OK I wasn’t going to say anything about the behavior of the Brit hostages until some arrogant Brit ridiculed US actions during its own 444 day hostage crisis on a national radio broadcast. First and foremost, with regard to our hostage crisis – three words – James Earl Carter. Nuf said about that.
But while the US government acted like a scared rabbit, the hostages did not. The Brits on the other hand seem to have caved the instant the Iranians refused to give them a fresh lime slice with their evening gin and tonic. The threat of trial and seven years in prison in rings hollow. How much sense dose it make to publicly admit to a crime you didn’t commit to avoid a trial and prison? It would seem to me once you’ve made the public admission the trial become unnecessary. The admission is played for the judge and the sentence is handed down. Read this from Formerhostage who was at the US embassy during the Iranian take over:
As my screenname indicates, I can speak with Complete Moral Authority (tm) on this issue.
On the day of the takeover, the Marines were outnumbered at least 1000 to 1. We held the consulate and the communications vault for over 12 hours, helping to destroy equipment and classified material. We were under STRICT orders not to fire our weapons or pop gas grenades (too late for that last one..hee, hee, hee). We were eventually told that we were on our own and to make a break for it. The monkeys even put one of the diplomats in front of the comm vault peep eye with a pistol to their head and threatened to kill them unless the door was opened. It wasn't and they didn't. Once all the material was destroyed the doors were opened and they all got the crap beat out of them.
When we were first taken, the Iranians took us into a room individually and asked us to sign a statement denouncing the US policy in Iran, Israel, the Shah, etc. The Marines signed with names such as Michael Mouse, Chesty Puller, Dan Daly (google the last two...Marine Corps legends), Harry Butz, etc.
During the ordeal they would try to tape us for propaganda purposes. Personally, I would keep looking down to the ground or hide behind others so that my face wouldn't show (in fact, after a couple of months of not seeing me in any of the videos my records I was classified as MIA). Another Marine and I shared the same cell and when they came in with cameras we'd strip down. I heard a rumor that one of the other Marines smeared ketchup on his face and started howling.
The day before they released us, we were taken to a room with a camera and Mary the Terrorist who was going to interview us. We were threatened that if we didn't say the right things we wouldn't be released. Some Marines gave only name rank and SSN, others sang (Marine Corps Hymn or God Bless America), others just said nothing.
On the day they let us go, I was being herded towards the airplane by a couple of those monkeys. I pulled my arm out of their grasp and let them know that "We're number one"...but used the wrong finger.
For our troubles we were isolated, thumped [beaten], went through two mock executions, starved, threatened, and had to put up with useful idiots from Amnesty International showing up just to let the world know how humane we were being treated.
We resisted at each opportunity, except for Army Sgt Joe Subic who collaborated from day 1 and was later snubbed by the rest of us (and was the only one not to receive a citation). We refused to cooperate, stole keys, plugged toilets, pissed in their rations, blew circuit breakers, laughed in their face when they threatened us and cursed them when they beat us. Steve Kirtley even told one of them to pull his finger! The monkey did and Steve was beaten for the inevitable result.
We did this because we were first and foremost, MARINES! Our honor and loyalty to the United States gave us the courage. We would rather die (and that was a definite possibility) than to shame ourselves, our Corps, or our Country. We had to live up to our history and got to measure ourselves and our actions against those of greater men.
Yes, we broke now and then. But would immediately pick ourselves back up and go back to fighting. Which, by the way, confused the hell out of the monkeys!
Pity the poor Brits. All they had was the history of the E.U. and the U.N. as examples.
Semper Fi
There is much more on this story here. Read it all. As for the Brits, there is a scene in the Movie 300 where King Leonidas confronts the traitor who betrayed the Spartan army. Instead of trying to kill the man or berating him, Leonidas sees the shame on the man’s face and says to the traitor, “I hope you live forever.” As if no fate could be worse than bearing shame the man already feels for eternity. If these Brits have any honor left, over time their very public poor behavior under duress is sure to have an unfortunate effect on them. Their military careers --in a disciplined army -- should be over, except for the gal, of course, who will no doubt be promoted to admiral or something by the end of the week.
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