[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15558-15559]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 IN SUPPORT OF H. RES. 256, IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE BRAVE SERVICEMEN WHO 
PERISHED IN THE APRIL 24, 1980, RESCUE ATTEMPT OF AMERICAN HOSTAGES IN 
                                  IRAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 11, 2005

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 
lives and endeavors of eight brave soldiers who perished in the April 
24, 1980 rescue attempt of American hostages in Iran. Their courageous, 
and ultimately fatal, effort was an extraordinary example of bravery 
and sacrifice. They risked their lives for the sake of the freedom of 
others. It is important that we remember them and commemorate their 
effort, not only for the sake of their memory, but for ours as well. 
These American heroes provide us all with examples of sacrifice and 
commitment to country, with models of bravery and strength whose 
attitudes we may attempt to emulate.
  On November 4, 1979, a mob of Iranian students, calling themselves 
Imam's Disciples, seized the United States embassy in Tehran. Out of 90 
embassy employees, 66 were taken captive as hostages. By mid-November, 
14 of the hostages--the women and African-Americans--had been released, 
but 52 remained.
  President Jimmy Carter initially attempted to diffuse the situation 
through diplomatic and economic means. He froze Iranian assets, ceased 
oil imports from Iran, and expelled numerous Iranians from the United 
States. Unfortunately, these measures proved unsuccessful, and when the 
Iranian government issued a set of demands for the release of the 
hostages, President Carter approved the plan for a secret rescue 
mission called Operation Eagle Claw. In his words, ``I ordered this 
rescue mission prepared in order to safeguard American lives and 
protect America's national interests, and to reduce the tensions in the 
world that have been caused among many nations as this crisis has 
continued.''
  On April 24, 1980, six C-130 transport planes set off to rendezvous 
with a group of nine U.S. military helicopters at a remote desert 
location, southeast of Tehran. Each vessel carried American soldiers 
ready to do whatever it took to rescue their fellow Americans.
  Unfortunately, the rescue was not meant to be. Two helicopters broke 
down and one was damaged upon landing at the rendezvous point, and the 
mission was forced to abort. As if the hostages not being saved on that 
night was not disappointing enough, the real tragedy followed 
immediately thereafter. One of the helicopters clipped a C-130 
transport as it took off. Tragically, the helicopter crashed, killing 
eight United States servicemen and injuring four others.
  Mr. Speaker, these servicemen embarked upon their mission with one 
objective: to leave no man behind. It is imperative that today we do 
the same. We must honor the fallen soldiers and their memory. We must 
learn from their bravery and their determination. We must preserve the 
memory of each and every one

[[Page 15559]]

of the courageous men who lost their lives in this valiant effort. In 
short, Mr. Speaker, we must never forget the sacrifice they made for 
their fellow soldiers. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

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