The Disasterous "Desert One" Rescue Operation of 1980

Air Force Magazine ^ | Otto Kreisher

[SamAdams76]

I didn't post this to bum anybody out. In fact, I posted it to lift our spirits. Desert One happened under much different circumstances: A demoralized military still reeling from the Vietnam disaster, an ineffective and indecisive president, and in the wake of Watergate, a populace that had very little faith in their government. Remember that the Desert One debacle set the stage for Ronald Reagan's victory later that year.

It's been 20 years since Ronald Reagan took office and despite the 8 years of Clinton, it has mostly been uphill for our military since. We are now in much better shape to combat the Middle Eastern menace and we have the leadership in place to see this crisis through. During the long war to come, we may have bad days that compare to Desert One but we can be assured that any military losses will not be due to piss-poor planning and from lack of support back home. We can also be assured that our military will do us proud in the end and that we will prevail in this conflict.

I was just 17 years old back in April 1980 when Desert One occurred. I remember those times when America was not united and in fact dysfunctional. We had a "misery" index. Even President Carter was depressing, holed up in the White House ("Rose Garden Strategy") during the entire hostage crisis with bags under his eyes. It was not a proud time to be an American in 1980. We boycotted the summer Olympics in Moscow because, of all things, Russia was fighting Afghanistan! But two good things happened that year. The U.S. beat the Russians to win the Gold Medal in hockey at the winter Olympics and of course, Ronald Reagan was elected as 40th president of the United States. On February 10, 1981, less than a month after President Reagan took office, I entered the United States Marine Corps, feeling good about my new commander-in-chief. And I sure feel good about the one we have today as well!

[eabinga]

Thank you very much for posting this very interesting article.

[Prodigal Son]

Outstanding article. I was 14 when this incident occurred. I too remember what it was like to feel that America had been humiliated by these fanatics in Iran. And then I remember how Reagan started bringing our pride back. I have often sat back and wondered how much different the world would be today had that mission in Iran succeeded and the hostages were freed. Thanks for the post.

[SamAdams76]

Thanks, reading this article gave me flashbacks. The failed mission so demoralized me that it was the first time I read about the mission since it happened back in 1980. I forgot all about the details of what was supposed to take place. What an audacious and complicated plan! Even if there was no equipment malfunctions, I doubt the plan would have worked.

Anyway, the History Channel is currently showing three hours of the 1990 Gulf War. Now that's something I don't mind looking back on. Though we really should have gone to Baghdad and removed Sadaam Hussein from power.

[backhoe]

Good post- I remember it all too well. We need to know this stuff so it doesn't happen again.

[Inge_CAV]

Good post.

When this happened I swore I would never vote for another democrat, ever.

[cva66snipe]

I was on active duty then and remember the day they were taken hostage. We were in drydock at Norfolk Yards when we went to closed ship for several hours. Nothing was said for what seemed like hours but probably an hour or so later the Captain told us we were on alert for possible deployment all work was stopped till we recieved orders whether to put the ship back together and go or remain for our overhaul. Finally either late that afternoon or evening we were told the JFK was going and we were to remain in drydock.

But there is a big difference in the military then and now. We had more deployable troops and ships. We had more planes. It just took the mind and determination of Reagan to use them more wisely. Unfortunately we are now short abot 4-6 carriers and carrier groups and many more submarines. In short we need to start rebuilding our military A.S.A.P. New technology is good as is a missle defense system. But the fact remains our basic old reliables if maintained properly and the users trained properly are our biggest asset. One should not come at the expense of the other. More focus needs to be put into getting back up to two thirds of our 1980 numbers in troops and equipment.

[Leisler]

I was in Headquarters Co, 3/4 ADA, 82nd Abn. We sent a couple of Sargents from the redeye teams for aircover at the fuel site. Later I was in 7th Group, met the pilot who flew a stol plane to the site to check it out before the mission.

Good men all, risky and they took it. Too bad then, and now, we are lead by frat boys, liberals, paperpushers.

[SamAdams76]

I agree. We are a few carriers short. On a thread a few months before this happened about the new carrier Ronald Reagan I reamed out a fellow Freeper for saying that aircraft carriers were a waste of money and relics from a bygone era.

That Freeper couldn't have been further from the truth. Aircraft carriers will carry us far into the 21st Century and probably even beyond. We need to make many more of them. A carrier is like a portable piece of U.S. territory. We can maneuver an entire "airport" with a full fleet of military jets anyplace in the world. Timid nations like France and Saudi Arabia won't let us use their military bases to attack our enemies? No problem. We just park a few carriers off the coast and we can go about our business.

Americans fail to appreciate just how incredible our military might is. Within 24 hours, we established complete air superiority over a land-locked nation like Afghanistan. And we did it with carriers! We are the only nation in the world who can deploy such a massive military presence globally and it is aircraft carriers that make this possible.

I do not think a fleet of 25 aircraft carriers is out of the question. Too expensive? Than close a bunch of bases on the U.S. mainland. Put the bases where they can be most useful to us. On the water where they can be moved wherever we need them to be!

[Reeses]

Carter was a very damaging president. The story I remember was that Iran had ordered many jet fighters from us and had paid handsomely for them. Carter canceled the orders then didn't return any of Iran's payment. That was what triggered the hostage situation.

Then there was Carter's high inflation, gas lines, and supplying arms to bin Laden to fight the Russians. If we had supported the Russians instead of fought them, Afghanistan would have become a civilized country.

Carter was infected with too many liberal mind viruses, ideas he believed to be true. He was too trusting, couldn't see that liberalism is a network of lies and liars. Because of it Carter was possibly our worst President.

[habs4ever]

I remember turning on the news to see pics of the burnt out chopper in the desert, and Jimmy and Zbig doing their best damage control spin possible.SNAFU is too polite a word to describe that mess, but it does describe Jimmy's Presidency.Carter was saved by Clinton, in that history won't regard him as the worst President of the 20th C after all.But is sure was a race to the bottom.

[Reeses]

I think Carter was a much worse President than Clinton, at least in terms of damage to our country. Carter was extremely honest in motive and trusting, which makes him a better person. But that combined with a terrible infection of liberal mind viruses made him a disaster of a President. Clinton knows liberalism is all about lies, and although he padded his own butt via corruption, at least he didn't do core damage like Carter.

[OldFriend]

Why just yesterday I heard Chrissie Matthews praising the greatness of Jimmy Carter. This after bashing President Bush for his performance during his press conference.

[ken21]

i'll never forget this. i was working all night on a college term paper with the tv on but the volume off.

i glanced up at 3 or 4 am to see a live feed of president carter. i knew it must be serious.

i turned the volume up and my heart sank.

what a loser--carter.

[SamAdams76]

I'm inclined to agree with you that Carter was actually a worse president then Clinton because Carter actually believed in all that liberal bullshit. I guess in a warped kind of way, we are fortunate that Clinton wasted his eight years getting blowjobs from interns and endlessly consulting with his nest of lawyers trying to extricate him and his shrew of a wife from their various scams, scandals and other criminal conduct. Sorry for the salty language but I'm passionate in my contempt for those self-serving scumbags (the Clintons) and all those parasites who clung to them like leeches.

[ValerieUSA]

I wonder if there is a way to learn the names of the Delta Force men on that mission in 1980.

[habs4ever]

Carter brought us Ronald, who changed the world.I disagree about Jimmy's goodness;that has been the biggest con about him for 20+ yrs.He's always been a small minded, priggish no goodnik who hectored ad infinitum about his moral superiority through cold evenings in the WH.I loathe them both, he and Clinton, and I have no qualms with anyone who wonders who was the bigger turd.I just wish people would drop the nonsense about Carter being a decent man.He's a $hit, besides being a bungling fool.America's own King Canute.

[nmh]

Jimmeh was a "nice" guy but an IDIOT when it came to thinking and leadership. Neither was something he knew anything about.

[cva66snipe]

The one thing we need in the way of carriers is some replacement conventional powered ones built to replace the three remaining ones that will be gone by 2010. I know well the advantages of nukes. But a conventional power plant takes far less time and money to get qualified snipes in the engine rooms to a needed level of qualification. The conventional snipe will be a seasoned and qualified operator before the nuke ever gets out of school and must still qualify.

In the event of mass casuality getting the ship back into operation is a must. The fuel oil 1200 pound conventional plants allow for some very unconventional repairs that could not be an option with a nuke. In short we do not have an over abundance of persons who can cut nuke school. I know of many who didn't make it. It's a volunteer job and due to the nature of it's operation and should remain such to insure the programs integrity. I'm a conventional powered CV vet myself.

[The Right Stuff]

I remember this incident well, as my fiancee was based at Ft. Bliss (El Paso, TX, showing that the military really has a sense of humor, especially since they told him he'd be going to Honolulu when he enlisted. Har, har)

I disagree that Carter was our worst Prez. Carter was completely naive - one of those, I'd like to teach the world to sing types. And, he was a terrible leader. And, he truly didn't believe in America, remember the "we'll just have to get used to losing" attitude?

But Clinton definitely gets the pick for worst Prez, ever. Why? Because he was never motivated by idealism, however misguided. He was, and is still, motivated by a self-serving, narcissistic, what's in it for me, grasping greediness.

Betray his wife and daughter just to get it on with a randy intern? Not a prob. Betray his country for a few extra campaign bucks, just to ensure that he'll get (however illegitimately) re-elected? Okey-dokey. It's all for him, and it's all about him. I doubt he ever even understood (for all his supposed intellect) the concepts of honor, duty and country. I doubt he's ever even grasped the basic tenets of Western Civilization.