Antonio Mendez

Napoleon Bonaparte said, "Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools." Antonio Mendez is no fool.  His creative thinking and always churning mind is proof of that.  Never accepting the impossible, Mendez's hard working demeanor is an inspiration to all who sometimes feel they are facing an impossible task. Antonio Mendez was born and raised in Eureka, Nevada, the loneliest town on the loneliest road in America according to National Geographic.  His mother single handedly raised him, his brother, and his sister, so they were not very wealthy.  Mendez had to work a lot for what he wanted, one of them being to attend college, which he did at the University of Colorado.  He was an art major and always thought of himself as a painter first and spy second.  Mendez did not even know what the CIA was until he saw an ad in the paper.  The more he read up on it, the more interested he came, so much so that he contributed 25 years to the job.  Maybe one of his most famous and renowned work, took place during 1979, when the American embassy in Tehran was overrun by Iranian militants.  When news that six American diplomats escaped and were hiding out at the Canadian embassy, Mendez was assigned the job of rescuing them.  Digging his heels and preparing for the fight, Mendez's perseverance and tenacity is shown through his courageous actions in pursuit of helping the six Americans.  Mendez stepped up to the plate by making sacrifices, taking unimaginable risks, and never giving up, to free the six Americans, earning his title as a hero. 

Working in the CIA meant that Mendez would be exposed to sensitive information that could land him in a dangerous situation, making this job something that Mendez would have to make sacrifices for.  Mendez found his way to the CIA after spotting an ad in the Denver Post looking for potential artists to work overseas for the U.S. Navy.  The interview that would finalize his admission to the CIA was conducted by Sidney Gottlieb, the deputy director of TSD (Technical Services Division).  During this interview an interesting point was presented to Mendez that most would need time to ponder, but he had no doubts in his mind about what he wanted to do: "'You know Tony,' he said, 'there are some people who might have a problem doing what we will be asking of you to do. Lying to your friends and family, who will want to know where you work and what you do.  Will you have a problem with that? Over a long period of time?' I didn't hesitate. 'I think, Dr. Gottlieb, that the truth is not necessarily everyone's business,' I said, 'especially when your county is relying on you to keep its secrets'" (34).  As most know, the CIA deals with highly clandestine information that, if leaked, could result in massive destruction for the United States, so it was imperative that Mendez could keep his mouth shut.  Showing no hesitation when faced with the of keeping secrets from his family, Antonio Mendez sacrifices not being able to share his frustrations at work with his wife, or tell her something extraordinary that happened, like most couples do. Mendez understands that in order to keep his country and family safe, some things are better left unsaid. Like he stated, his country relies on him to make the right calls and keep information out of the wrong hands. Keeping secrets from friends and especially family, is a difficult thing to do but, that does not deter Mendez from fulfilling his duty to his country. On the day that Mendez set off to embark on his dangerous mission in Tehran, Iran, his family is present to see him off.  His kids are oblivious to the dangers he might encounter, but his wife knows that this may be the last time she sees her husband.  There being numerous occasions where Tony had to say goodbye to his family, it is no surprise that a tradition was formed, one being a vow to his wife: "I handed her my wedding ring- officers always use cover legends of single people.  I could have left the ring at the office.  Or my dresser.  But the handing of my rings to Karen was part of our tradition.  'Here,' he said, 'keep this for me and I'll be back to get it.'  We never said those words.  But they were the words. 'I'll be back'"(Mendez and Baglio, 211-212).  This simple ritual is a reminder that when any officer, whether from the CIA, FBI, or the local police department, goes out in the field there is always the chance that they will get hurt or even die.  Going into a very hostile Iran ensures that danger will always be right around the corner. Him listing the other possible places he could have left his ring, emphasizes the significance of leaving it with his wife Karen, as well as the sacrifice that Mendez is making if he does not make it back home.  This plan requires every piece of the puzzle to fit smoothly and correctly because one wrong move could be the end of everything.  If Mendez had not made it back, his family would be devastated, his children left without a father, and his wife left without a husband.  He had everything to lose if he did not succeed, but he continued the plan anyway for the sake of his country.  No one forced Mendez in to taking this job.  He chose to keep secrets from his family and go on high-risk missions, knowing that he may not come back.  And his choices led him to the CIA where he saved six and countless others' lives.  

The mission in Tehran was no ordinary mission that Mendez have ever encountered and the plan he formulated was even more outlandish, but Mendez took the risks because lives were at stake. Before a plan was even created and news that six Americans escaped first reached Mendez, he did not hesitate to go to work and search for a solution: "All of us at the CIA were aware of the dangers that the embassy personnel were up against in a place as unpredictable as revolutionary Iran.  Among the Americans were three CIA colleagues of mine who no doubt would be singled out for special treatment if the Iranians were able to identify them.It was time to go to the office"(Mendez and Baglio, 25).  The Americans in the embassy were in a very compromising position and needed to be evacuated before the Iranians got impatient and started shooting hostages.  The situation in Tehran was highly dangerous and any attempt to save the hostages would be extremely risky.  Good thing risky was never something that Mendez could not handle.  He found out about the situation in Tehran and went straight to work.  Despite the risks, there were people that needed saving and he was going to do just that: "When Mendez was called upon to devise a plan to save the six diplomats, he did not hesitate to get creative. He planned to have a group pose as a Canadian film crew looking for locations to shoot. That was the easy part.  He then talked about having to pitch the idea to various United States government officials as well as the Canadian government. Mendez said he used the element of disbelief to help them agree to the plan."As always Mendez never hesitates when it comes to helping others.  This was not an ordinary situation, so Mendez's logic was to not use an ordinary method.  He had to think outside the box and his plan of forming a Canadian film crew with the cover of shooting a sci-fi movie named Argo, went exceedingly out of the box. For this exfiltration to work everything had to go according to plan.  And with a cover as elaborate as this one, would be extremely difficult to do.  But Mendez took the risk.  He had to get those people out of there and he came up with a plan that could work, or could get him and his crew killed.  It did work.  If had not, he would not have written book about it and earned an Intelligence star.  Using the 'element of disbelief,' as a method of a hostage rescue is very unorthodox, but that is what makes Tony a hero. He is not afraid to take the necessary risks in order to help others.  

In the case of the Canadian Caper, a mission this intricate would need to be meticulously thought out before executed, so it is no surprise that Tony had some hoops to jump through, but that did not stop him from succeeding.  When Mendez was first assigned the task, one obstacle he faced was his own doubt.  "How was I going to convince six innocent American diplomats who had no covert training that they could successfully escape from Iran? How was I going to create a cover story that would account for the presence of this group in a country caught up in the throes of a revolution? Despite having done dozens 'exfiltrations,' I could see that this was going to be one of my most challenging missions to date"(Mendez and Baglio, 5).  Mendez asking these questions to himself suggests that he is concerned on whether he can succeed in this mission.  Like any human being, he had his doubts about his capabilities, but unlike most he did not let this seeping doubt hinder him from making an ingenious plan.  By mentioning that this missions if going to be one of the most arduous 'exfiltrations,' it can be inferred that he is anxious to take point on this mission.  Having done this a dozen times before, it can be expected if one is apprehensive by an exceedingly challenging mission.  Before Mendez knew about the six American hostages he was working on a plan to save the all the hostages in the American embassy.  "At first, Mendez thought his job was to free the hostages. He started suiting up agents to penetrate Iran, and he spent a whirlwind 90 hours straight working on a plan called Operation Bodyguard in which a dead body double for the Shah would be used to arrange for the hostages' release. It was a gorgeous plan, he thought. But the White House rejected it"(Bearman, Joshuah). Being refused to a brilliant plan can be discouraging enough to quit all together, especially when the ones who rejected you was the White House.  Good things Mendez did not take it that way.  His tenacity earned him a highly respected honor with an Intelligence Star and multiple other awards such as the Trailblazer award.  The plan that he organized took a lot of thought and deliberation, but was refuted.  Even though it did not work out, Mendez kept searching for different ways to save the Americans.  His inability to accept one wrong answer displays his stubborn disposition. Tony Mendez always gets back up when he falls.  His actions teach the valuable lesson of never accepting that there is only one solution to a problem.  Him finding that other solution makes him a hero because he persevered and is example to all that nothing is impossible.  

Through his perseverance, sacrifices, and bold decisions, Antonio Mendez is nothing short of a hero.  The word 'impossible' is not in his dictionary because he never accepts that there is no way to do something.  Always willing to take the necessary risks to help others, Mendes displays audacity.  Willing to leave the safeness and comfort of his family and home, Mendez makes sacrifices to serve his country.  By thinking outside the parameters of ordinary thought and finding a solution to a seemingly impossible mission, Mendez displays perseverance.  I have always admired characters like Jason Bourne and Ethan Hunt, who in their intense action packed films, always defeat the evil forces driving against them.  Although, I am not naïve enough to believe that the kind of scenes portrayed in the movies accurately conveys what real life CIA missions are like.  What happens in the movies is incredible, yet impossible.  But, taking a page from Mendez's book, nothing is impossible.  Reading Mendez's book Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History, unveiled to me that real people actually pull of the incredible stunts that we have all seen on the big screen.  Since I have been little, I have always thought being a spy was the coolest thing ever.  They wore all black and had the most amazing gadgets.  I never fully understood the tasks that the CIA encountered.  It seemed like this enigma that I would never comprehend.  I still do not, and probably never will unless I join the CIA one day.  But, I do know one thing.  What these people do is the most purest form of bravery.  Mendez risked his life to help others with an unbelievable plan that could go awry with the slightest change of the wind.  Reading Mendez's story opened my eyes to the secret network of people who look ordinary on the outside, but have seen things that would give the strongest man nightmares.  Thanks to men and women like Antonio Mendez, we do not have to know those nightmares.  Through his powerful decisions, sacrifices, and inability to accept that there is only one solution to a problem, Mendez is a true hero who is an example to us all that we should never give up and not shy away from risks. 

Works Cited 

Bearman, Joshuah. "How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans From Tehran | Magazine | WIRED." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 24 Apr. 2007. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.

Manniz, Kelsey. "SCULPTURE UNVEILING WITH A HERO: TONY MENDEZ."Westminster Patch. Patch Media, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.

Mendez, Antonio J., and Matt Baglio. Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled off the Most Audacious Rescue in History. New York: 

Viking, 2012. Print.