Today marks the anniversary of Operation Eagle Claw. In the early morning hours of 25 April, 1980 President Carter announced to a stunned world that the United States had undertaken an ambitious raid into Iran to liberate 52 American hostages held illegally at our Embassy in Tehran. Unfortunately, Operation Eagle Claw was unsuccessful and we lost eight American servicemen in a horrible aircraft ground collision. Join me in remembering their sacrifice.
Their sacrifice was not in vain. The hostages were eventually returned and the accident was the watershed event that created, over the next several decades, the world’s preeminent Special Operations capability; USSOCOM and its components. We wouldn’t be where are today with the determination of that fledgling task force. Join me in remembering those that paved the way.
This mission was always used as an example for the fourth SOF Truth. We learned a very valuable but costly lesson that day. You are certainly correct that their sacrifice paved the way to where we are today. God bless all of those that made the ultimate sacrifice.
They have a memorial in Scranton, PA, now expanded to include other operations, including GWOT. All will be be remembered for their sacrifices.