638 --> 01:06:18,390
♪

1186
01:06:18,433 --> 01:06:22,227
The plane was so intense,
the fire--

1187
01:06:22,270 --> 01:06:25,438
there was no way anybody
could even get close to it.

1188
01:06:25,482 --> 01:06:28,024
- To get out of the airplane
as quick as possible,

1189
01:06:28,068 --> 01:06:30,235
they left
some of the weapons behind,

1190
01:06:30,278 --> 01:06:33,405
and they started cooking off
in the flames of the crash.

1191
01:06:33,448 --> 01:06:36,449
[ammunition exploding,
crackling]

1192
01:06:43,083 --> 01:06:44,332
- Kay.

1193
01:07:26,460 --> 01:07:28,001
- Yes, sir.

1194
01:07:28,045 --> 01:07:31,046
[fire whooshing]

1195
01:07:36,094 --> 01:07:38,344
- We could not wait for
the fire to go down

1196
01:07:38,388 --> 01:07:39,971
and retrieve the bodies.

1197
01:07:40,015 --> 01:07:41,639
[indistinct shouting]

1198
01:07:41,683 --> 01:07:45,143
We were losing darkness,
and we knew that the Iranians

1199
01:07:45,187 --> 01:07:47,604
only had capabilities
in the daytime

1200
01:07:47,647 --> 01:07:51,357
to intercept us on the way out
if they knew about us,

1201
01:07:51,401 --> 01:07:54,069
so the decision was made
to get everybody out of Iran

1202
01:07:54,112 --> 01:07:57,197
and get them back to Oman
before the sun came up.

1203
01:08:06,500 --> 01:08:08,750
- They went on the bus,
opened the engine compartment,

1204
01:08:08,794 --> 01:08:10,293
pulled the wires off
and all that

1205
01:08:10,337 --> 01:08:12,170
to disable it for a while,

1206
01:08:12,214 --> 01:08:16,466
and one of the Iranians on
the bus spoke perfect English.

1207
01:08:16,510 --> 01:08:20,011
I said, "Look, they--
we have snipers in the hills.

1208
01:08:20,055 --> 01:08:22,180
"If anybody gets off this bus
before daylight,

1209
01:08:22,224 --> 01:08:24,349
they'll be killed,"

1210
01:08:24,392 --> 01:08:27,727
which was not true,
but they didn't know it.

1211
01:08:47,582 --> 01:08:49,124
[fire whooshing]

1212
01:08:49,167 --> 01:08:52,168
[plane whooshing]

1213
01:09:54,816 --> 01:09:56,816
[Carter exhales heavily]

1214
01:10:05,911 --> 01:10:07,452
It is.

1215
01:10:16,755 --> 01:10:19,631
- It was awful.

1216
01:10:19,674 --> 01:10:23,218
I never saw the president so

1217
01:10:23,261 --> 01:10:25,678
shocked and stunned.

1218
01:10:25,722 --> 01:10:29,766
It was the worst moment
in our administration.

1219
01:10:29,809 --> 01:10:31,184
I think both would say

1220
01:10:31,228 --> 01:10:34,312
the most worst moment
in our lives.

1221
01:10:36,233 --> 01:10:39,609
- It was my first acquaintance
with a--

1222
01:10:39,653 --> 01:10:43,655
a tragic event in which
I was directly involved.

1223
01:10:46,826 --> 01:10:48,534
My father had died

1224
01:10:48,578 --> 01:10:51,621
when I was fairly young--
still in the navy.

1225
01:10:51,665 --> 01:10:55,333
I was a submariner and, uh,

1226
01:10:55,377 --> 01:10:57,794
and I had lost members
of my family,

1227
01:10:57,837 --> 01:10:59,671
but I can't say that

1228
01:10:59,714 --> 01:11:02,382
that was any more
grievous to me--

1229
01:11:02,425 --> 01:11:04,592
my family members' losses--

1230
01:11:04,636 --> 01:11:07,345
than the ones among the people

1231
01:11:07,389 --> 01:11:09,472
that died
while I was president.

1232
01:11:11,810 --> 01:11:13,935
- I remember to this day,
vividly,

1233
01:11:13,979 --> 01:11:16,437
when I was driving home
from the agency headquarters

1234
01:11:16,481 --> 01:11:19,482
about 1:00 in the morning,
weeping,

1235
01:11:19,526 --> 01:11:21,901
because I was so convinced
it would have worked,

1236
01:11:21,945 --> 01:11:24,821
and then we lost
all those brave people.

1237
01:11:30,328 --> 01:11:32,829
- To sit there

1238
01:11:32,872 --> 01:11:36,374
on the ramp of a C-130
with one of your...

1239
01:11:39,921 --> 01:11:42,880
Emotional.
[strained chuckle]

1240
01:11:42,924 --> 01:11:45,383
One of your best friend's...

1241
01:11:45,427 --> 01:11:47,760
[voice breaking]
Head in your lap...

1242
01:11:52,475 --> 01:11:55,560
It's pretty--pretty disturbing.

1243
01:11:58,398 --> 01:12:00,898
- It was a--it was
a horrible feeling to have

1244
01:12:00,942 --> 01:12:03,776
let America down.

1245
01:12:03,820 --> 01:12:05,737
I can't tell you
how difficult it is

1246
01:12:05,780 --> 01:12:08,823
to leave eight guys in a fire

1247
01:12:08,867 --> 01:12:11,492
that's still burning, you know?

1248
01:12:13,455 --> 01:12:15,580
But what could we do
at that point?

1249
01:12:15,623 --> 01:12:18,624
[fire crackling]

1250
01:12:22,797 --> 01:12:27,383
- The Oman airfield
we operated out of

1251
01:12:27,427 --> 01:12:28,885
had a control tower,

1252
01:12:28,928 --> 01:12:30,928
and the control tower
operators

1253
01:12:30,972 --> 01:12:33,598
were British contract workers,

1254
01:12:33,641 --> 01:12:36,017
and didn't know
why we were there.

1255
01:12:36,061 --> 01:12:37,393
On the night of the mission,

1256
01:12:37,437 --> 01:12:40,271
they saw six depart
at about dusk,

1257
01:12:40,315 --> 01:12:43,274
and about seven or eight hours
later, only five returned.

1258
01:12:43,318 --> 01:12:46,486
And the British guys
put two and two together

1259
01:12:46,529 --> 01:12:49,447
and realized this ragtag group
of C-130 guys

1260
01:12:49,491 --> 01:12:51,824
were the ones who had gone
into Iran the night before.

1261
01:12:51,868 --> 01:12:54,410
So they somehow
got two cases of beer--

1262
01:12:54,454 --> 01:12:56,621
it was actually Bass Ale--

1263
01:12:56,664 --> 01:12:59,665
put them in a pickup truck,
ran them around the runway,

1264
01:12:59,709 --> 01:13:01,459
and dropped them off
at my tent.

1265
01:13:01,503 --> 01:13:03,503
And they had scribbled
on the top case of beer

1266
01:13:03,546 --> 01:13:05,046
on the cardboard flap,

1267
01:13:05,090 --> 01:13:08,883
"To you all from us all
for having the guts to try."

1268
01:13:08,927 --> 01:13:11,844
So I took
the cardboard flap off.

1269
01:13:11,888 --> 01:13:13,513
[voice breaking]
Put it--

1270
01:13:13,556 --> 01:13:16,432
put it in my flight suit pocket
and brought it home.

1271
01:13:16,476 --> 01:13:19,435
[somber music]

1272
01:13:19,479 --> 01:13:26,484
♪

1273
01:13:31,616 --> 01:13:34,617
[wind whooshing]

1274
01:14:28,756 --> 01:14:31,757
[engine rumbling,
indistinct chatter]

1275
01:15:05,084 --> 01:15:08,085
[distant, faint chatter]

1276
01:15:39,160 --> 01:15:42,036
- Our phone rang about
6:30 in the morning,

1277
01:15:42,080 --> 01:15:46,123
and it was a friend who was
a close friend of my husband's

1278
01:15:46,167 --> 01:15:50,044
who was working at the
Pentagon at the time and said,

1279
01:15:50,088 --> 01:15:52,004
"There have been
some casualties,

1280
01:15:52,048 --> 01:15:53,714
and we'll keep you posted."

1281
01:15:55,510 --> 01:15:58,636
Well, you know,
that's kinda shady news.

1282
01:15:58,680 --> 01:16:01,222
- I had just come in
from a late-night,

1283
01:16:01,266 --> 01:16:04,767
all-night waffle house,
and I was sleeping,

1284
01:16:04,811 --> 01:16:08,104
and my daughter, Candy,
came in, and she said,

1285
01:16:08,147 --> 01:16:09,772
"Mom, there's something wrong.

1286
01:16:09,816 --> 01:16:12,942
I think something's
happened with dad."

1287
01:16:12,986 --> 01:16:15,987
- My friend Jenny,
whose husband was

1288
01:16:16,030 --> 01:16:19,073
at the same place my husband
was called me and said,

1289
01:16:19,117 --> 01:16:21,826
"Turn on your TV.
Something has happened."

1290
01:16:27,667 --> 01:16:29,667
- Late yesterday, I canceled

1291
01:16:29,711 --> 01:16:32,086
a carefully-planned operation

1292
01:16:32,130 --> 01:16:34,880
which was underway in Iran

1293
01:16:34,924 --> 01:16:37,174
to position our rescue team

1294
01:16:37,218 --> 01:16:40,720
for a later withdrawal
of American hostages

1295
01:16:40,763 --> 01:16:44,265
who've been held captive there
since November 4th.

1296
01:17:04,704 --> 01:17:06,537
- To my deep regret,

1297
01:17:06,581 --> 01:17:09,582
eight of the crewmen
of the two aircraft

1298
01:17:09,626 --> 01:17:11,917
which collided were killed,

1299
01:17:11,961 --> 01:17:16,213
and several other Americans
were hurt in the accident.

1300
01:17:16,257 --> 01:17:19,300
To the families of those
who died and who were wounded,

1301
01:17:19,344 --> 01:17:22,219
I want to express
the admiration I feel

1302
01:17:22,263 --> 01:17:24,889
for the courage
of their loved ones

1303
01:17:24,932 --> 01:17:26,265
and the sorrow
that I feel personally

1304
01:17:26,309 --> 01:17:28,684
for their sacrifice.

1305
01:17:28,728 --> 01:17:33,564
It was my decision to attempt
the rescue operation.

1306
01:17:33,608 --> 01:17:35,816
It was my decision
to cancel it.

1307
01:17:35,860 --> 01:17:39,070
The responsibility
is fully my own.

1308
01:17:40,239 --> 01:17:43,908
- I'm waiting for the green car
to come down the hill

1309
01:17:43,951 --> 01:17:46,786
because that's--
that's how you're notified,

1310
01:17:46,829 --> 01:17:50,748
you know, if there is
a casualty or whatever.

1311
01:17:50,792 --> 01:17:54,251
- We have a saying
in the marine corps that,

1312
01:17:54,295 --> 01:17:56,295
you know,
when your husband is deployed,

1313
01:17:56,339 --> 01:17:59,965
you don't worry unless the
chaplain is on your doorstep.

1314
01:18:01,761 --> 01:18:03,719
- My mom had sent
one of her friends

1315
01:18:03,763 --> 01:18:05,680
to come pick me up
from school that day,

1316
01:18:05,723 --> 01:18:08,349
and when I got home, there were
a lot of people there,

1317
01:18:08,393 --> 01:18:09,892
a lot of military people,

1318
01:18:09,936 --> 01:18:12,269
and I knew something was not--
not good.

1319
01:18:12,313 --> 01:18:13,604
[somber music]

1320
01:18:13,648 --> 01:18:15,106
- You pull into
the neighborhood,

1321
01:18:15,149 --> 01:18:18,234
and there's cars up
and down the street,

1322
01:18:18,277 --> 01:18:21,320
and there were people
in the house.

1323
01:18:21,364 --> 01:18:24,740
Even then, I don't think
I could grasp it.

1324
01:18:24,784 --> 01:18:26,242
♪

1325
01:18:26,285 --> 01:18:30,746
- My mom actually told me
that my father had been killed.

1326
01:18:30,790 --> 01:18:32,289
♪

1327
01:18:32,333 --> 01:18:34,125
She always told us,
"Don't cry.

1328
01:18:34,168 --> 01:18:36,168
"Don't show emotion.
Be strong.

1329
01:18:36,212 --> 01:18:40,047
Don't let them see you
as a victim."

1330
01:18:40,091 --> 01:18:41,841
♪

1331
01:18:41,884 --> 01:18:44,635
Being ten years old
and being the man of the house,

1332
01:18:44,679 --> 01:18:46,137
it was--it was tough.

1333
01:18:46,180 --> 01:18:48,139
♪

1334
01:18:48,182 --> 01:18:51,100
- My mom told us that
he had been killed.

1335
01:18:51,144 --> 01:18:52,810
Me and my sister.

1336
01:18:52,854 --> 01:18:54,812
♪

1337
01:18:54,856 --> 01:18:57,815
I was nine, and she was
two years younger than me,

1338
01:18:57,859 --> 01:19:00,985
so she was seven, and at seven,

1339
01:19:01,028 --> 01:19:03,195
you just don't grasp
what your mom's telling you.

1340
01:19:03,239 --> 01:19:04,947
I got it.

1341
01:19:11,205 --> 01:19:13,706
Fire is a terrible way to die.

1342
01:19:18,880 --> 01:19:22,256
- We tried, we failed,
and we have paid a price.

1343
01:19:22,300 --> 01:19:24,425
The administration
is deeply disappointed.

1344
01:19:24,469 --> 01:19:25,968
- It's clearly
the darkest moment

1345
01:19:26,012 --> 01:19:27,803
of Jimmy Carter's presidency.

1346
01:19:27,847 --> 01:19:30,264
- A large crowd is now gathered
around the American embassy

1347
01:19:30,308 --> 01:19:33,142
to celebrate the failure
of the rescue operation.

1348
01:19:33,186 --> 01:19:35,811
- To them,
the failed rescue attempt

1349
01:19:35,855 --> 01:19:39,190
was proof that the
United States is powerless.

1350
01:19:39,233 --> 01:19:41,901
- Joining Iran's president
at a press conference,

1351
01:19:41,944 --> 01:19:43,068
Barbara Timm,

1352
01:19:43,112 --> 01:19:45,070
mother of hostage
Kevin Hermening,

1353
01:19:45,114 --> 01:19:48,032
criticized
the Carter administration.

1354
01:19:48,075 --> 01:19:50,701
- Our family deeply regret

1355
01:19:50,745 --> 01:19:53,913
the actions that
our president took yesterday,

1356
01:19:53,956 --> 01:19:56,916
and we would like to apologize
for that action.

1357
01:19:56,959 --> 01:19:59,835
- The Ayatollah Khomeini
issued a written statement

1358
01:19:59,879 --> 01:20:02,421
accusing President Carter of
ordering the military action

1359
01:20:02,465 --> 01:20:05,007
just to win reelection
in November.

1360
01:20:05,051 --> 01:20:06,967
- White House political
advisors are concerned

1361
01:20:07,011 --> 01:20:09,470
about public criticism
as the campaign moves

1362
01:20:09,514 --> 01:20:12,139
beyond the initial shock
of today's failure.

1363
01:20:12,183 --> 01:20:13,307
[phone rings]

1364
01:20:13,351 --> 01:20:15,017
- Carter-Mondale.
- This didn't work,

1365
01:20:15,061 --> 01:20:16,894
but maybe we'll regroup
and try again.

1366
01:20:16,938 --> 01:20:18,813
- I'm glad they tried.
It's better than sitting around

1367
01:20:18,856 --> 01:20:20,397
doing nothing,
but I do feel like

1368
01:20:20,441 --> 01:20:22,274
he should have tried that
when it first happened.

1369
01:20:22,318 --> 01:20:25,236
- As Americans,
we deeply regret

1370
01:20:25,279 --> 01:20:27,279
that this mission failed,

1371
01:20:27,323 --> 01:20:29,323
but as I have been saying
for some time,

1372
01:20:29,367 --> 01:20:32,993
specific action to bring the
hostages home was long overdue.

1373
01:20:33,037 --> 01:20:36,080
- As president
and commander in chief,

1374
01:20:36,123 --> 01:20:38,791
I have been very proud lately

1375
01:20:38,835 --> 01:20:41,460
of the strength of our nation,
the unity of our country,

1376
01:20:41,504 --> 01:20:45,297
the commitment of our people,
the heroism of our warriors

1377
01:20:45,341 --> 01:20:48,384
who offered their lives

1378
01:20:48,427 --> 01:20:51,136
for the concept of freedom
and for the freedom

1379
01:20:51,180 --> 01:20:53,764
of our American hostages,

1380
01:20:53,808 --> 01:20:57,059
but I would like to say
that I am absolutely sure

1381
01:20:57,103 --> 01:20:59,061
that I made the right choice

1382
01:20:59,105 --> 01:21:02,273
in sending the rescue
mission into Iran.

1383
01:21:02,316 --> 01:21:06,777
- About five or six days later,

1384
01:21:06,821 --> 01:21:08,946
I stole a newspaper

1385
01:21:08,990 --> 01:21:11,365
that the students
had left around

1386
01:21:11,409 --> 01:21:15,035
and learned about the
unsuccessful rescue mission.

1387
01:21:15,079 --> 01:21:18,205
- And that spread throughout
the prison we were in

1388
01:21:18,249 --> 01:21:19,540
from room to room,

1389
01:21:19,584 --> 01:21:21,834
so we started
asking the guards.

1390
01:21:21,878 --> 01:21:23,210
and the guards denied it,

1391
01:21:23,254 --> 01:21:25,212
and they wanted to know
who told us,

1392
01:21:25,256 --> 01:21:28,299
and then they denied
that people died during it.

1393
01:21:28,342 --> 01:21:31,552
[indistinct chatter]

1394
01:22:27,401 --> 01:22:28,901
- To the world's press,

1395
01:22:28,945 --> 01:22:31,070
the charred bodies
of the eight dead Americans

1396
01:22:31,113 --> 01:22:33,113
+were put on gruesome display.

1397
01:22:33,157 --> 01:22:36,075
[indistinct chatter]

1398
01:22:58,975 --> 01:23:02,142
- That's hard.
That's a bad image.

1399
01:23:05,982 --> 01:23:09,024
- That is etched in stone
in my memory.

1400
01:23:14,323 --> 01:23:18,200
[indistinct chatter]

1401
01:23:18,244 --> 01:23:20,244
- Mrs. Timm,

1402
01:23:20,287 --> 01:23:23,414
how do you think some of
the mothers of those who died

1403
01:23:23,457 --> 01:23:25,958
trying to rescue
your son might react

1404
01:23:26,002 --> 01:23:29,003
to some of your comments
about the American action?

1405
01:23:31,966 --> 01:23:34,425
- I cannot possibly know how
someone else is going to react.

1406
01:23:34,468 --> 01:23:37,094
[stammers]
That's an unfair question.

1407
01:23:37,138 --> 01:23:39,054
- Do you expect some criticism
because of that

1408
01:23:39,098 --> 01:23:41,432
when you get back
to the United States?

1409
01:23:41,475 --> 01:23:43,183
- Some criticism for what?

1410
01:23:43,227 --> 01:23:45,686
- Your comments.

1411
01:23:45,730 --> 01:23:47,062
- My comments--

1412
01:23:47,106 --> 01:23:49,481
- About the United States
and the criticism

1413
01:23:49,525 --> 01:23:53,318
of President Carter's actions
and of the country.

1414
01:23:55,072 --> 01:23:57,990
- I grew up in a small town.

1415
01:23:58,034 --> 01:24:02,202
No one in my family had ever
been in the media before.

1416
01:24:02,246 --> 01:24:06,290
My mom thrust into
this media spotlight.

1417
01:24:06,333 --> 01:24:08,625
- Back home in
Oak Creek, Wisconsin,

1418
01:24:08,669 --> 01:24:10,085
the Barbara Timm Show

1419
01:24:10,129 --> 01:24:12,463
didn't exactly win
rave reviews.

1420
01:24:12,506 --> 01:24:14,006
- Sure, it's her kid,

1421
01:24:14,050 --> 01:24:16,300
but there's 50 other guys
that are out there,

1422
01:24:16,343 --> 01:24:19,136
and why was she the only one
that did something like this?

1423
01:24:19,180 --> 01:24:20,512
- They ought to stick a cork
in her mouth

1424
01:24:20,556 --> 01:24:22,056
and tell her
to keep her mouth shut.

1425
01:24:22,099 --> 01:24:25,517
- She should have never
talked against our country.

1426
01:24:25,561 --> 01:24:28,520
- After the family complained
of threatening calls,

1427
01:24:28,564 --> 01:24:31,148
neighborhood patrols
were increased.

1428
01:24:31,192 --> 01:24:32,733
Timm was
uncharacteristically silent

1429
01:24:32,777 --> 01:24:34,485
when she arrived
tonight in Chicago.

1430
01:24:34,528 --> 01:24:37,362
[reporters clamoring]

1431
01:24:38,532 --> 01:24:41,033
- There's no doubt that
it took a lot of courage

1432
01:24:41,077 --> 01:24:43,035
to do what she did.

1433
01:24:45,164 --> 01:24:48,123
Was it valiant?

1434
01:24:48,167 --> 01:24:51,376
Maybe.
Was it dumb?

1435
01:24:53,339 --> 01:24:56,757
Yeah, maybe, but not for her.

1436
01:25:01,263 --> 01:25:03,388
[soft dramatic music]

1437
01:25:03,432 --> 01:25:06,350
♪

1438
01:25:06,393 --> 01:25:10,062
- We landed here,
and they closed the base,

1439
01:25:10,106 --> 01:25:12,731
and we got off.

1440
01:25:12,775 --> 01:25:16,485
The only people that could
get on base was our families.

1441
01:25:16,529 --> 01:25:20,197
- When he came off
of the plane toward me,

1442
01:25:20,241 --> 01:25:22,157
he was a very skinny man...
[chuckles]

1443
01:25:22,201 --> 01:25:24,701
And--and he had a beard,

1444
01:25:24,745 --> 01:25:26,578
but I was just so glad
he was home

1445
01:25:26,622 --> 01:25:28,122
and he was in one piece.

1446
01:25:28,165 --> 01:25:31,250
He had bags--
you know, bags on him,

1447
01:25:31,293 --> 01:25:35,212
and he just dropped everything
and grabbed me,

1448
01:25:35,256 --> 01:25:38,048
and I grabbed him, so...
[chuckles]

1449
01:25:38,092 --> 01:25:40,467
♪

1450
01:25:40,511 --> 01:25:42,553
But, uh...

1451
01:25:42,596 --> 01:25:44,555
♪

1452
01:25:44,598 --> 01:25:47,141
- John called me,

1453
01:25:47,184 --> 01:25:51,395
and when I heard his voice,

1454
01:25:51,438 --> 01:25:53,397
it was a tremendous relief.

1455
01:25:53,440 --> 01:25:55,440
I knew that he was all right

1456
01:25:55,484 --> 01:25:57,693
and that he would be able
to come home.

1457
01:25:57,736 --> 01:25:59,403
♪

1458
01:25:59,446 --> 01:26:01,655
- I don't remember
when we first saw him.

1459
01:26:01,699 --> 01:26:04,449
I don't remember--it wasn't,
like, a celebration.

1460
01:26:04,493 --> 01:26:05,826
It was just normal.

1461
01:26:05,870 --> 01:26:08,078
He walked right back
through the same door he left.

1462
01:26:08,122 --> 01:26:10,539
I know we were happy
to see him,

1463
01:26:10,583 --> 01:26:12,374
happy he was home,

1464
01:26:12,418 --> 01:26:15,085
but he didn't act like
anything had happened.

1465
01:26:15,129 --> 01:26:18,755
♪

1466
01:26:18,799 --> 01:26:21,758
[somber trumpet tune playing]

1467
01:26:21,802 --> 01:26:28,807
♪

1468
01:26:45,409 --> 01:26:49,661
- All the rescue mission
members were volunteers.

1469
01:26:49,705 --> 01:26:52,122
None of them were forced to go,

1470
01:26:52,166 --> 01:26:56,210
and they never anticipated,
you know, giving their lives.

1471
01:26:56,253 --> 01:26:58,212
There were just gonna
rescue the hostages

1472
01:26:58,255 --> 01:27:00,130
and come home safely,
all of them,

1473
01:27:00,174 --> 01:27:02,549
so it was a very

1474
01:27:02,593 --> 01:27:05,302
heartrending event

1475
01:27:05,346 --> 01:27:08,180
for me
and for all those families.

1476
01:27:08,224 --> 01:27:11,225
[planes whooshing]

1477
01:27:21,445 --> 01:27:23,612
- By military law,

1478
01:27:23,656 --> 01:27:25,322
if you have a combined accident

1479
01:27:25,366 --> 01:27:27,658
and you cannot
identify remains,

1480
01:27:27,701 --> 01:27:31,328
they have to be buried
in a common grave.

1481
01:27:31,372 --> 01:27:33,830
- For my dad and
two other men, they're--

1482
01:27:33,874 --> 01:27:36,166
they weren't able
to distinguish

1483
01:27:36,210 --> 01:27:38,418
as far as the three men

1484
01:27:38,462 --> 01:27:40,504
because they were close
in age and stature,

1485
01:27:40,547 --> 01:27:44,508
so they were buried
in common in Arlington.

1486
01:27:44,551 --> 01:27:46,510
[birds chirping]

1487
01:27:46,553 --> 01:27:49,680
- And you want to have
a gut-wrenching experience?

1488
01:27:49,723 --> 01:27:52,307
You deal with three widows
and one casket.

1489
01:27:58,357 --> 01:27:59,898
That was tough.

1490
01:28:05,739 --> 01:28:07,698
- The family was offered
the opportunity for him

1491
01:28:07,741 --> 01:28:11,368
to be buried in Arlington,
but we chose to have him here.

1492
01:28:11,412 --> 01:28:12,703
This is his hometown
of Valdosta,

1493
01:28:12,746 --> 01:28:15,372
where he went to school
and went to college

1494
01:28:15,416 --> 01:28:17,249
and actually taught a year

1495
01:28:17,293 --> 01:28:18,750
before he went
in the military.

1496
01:28:23,674 --> 01:28:26,675
[wind whooshing softly]

1497
01:28:28,637 --> 01:28:30,304
- About three or four months

1498
01:28:30,347 --> 01:28:32,931
after the aborted
rescue mission,

1499
01:28:32,975 --> 01:28:36,435
I overheard a radio broadcast

1500
01:28:36,478 --> 01:28:39,354
talking about the death of the

1501
01:28:39,398 --> 01:28:41,857
"Dracula of the Ages,"

1502
01:28:41,900 --> 01:28:44,651
so I had to figure out
it had to--

1503
01:28:44,695 --> 01:28:47,237
probably referring
to the death of the Shah.

1504
01:28:47,281 --> 01:28:49,573
- Here in the United States,
the death of the former Shah

1505
01:28:49,616 --> 01:28:51,575
of Iran is being discussed
mainly in terms

1506
01:28:51,618 --> 01:28:55,412
of how it may affect
the Iranian hostage crisis.

1507
01:28:55,456 --> 01:28:58,749
- At least his not being there

1508
01:28:58,792 --> 01:29:00,792
meant it would be the s--

1509
01:29:00,836 --> 01:29:04,338
the problem might
be easier to settle.

1510
01:29:04,381 --> 01:29:08,508
- So fast-forward.
We win the nomination.

1511
01:29:08,552 --> 01:29:12,304
- My thoughts and my prayers
for our hostages in Iran

1512
01:29:12,348 --> 01:29:15,390
are as though they were
my own sons and daughters.

1513
01:29:15,434 --> 01:29:17,642
- I accept your nomination

1514
01:29:17,686 --> 01:29:19,770
for the presidency
of the United States.

1515
01:29:19,813 --> 01:29:22,481
[cheers and applause]

1516
01:29:22,524 --> 01:29:25,609
- The American elections
were looming.

1517
01:29:25,652 --> 01:29:26,818
♪

1518
01:29:26,862 --> 01:29:29,613
And the war
had already started

1519
01:29:29,656 --> 01:29:31,948
between Iraq and Iran.

1520
01:29:31,992 --> 01:29:34,451
[gunfire]

1521
01:29:34,495 --> 01:29:35,619
[loud boom]

1522
01:29:35,662 --> 01:29:38,830
[siren wails]

1523
01:29:38,874 --> 01:29:40,290
- They attacked Iran,

1524
01:29:40,334 --> 01:29:43,794
and Iran started losing
territory immediately

1525
01:29:43,837 --> 01:29:46,630
because they weren't
prepared for it,

1526
01:29:46,673 --> 01:29:49,299
and that showed
the Iranian government

1527
01:29:49,343 --> 01:29:53,512
and Khomeini and others that
they had to get rid of us.

1528
01:29:53,555 --> 01:29:55,639
They had to do something
to solve this question

1529
01:29:55,682 --> 01:29:58,392
because it was
a huge diversion.

1530
01:29:58,435 --> 01:30:00,394
They couldn't keep using us

1531
01:30:00,437 --> 01:30:03,438
as a way to gin up
popular support.

1532
01:30:03,482 --> 01:30:05,315
♪

1533
01:30:05,359 --> 01:30:07,818
- The Iranian parliament today
has finally

1534
01:30:07,861 --> 01:30:09,903
taken a position

1535
01:30:09,947 --> 01:30:11,988
on the release of our hostages.

1536
01:30:12,032 --> 01:30:13,407
- We had frozen
all their assets.

1537
01:30:13,450 --> 01:30:15,325
We got every country
to freeze their assets.

1538
01:30:15,369 --> 01:30:17,661
They wanted their money back,
and they wanted interest on it.

1539
01:30:17,704 --> 01:30:20,997
- I wish that...
[shutters clicking]

1540
01:30:21,041 --> 01:30:24,042
I could predict
when the hostages will return.

1541
01:30:24,086 --> 01:30:26,044
I cannot.

1542
01:30:26,088 --> 01:30:27,712
- We weren't gonna
be able to say,

1543
01:30:27,756 --> 01:30:29,840
"We're getting the hostages
out tomorrow."

1544
01:30:29,883 --> 01:30:32,676
- Back home he came to Georgia
after an all-night-long

1545
01:30:32,719 --> 01:30:34,553
coast-to-coast
campaign march,

1546
01:30:34,596 --> 01:30:37,681
to Plains for a reunion
with his wife.

1547
01:30:37,724 --> 01:30:41,017
- As we're coming back for him
to vote in Plains,

1548
01:30:41,061 --> 01:30:42,561
we knew we had lost.

1549
01:30:42,604 --> 01:30:45,564
He addressed
a couple hundred townspeople

1550
01:30:45,607 --> 01:30:47,941
and supporters
who did not know...

1551
01:30:47,985 --> 01:30:50,861
[cheers and applause]

1552
01:30:50,904 --> 01:30:53,864
And he had to keep
a stiff upper lip.

1553
01:30:53,907 --> 01:30:56,867
- Every time
I've made a judgment,

1554
01:30:56,910 --> 01:31:00,454
in a time of crisis
or a time of solitude,

1555
01:31:00,497 --> 01:31:03,457
about the future of our country
or the future of your lives,

1556
01:31:03,500 --> 01:31:07,711
I've done it with the memory of
my upbringing here in Plains.

1557
01:31:07,754 --> 01:31:10,755
In the process, I've tried
to honor my commitment...

1558
01:31:14,136 --> 01:31:15,802
To you.

1559
01:31:15,846 --> 01:31:17,471
God bless you.
- One more!

1560
01:31:17,514 --> 01:31:20,515
[cheers and applause]

1561
01:31:21,935 --> 01:31:26,521
- Reagan won 44 states with
479 electoral college votes,

1562
01:31:26,565 --> 01:31:28,732
while the president won
in only six states

1563
01:31:28,775 --> 01:31:30,150
and the District of Columbia

1564
01:31:30,194 --> 01:31:32,861
with a total
of 59 electoral votes.

1565
01:31:54,968 --> 01:31:57,177
- Of course,
this was a major blow to--

1566
01:31:57,221 --> 01:32:00,805
to me personally
as well as,

1567
01:32:00,849 --> 01:32:02,974
ultimately, politically,

1568
01:32:03,018 --> 01:32:04,976
but I didn't think about
the politics at that time.

1569
01:32:05,020 --> 01:32:07,437
I was just worried
about the hostages

1570
01:32:07,481 --> 01:32:10,482
and the casualties
at Desert One.

1571
01:32:15,030 --> 01:32:17,948
[soft dramatic music]

1572
01:32:17,991 --> 01:32:20,158
- We had a bunch
of frozen assets

1573
01:32:20,202 --> 01:32:22,035
that belonged to the Iranians,

1574
01:32:22,079 --> 01:32:24,829
so Jimmy Carter negotiated

1575
01:32:24,873 --> 01:32:28,041
hot and heavy with the Iranians
to release the hostages.

1576
01:32:28,085 --> 01:32:29,626
- First,
it was they had a deal,

1577
01:32:29,670 --> 01:32:32,504
then they didn't have a deal,
going back and forth.

1578
01:32:32,548 --> 01:32:35,674
All the banks
had to transfer the money.

1579
01:32:38,178 --> 01:32:41,555
- Hello?
Can we...

1580
01:32:41,598 --> 01:32:43,139
Right on, man.
That's great.

1581
01:32:43,183 --> 01:32:45,016
That's great.

1582
01:32:45,060 --> 01:32:48,103
- They came into our room
and told us to grab our things

1583
01:32:48,146 --> 01:32:49,813
because we're going home.

1584
01:32:49,856 --> 01:32:52,857
So we--we had our emotions,

1585
01:32:52,901 --> 01:32:55,652
our hopes getting up,
but in a guarded way.

1586
01:32:55,696 --> 01:32:58,989
- And so they put us on buses.

1587
01:32:59,032 --> 01:33:00,782
- And I kept thinking,

1588
01:33:00,826 --> 01:33:03,827
"Okay, Michael, this is when
you don't wanna say anything.

1589
01:33:03,870 --> 01:33:06,705
Just be very quiet, very calm."

1590
01:33:06,748 --> 01:33:09,833
The guard, in English,
said, "Shut up!"

1591
01:33:09,876 --> 01:33:12,252
And then in Persian he said,
"[speaks Farsi],"

1592
01:33:12,296 --> 01:33:15,088
you American bastards.

1593
01:33:15,132 --> 01:33:17,799
And so I forgot everything
I'd told myself,

1594
01:33:17,843 --> 01:33:19,175
and I just said
in a loud voice,

1595
01:33:19,219 --> 01:33:21,511
"Shut up yourself,
you son of an Iranian whore."

1596
01:33:21,555 --> 01:33:25,181
♪

1597
01:33:25,225 --> 01:33:27,601
He got offended,

1598
01:33:27,644 --> 01:33:29,894
hauled me off the bus,
started kicking me.

1599
01:33:29,938 --> 01:33:31,187
Some of the guards
started kicking me,

1600
01:33:31,231 --> 01:33:34,649
the normal thing,
and the bus left.

1601
01:33:34,693 --> 01:33:36,943
I was laying on the ground

1602
01:33:36,987 --> 01:33:40,196
and feeling stupid,

1603
01:33:40,240 --> 01:33:42,032
as in, really stupid.

1604
01:33:42,075 --> 01:33:45,535
♪

1605
01:33:45,579 --> 01:33:47,871
- Governor, good morning.
How you doing?

1606
01:33:47,914 --> 01:33:49,748
I just want to let you know
that the planes

1607
01:33:49,791 --> 01:33:51,291
are at the end of the runway.

1608
01:33:51,335 --> 01:33:53,543
We'll let you know
when they take off,

1609
01:33:53,587 --> 01:33:55,670
but it's this close.

1610
01:33:55,714 --> 01:33:57,922
Good luck to you.
[phone clatters]

1611
01:33:57,966 --> 01:34:01,217
- They took off our blindfolds,
and we saw the crowds

1612
01:34:01,261 --> 01:34:03,595
of demonstrators
who were chanting,

1613
01:34:03,639 --> 01:34:05,263
"Death to America.
Yankee, go home."

1614
01:34:05,307 --> 01:34:06,640
Hey, anytime.

1615
01:34:06,683 --> 01:34:08,224
We were more than ready
by then.

1616
01:34:08,268 --> 01:34:11,603
[crowd chanting
in foreign language]

1617
01:34:11,647 --> 01:34:13,146
♪

1618
01:34:13,190 --> 01:34:14,731
- When I got on the plane,

1619
01:34:14,775 --> 01:34:18,068
I saw people that I hadn't
seen for 14 months.

1620
01:34:18,111 --> 01:34:19,569
- Tears were coming
down our cheeks.

1621
01:34:19,613 --> 01:34:22,781
We were shaking hands,
high-fiving one another,

1622
01:34:22,824 --> 01:34:26,951
and there were
51 of us on the plane.

1623
01:34:26,995 --> 01:34:28,912
One of the guys wasn't there.

1624
01:34:28,955 --> 01:34:31,247
- And somebody else
rushed over,

1625
01:34:31,291 --> 01:34:34,167
"What's he still doing here?"
"He insulted us!"

1626
01:34:34,211 --> 01:34:36,336
"So what?"
[chuckles]

1627
01:34:36,380 --> 01:34:39,047
[laughing] "Get him in a car.
He has to get to the airport."

1628
01:34:39,091 --> 01:34:41,257
So they put me
in a Mercedes-Benz,

1629
01:34:41,301 --> 01:34:42,926
and I dropped
the blindfold down,

1630
01:34:42,969 --> 01:34:44,928
and I watched the whole ride.

1631
01:34:44,971 --> 01:34:49,099
- He comes in the doorway,
and he smiles this big,

1632
01:34:49,142 --> 01:34:52,852
broad grin, bloodied mouth,

1633
01:34:52,896 --> 01:34:55,313
and we said,
"What has happened?"

1634
01:34:55,357 --> 01:34:57,065
He said,
"I couldn't hold my tongue,"

1635
01:34:57,109 --> 01:34:59,275
and we all thought,
"You're an idiot."

1636
01:34:59,319 --> 01:35:01,945
[fanfare playing]

1637
01:35:01,988 --> 01:35:07,701
♪

1638
01:35:07,744 --> 01:35:10,161
- I remember sitting there
at the inaugural.

1639
01:35:10,205 --> 01:35:12,080
["Hail to the Chief" playing]

1640
01:35:18,088 --> 01:35:20,964
- Carter's dream was that
we could get these people home

1641
01:35:21,007 --> 01:35:22,841
while he was still around.

1642
01:35:22,884 --> 01:35:26,094
- And they took off
before the oath was taken,

1643
01:35:26,138 --> 01:35:28,012
that Jimmy could
get up and say,

1644
01:35:28,056 --> 01:35:29,180
"Excuse me, Governor Reagan.

1645
01:35:29,224 --> 01:35:31,766
I have an announcement
to make." [laughs]

1646
01:35:31,810 --> 01:35:34,644
- I, Ronald Reagan,
do solemnly swear

1647
01:35:34,688 --> 01:35:35,937
that I will faithfully execute

1648
01:35:35,981 --> 01:35:38,022
the office of president
of the United States,

1649
01:35:38,066 --> 01:35:39,733
so help me, God.

1650
01:35:39,776 --> 01:35:42,652
- They turned on the lights
quickly, runway lights.

1651
01:35:42,696 --> 01:35:44,028
Planes took off.

1652
01:35:44,072 --> 01:35:46,698
[plane whooshing]

1653
01:35:46,742 --> 01:35:50,410
- In one last act
of humiliation,

1654
01:35:50,454 --> 01:35:52,912
Khomeini let the plane go

1655
01:35:52,956 --> 01:35:56,750
one minute after Reagan
was inaugurated.

1656
01:35:56,793 --> 01:35:59,335
[cheers and applause]

1657
01:35:59,379 --> 01:36:02,172
- The cabin crew started
breaking out the champagne,

1658
01:36:02,215 --> 01:36:04,424
and I'm told that
at the same time,

1659
01:36:04,468 --> 01:36:07,886
a note was signed
to allow money--

1660
01:36:07,929 --> 01:36:11,431
frozen Iranian assets
to be transferred

1661
01:36:11,475 --> 01:36:15,685
back into the Iranian accounts.

1662
01:36:15,729 --> 01:36:19,063
- The planes bearing
our prisoners

1663
01:36:19,107 --> 01:36:24,778
left Iranian airspace
and are now free of Iran.

1664
01:36:24,821 --> 01:36:26,237
[applause]

1665
01:36:26,281 --> 01:36:32,827
♪

1666
01:36:32,871 --> 01:36:35,038
- Did the Reagan people

1667
01:36:35,081 --> 01:36:39,042
or people around him

1668
01:36:39,085 --> 01:36:41,461
deal with the Iranians
and convince the Iranians

1669
01:36:41,505 --> 01:36:43,296
to keep us in prison longer?

1670
01:36:43,340 --> 01:36:46,049
I don't know.

1671
01:36:46,092 --> 01:36:48,343
My gut feeling is yes.

1672
01:36:48,386 --> 01:36:49,928
Will I ever know
the truth about it?

1673
01:36:49,971 --> 01:36:51,387
No.

1674
01:36:51,431 --> 01:36:53,139
- You can't tell me
that's a coincidence.

1675
01:36:53,183 --> 01:36:57,018
The--I mean, I'm crazy,
but I was born--

1676
01:36:57,062 --> 01:37:00,438
but I wasn't born last night,
you know what I'm saying?

1677
01:37:00,482 --> 01:37:02,065
[sirens wailing]

1678
01:37:02,108 --> 01:37:05,235
- These buses will now head
to the United States

1679
01:37:05,278 --> 01:37:08,071
Air Force Hospital
at Wiesbaden.

1680
01:37:08,114 --> 01:37:12,826
[cheers and applause]

1681
01:37:12,869 --> 01:37:15,995
- The president wanted
to meet 52 people,

1682
01:37:16,039 --> 01:37:20,083
but about 20 people refused
to meet with President Carter.

1683
01:37:20,126 --> 01:37:23,795
- When I went into the room
where all of them were,

1684
01:37:23,839 --> 01:37:26,089
I had a great deal
of trepidation

1685
01:37:26,132 --> 01:37:28,007
about how they would
perceive me,

1686
01:37:28,051 --> 01:37:32,262
but I went around the room
and spoke to each one, and--

1687
01:37:32,305 --> 01:37:36,975
and about the second one
I spoke to grabbed me by the--

1688
01:37:37,018 --> 01:37:39,185
around my shoulders, and--

1689
01:37:39,229 --> 01:37:43,773
and he gave me a kiss
on the cheek, kind of,

1690
01:37:43,817 --> 01:37:46,109
and then from then on,
they were very effusive

1691
01:37:46,152 --> 01:37:50,029
in their welcoming to me,
which was a great relief.

1692
01:37:50,073 --> 01:37:53,074
[plane whooshing]

1693
01:37:56,121 --> 01:37:57,787
[cheers and applause]

1694
01:37:57,831 --> 01:38:00,790
[lively band music playing]

1695
01:38:00,834 --> 01:38:07,839
♪

1696
01:38:11,511 --> 01:38:14,804
- I just feel total relief.

1697
01:38:14,848 --> 01:38:16,931
Thank God.

1698
01:38:16,975 --> 01:38:19,058
- My mom, of course,

1699
01:38:19,102 --> 01:38:21,811
wanted to know what was
the first meal she could make,

1700
01:38:21,855 --> 01:38:25,857
and I said, "Well,
how about some pork chops?

1701
01:38:25,901 --> 01:38:28,318
I didn't have any pork chops
while I was in Iran,"

1702
01:38:28,361 --> 01:38:31,946
and the next day,
100 pounds of frozen pork chops

1703
01:38:31,990 --> 01:38:36,951
were delivered from the Iowa
Pork Producers Association.

1704
01:38:36,995 --> 01:38:39,829
- More than 8,000 people
lined the sidewalks

1705
01:38:39,873 --> 01:38:42,248
to welcome
Michael Metrinko home.

1706
01:38:42,292 --> 01:38:44,959
Metrinko couldn't
stay in the car.

1707
01:38:45,003 --> 01:38:47,503
He walked through
the crowd shaking hands.

1708
01:38:47,547 --> 01:38:49,172
- What kind of things
did you think

1709
01:38:49,215 --> 01:38:50,465
when you were sitting there
all alone?

1710
01:38:50,508 --> 01:38:53,468
- I exercised hours and hours
and hours a day.

1711
01:38:53,511 --> 01:38:55,511
♪

1712
01:38:55,555 --> 01:38:58,014
This is the picture
that was taken of me

1713
01:38:58,058 --> 01:39:01,517
with President Carter,
Vice President Mondale,

1714
01:39:01,561 --> 01:39:04,187
and it ha--
it was taken, I think,

1715
01:39:04,230 --> 01:39:08,024
probably about
a day after I left Iran.

1716
01:39:08,068 --> 01:39:10,068
I was still in scruffy clothes.

1717
01:39:10,111 --> 01:39:12,987
This picture was taken
just a few days later

1718
01:39:13,031 --> 01:39:16,157
when we were brought
to the White House.

1719
01:39:16,201 --> 01:39:18,952
- John Limbert believes
that wholesale condemnation

1720
01:39:18,995 --> 01:39:20,370
of the Iranian people
is wrong.

1721
01:39:20,413 --> 01:39:21,663
- How do you say?

1722
01:39:21,706 --> 01:39:25,458
They're people of talent,
ability, great kindness.

1723
01:39:25,502 --> 01:39:27,961
That's what I thought before.
I still think so.

1724
01:39:28,004 --> 01:39:34,008
♪

1725
01:39:37,222 --> 01:39:38,221
- After that night
in the desert,

1726
01:39:38,348 --> 01:39:39,555
we made a pact
that we would take care

1727
01:39:39,599 --> 01:39:41,933
of the kids
of every special operator

1728
01:39:41,977 --> 01:39:44,435
that was killed that night
for a college degree

1729
01:39:44,479 --> 01:39:47,397
and then some other
types of degrees.

1730
01:39:47,440 --> 01:39:49,482
They don't come looking for us.
We find them.

1731
01:39:49,526 --> 01:39:52,485
- Special Operations Warriors
Foundation called and asked me,

1732
01:39:52,529 --> 01:39:54,404
"Are you gonna finish school?"
[chuckles]

1733
01:39:54,447 --> 01:39:55,905
And I said,
"I sure would like to,"

1734
01:39:55,949 --> 01:39:57,448
and they said,
"Well, we have the money."

1735
01:39:57,492 --> 01:39:59,993
So I went back to school
and got my bachelors,

1736
01:40:00,036 --> 01:40:02,537
and I'm now a teacher
at the same school

1737
01:40:02,580 --> 01:40:05,331
that my dad taught at
for one year.

1738
01:40:05,375 --> 01:40:07,458
- The Special Operations
Warrior Foundation

1739
01:40:07,502 --> 01:40:10,003
paid for my entire education
from college

1740
01:40:10,046 --> 01:40:12,422
through medical school,

1741
01:40:12,465 --> 01:40:14,549
and now I'm a surgeon.

1742
01:40:14,592 --> 01:40:18,511
There's no way I would be here
without that.

1743
01:40:18,555 --> 01:40:20,930
It was always a--

1744
01:40:20,974 --> 01:40:23,266
a balancing pole in life

1745
01:40:23,309 --> 01:40:26,394
to help me able to

1746
01:40:26,438 --> 01:40:28,187
make good choices
and to realize

1747
01:40:28,231 --> 01:40:30,398
that I had that good fortune.

1748
01:40:30,442 --> 01:40:33,401
[gentle piano music]

1749
01:40:33,445 --> 01:40:38,948
♪

1750
01:40:38,992 --> 01:40:43,286
- Eventually, I would like
to go back to Iran.

1751
01:40:43,329 --> 01:40:45,455
I still have the same feelings
about the country

1752
01:40:45,498 --> 01:40:47,165
that I always did.

1753
01:40:47,208 --> 01:40:50,126
I'd like to take our children
back to where they were born,

1754
01:40:50,170 --> 01:40:54,464
take grandchildren
to where their roots are.

1755
01:40:54,507 --> 01:40:56,674
So far, it hasn't happened.

1756
01:40:56,718 --> 01:40:59,677
I'm not welcome yet,

1757
01:40:59,721 --> 01:41:01,471
but I'm still hopeful.

1758
01:41:01,514 --> 01:41:06,350
♪

1759
01:41:11,274 --> 01:41:14,275
[children shouting faintly]

1760
01:41:36,382 --> 01:41:39,550
[lively music playing]

1761
01:42:18,591 --> 01:42:20,800
♪

1762
01:42:20,844 --> 01:42:24,595
- I have, in my garage
in a storage locker,

1763
01:42:24,639 --> 01:42:29,058
more than 80,000 letters
of welcome home,

1764
01:42:29,102 --> 01:42:32,311
probably 200,000
newspaper articles,

1765
01:42:32,355 --> 01:42:33,646
and in every one
of those letters

1766
01:42:33,690 --> 01:42:35,398
and every one of those
newspaper articles,

1767
01:42:35,441 --> 01:42:38,317
somewhere in them,
people refer to the Americans

1768
01:42:38,361 --> 01:42:42,238
who were held hostage as the
heroes of the hostage crisis,

1769
01:42:42,282 --> 01:42:44,657
which is hogwash.

1770
01:42:44,701 --> 01:42:47,285
But there were heroes
in the hostage crisis.

1771
01:42:47,328 --> 01:42:48,703
[indistinct chatter]

1772
01:42:48,746 --> 01:42:50,413
- Hey, Doug.
- Tom, how are you?

1773
01:42:50,456 --> 01:42:52,707
- Nice to see you.

1774
01:42:52,750 --> 01:42:54,292
- It's emotional.
[chuckles]

1775
01:42:54,335 --> 01:42:55,459
- Hey, Taco.

1776
01:42:55,503 --> 01:42:57,086
- What's up, my brother?
- Hey, hey, hey.

1777
01:42:57,130 --> 01:42:58,504
You dress up
pretty good sometimes.

1778
01:42:58,548 --> 01:43:00,673
- Yeah, you can't take me out
in public, but you do.

1779
01:43:00,717 --> 01:43:01,841
[indistinct chatter]

1780
01:43:01,885 --> 01:43:04,427
- Glad you're here.

1781
01:43:04,470 --> 01:43:06,095
- Almighty God,
we ask your blessing

1782
01:43:06,139 --> 01:43:07,471
upon our gathering
this morning

1783
01:43:07,515 --> 01:43:09,098
to remember those
who had the guts

1784
01:43:09,142 --> 01:43:10,766
to try an impossible mission

1785
01:43:10,810 --> 01:43:13,436
to free our citizens
held in Iran

1786
01:43:13,479 --> 01:43:15,771
as well as an opportunity
to memorialize

1787
01:43:15,815 --> 01:43:18,482
the sacrifices
of their fallen brothers

1788
01:43:18,526 --> 01:43:21,110
who made the ultimate
commitment to freedom

1789
01:43:21,154 --> 01:43:23,404
with their lives.

1790
01:43:23,448 --> 01:43:25,406
- I've lived 60 years.

1791
01:43:25,450 --> 01:43:27,158
[somber music]

1792
01:43:27,202 --> 01:43:28,618
Eight men died.

1793
01:43:28,661 --> 01:43:31,454
♪

1794
01:43:31,497 --> 01:43:33,456
You have Sergeant
John D. Harvey.

1795
01:43:33,499 --> 01:43:38,586
♪

1796
01:43:38,630 --> 01:43:40,254
Major Lewis.

1797
01:43:40,298 --> 01:43:46,385
♪

1798
01:43:46,429 --> 01:43:47,845
Corporal George Holmes.

1799
01:43:47,889 --> 01:43:52,808
♪

1800
01:43:52,852 --> 01:43:54,852
You have Tech Sergeant
Joel Mayo.

1801
01:43:54,896 --> 01:44:00,441
♪

1802
01:44:00,485 --> 01:44:01,817
Major Bakke.

1803
01:44:01,861 --> 01:44:07,323
♪

1804
01:44:07,367 --> 01:44:09,283
Captain McMillan.

1805
01:44:09,327 --> 01:44:14,872
♪

1806
01:44:14,916 --> 01:44:16,582
Dewey Johnson.

1807
01:44:16,626 --> 01:44:20,920
♪

1808
01:44:20,964 --> 01:44:23,172
And Major McIntosh.

1809
01:44:23,216 --> 01:44:30,179
♪

1810
01:44:30,223 --> 01:44:33,224
[planes whooshing]

1811
01:44:38,564 --> 01:44:41,816
- When I was at CIA,

1812
01:44:41,859 --> 01:44:46,404
one of those hostages was
right down the hall from me.

1813
01:44:48,908 --> 01:44:53,577
And one of the delights
of my military career...

1814
01:44:59,752 --> 01:45:02,336
Was when that guy came to me...

1815
01:45:06,968 --> 01:45:09,510
And he said,
"Thanks for trying."

1816
01:45:14,350 --> 01:45:16,684
That meant a lot.

1817
01:45:16,728 --> 01:45:18,728
It meant a lot to me.