April 24, 1980

[Devildoc]

Operation Eagle Claw occurred. What was a tactical failure was a strategic victory and that it created SOCOM and many of the special operations units.

I was 11 and glued to the TV, and the Iranian hostage crisis was my first significant coherent foray into the political world.

 

[Topkick]

What was a tactical failure was a strategic victory

It went south and we lost good men. But it was certainly one of the most important operations we've ever attempted. Many lessons learned.

"The only failure is not trying"

 

[Gunz]

The only time Jimmy Carter showed balls as POTUS was when he gave it the green light...because the risks were enormous and he knew his legacy would be total shit if it went south.

In all honesty, I don't think the plan would've succeeded anyway even without half of the SNAFUs. But good things certainly came out of it.

 

[Topkick]

because the risks were enormous and he knew his legacy would be total shit if it went south.

Carter was a shit president, but I give him some credit for having the guts to try. But after 5-6 months without really doing anything, Carter had to do something to have any chance at getting reelected.

 

[Gunz]

Carter was a shit president, but I give him some credit for having the guts to try. But after 5-6 months without really doing anything, Carter had to do something to have any chance at getting reelected.

Very true.

When this happened, the fall of Saigon and the Mayaguez debacle were still fresh in everybody's mind. Perception of the American military was at its absolute lowest ebb. This was four years after my discharge from the Marines and I had just joined the NC ANG. It was like, Jesus, can't we do anything without fucking it up? Dead men and dead helicopters everywhere.

The Mayaguez thing was at least a partial success, but we left dead Marines and dead 53's there, too.