Robert Ode | Iran Hostage Diary, 1979–1980
In November 1979 Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held fifty-two Americans hostage for 444 days. American hostage Robert Ode was a retired diplomat who was on special assignment in Tehran. While he was in captivity, Ode kept a diary, which included the following entries.
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How much did his captors’ distinction between the American government and the American people mean to Ode? What was the worst part of his experience as a hostage? Why does he refuse to shower? How might this be interpreted as a political act? |
November 4, 1979 After arriving at the [Embassy] residence I had my hands tied behind my back so tightly with nylon cord that circulation was cut off. I was taken upstairs and put alone in a rear bedroom and after a short time was blindfolded. After protesting strongly that the cord was too tight the cord was removed and the blindfold taken off when they tried to feed me some dates and I refused to eat anything I couldn’t see. I strongly protested the violation of my diplomatic immunity, but these protests were ignored. . . . I was taken to the Embassy living room on the ground floor where a number of other hostages were gathered. Some students attempted to talk with us, stating how they didn’t hate Americans—only our U.S. Government, President Carter, etc. We were given sandwiches and that night I slept on the living room floor. We were not permitted to talk to our fellow hostages and from then on our hands were tied day and night and only removed while we were eating or had to go to the bathroom. . . . April 28, 1980 Nothing special has happened since my being moved to the new (less desirable room) except that I forgot to mention that about a week or 10 days ago we had hasps [metal fasteners] applied to the doors of our room and are now padlocked in the room as an extra security precaution! So with the bars on our windows and our doors being padlocked, it is more like a prison than ever! October 21, 1980 Still no more mail today. Thirty-three days with only one letter from my wife and only 10 others from other family members, friends, and strangers. Every day is exactly the same as the one before and the one after. . . . I have decided not to go through the hassle anymore of being blindfolded, put into a car, stumbling around, and then have to shower in a filthy bathroom used by countless student-terrorists. I am just going to make my daily sponge baths do even though it is cold water. Source: Robert Ode, “Iran Hostage’s Diary,” 1979–1980, Jimmy Carter Library, http:/ |
Put It in Context
How did the hostage crisis expose the weakness in the United States’ ability to defend its interests throughout the world?
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