Hurlburt Field in Okaloosa County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Memorial to the USAF Dead in Operation Eagle Claw
Desert One, Iran
| | 1980 | |
Photographed by Mark Hilton, November 17, 2016
1. Memorial to the USAF Dead in Operation Eagle Claw
no man than this,
that a man lay
down his life for
his friends.
John 15:13
On the night of
April 1980, these
men gave their
lives in the
gallant attempt
to free the
American hostages
in Iran.
In memory of
Maj. Harold Lawton Lewis, Jr.
Maj. Lyn Davis McIntosh
Maj. Richard Lynn Bakke
Capt. Charles Thomas McMillan, II
TSgt. Joel Columbus Mayo
Erected by the Hurlburt Field Memorial Air Park Council.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Military • Notable Events • War, Cold. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1980.
Location. 30° 24.801′ N, 86° 42.049′
this page online
Regionally, this marker is on the Florida Panhandle. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A.A.F. / U.S.A.F. Explosive Ordnance Disposal Memorial (here, next to this marker); Spirit 03 (here, next to this marker); Jockey - 14 Memorial (here, next to this marker); Medal of Honor Recipients (a few steps from this marker); MC-130P Combat Shadow (a few steps from this marker); Combat Talon Aircrew S-59 (a few steps from this marker); Combat Talon Aircrew S-01 (a few steps from this marker); A-26 Counter-Invader (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hurlburt Field.
Related marker.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, November 17, 2016
2. Memorial is on the left front.
Also see . . . Operation Eagle Claw. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on June 9, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Jtesla16 - Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0), 2009
3. Operation Eagle Claw Memorial Cenotaph in Arlington National Cemetery.
Listing all of the American forces killed in the attempted rescue attempt, including the five shown on this memorial.
Click for more information.
Click for more information.
Public Domain, 1980
4. “Wreckage at Desert One, Iran (April 1980) where eight Americans died.”
A photo of the "Desert One" landing site, a piece of desert in Iran used by U.S. forces as a refueling point in an attempt to rescue U.S. hostages in Iran. On 24 April 1980 a U.S. Navy Sikorsky RH-53D Sea Stallion (BuNo 158760, visible at right) collided with a U.S. Air Force Lockheed EC-130E Hercules (s/n 62-1809, wrecked in the foreground) during refueling after the mission was aborted. Both aircraft were destroyed, eight crewmen died. In the background is one of the five intact, but abandoned RH-53Ds.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 13, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,824 times since then and 97 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 13, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
