Antonio Mendez

Tony Mendez receives the CIA Trailblazer Award.https://www.themasterofdisguise.com/about/tony-mendez

November 4, 1979 started no different than any other day at the American embassy in Tehran: Americans bustled about while angry crowds outside shouted “death to America” and “down with the Shah.” Because this was a daily occurrence, after the recently overthrown Shah of Iran was allowed in the US for cancer treatment, an act Iranians were deeply opposed against, the diplomats were accustomed to the constant protests and shouting. By the end of that day, 53 Americans were held hostage by Iranian militants. Miraculously, six escaped, but their situation was dire for they sought safety in a city seething with hatred for Americans; it seemed as if only Superman could save the day. However, their hero didn’t have a cape, superpowers, nor did he fly from building to building, keeping his eyes peeled for crime-doers. Real heroism is not only characterized by deeds that everyone reveres, but rather actions that oftentimes go unrecognized, and the hero’s name unknown. Heroes go unnoticed in every corner of civilization, but they nonetheless contribute their part to society. Despite existing everywhere in all shapes and forms, all heroes share a trait: the will to go to great lengths for the good of others. A hero is and will always be a hero, but it is in dire situations where their heroic qualities become apparent. It is in those situations that a hero is at their peak, for they go far and wide seeking a solution and preparing it, and go even further to ensure the success of their solution. But all the while, they remain humble and possibly unnamed to the public. Simply put, a hero is one who sees a problem and makes an enormous effort to ensure that help will be given.  

Mendez before boarding a plane for a trip into enemy territory.https://www.themasterofdisguise.com/about/tony-mendezAntonio “Tony” Mendez was one of those heroes. In the case of the six escaped Americans, he went extraordinary lengths to plan and lead the rescue mission, causing him to go down in history as an American hero. Born in Eureka, Nevada on November 15, 1940, Antonio J. Mendez was recruited by the CIA after answering a blind ad in the newspaper. He started as an espionage artist before fully becoming a CIA operative in the field, specializing in disguises and fake documentation as well as the exfiltrations of operatives from hostile nations. However, his most notable achievement came with the rescue of the six Americans during the Iran Hostage Crisis. Despite the unprecedented success of the mission, it remained unknown to the public for many years until his story was revealed to the public in 1997 on the 50th anniversary of the CIA for his heroic deeds. Mendez is clearly a hero, for a hero takes action when a problem is recognized, and will thoroughly prepare a solution and readily take the role of leader when necessary. Being thorough and prepared can be defined by following through with far-fetched ideas for the sake of a convincing cover, or focusing on perfecting the smallest, most insignificant-seeming details. Qualities of a leader include being courageous by accepting the risks, selflessly sacrificing their own good to help others, as well as the ability to lead people confidently, even in dark circumstances. Because of the success of the mission and the lasting impact Mendez made on the country, not only for rescuing the six Americans from Tehran but also through his work with the CIA in expanding the capability of American espionage, he is an American hero. Antonio Mendez exhibited his leadership abilities and thoroughness throughout his CIA career, but most conspicuously during the Iran Hostage Crisis, establishing himself to be a revolutionary American Hero.

Antonio J. Mendezhttps://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21504409In the face of adversity, Tony Mendez displays many characteristics of a trusted and qualified leader, allowing him to save the lives of six Americans. Upon discovering that the six escaped the storming of the US embassy in Tehran, Mendez immediately stepped up to the plate: “In 1979 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative Tony Mendez spearheaded an ambitious plan to rescue six Americans left stranded in Iran after the U.S. embassy there was stormed by political dissidents” (Gale Database). From this, it can be seen that Mendez chose to lead the mission despite the obvious risks. When the biography describes Mendez’s plan as “ambitious,” it is indicating how it intended to achieve high expectations, thus suggesting that it would be difficult to accomplish. Therefore, it is implied that the plan was risky and far-fetched and, as a result, requires one to take risks to achieve. By courageously leading the hazardous mission and risking his life for the six Americans, Mendez plainly exhibits the traits of a leader and a hero. In addition to the far-fetched mission, the danger of the nation was clear; the Iranians abhorred Americans and militants executed anyone they suspected in the slightest to be an American spy. Yet, Mendez not only chose to contribute to the logistics of the rescue, but also personally lead the mission, a sacrifice of his own safety, by going into Iran and saving the life of not only one, but six Americans that he had no relationship to other than nationality, demonstrating his selflessness and courage. Because of his courage and selflessness, he displays the characteristics of a leader and a hero, for both must take risks and make sacrifices for the good of others. Before leaving the six Americans after informing them of the logistics of the rescue plan, Mendez spoke to them one final time: “At midnight... I finally said good-bye, and as we walked out the door the houseguests gave a hearty ‘Argo!’ salute to see us off… ‘You guys are going to do great tomorrow’...” (Mendez 262). As seen from the Americans’ moods and his encouraging comments, Mendez demonstrates the traits of a leader. In the book, Tony Mendez describes the Americans’ salute as “hearty,” indicating his comforting and reassuring presence as well as their trust in him. When he gives encouraging comments, he is instilling confidence into the group. By making sure the Americans were confident and bold, whether through supportive comments or logistics, he displayed attributes of a leader since leaders are expected to lead people with conviction and thus inspire their followers. To add to this, he was clearly trusted by the Americans, another clear example of his leadership abilities. Through his encouraging words and actions, Mendez exhibited the characteristics of a hero, for he was able to lead and help people through difficult times. He refused to give up on the seemingly impossible mission, and so he proceeded to work even harder to succeed by giving encouragement and instilling confidence in those who were key elements in the plan. From being a risk-taker to instilling confidence, Mendez proves himself to be a qualified and trusted leader, selflessly and zealously making the effort to help the Americans, the actions of an honorable American hero.

Ben Affleck, who plays Tony Mendez in the movie Argo, and Mendez on Good Morning America.https://www.laineygossip.com/Ben-Affleck-Jennifer-Garner-Jennifer-Lopez-will-all-be-at-Golden-Globes/25598Not only is Mendez is a skilled leader, but he is also prepared and thorough, carefully taking all possible factors into consideration to ensure the success of his missions. Soon after Mendez devised his plan to infiltrate Iran as a film location scouting crew, he began preparing a rescue: “He worked with the connections he had in Hollywood to invent a fake production company called Studio Six Productions... complete with working offices on the former Columbia lot. For each of the personas he created for the embassy workers, Mendez produced fictional credits and business cards. To complete the illusion, Mendez acquired an unused script…” (Gale Database). By assembling countless aspects of the cover, Antonio Mendez is clearly very thorough. As seen from Mendez’s “connections,” it can be assumed that he was prepared with many relationships with people that could assist him in his CIA endeavors. His focus on the many facets of the cover shows his attentiveness for he doesn’t leave any possibilities out, as well as his hard-working attitude. Mendez undoubtedly went great lengths to make his production company seem legitimate. He was very thorough, going as far as starting a fake company to as detailed as making business cards. Also, Mendez was prepared with personal connections that assisted him in perfecting the cover by helping start the company, endorse it using their reputable names, and run it while he was in Tehran. He worked hard to hit every detail that would make his cover seem real. Not only did he go seemingly excessive lengths to construct a background for the cover identities, but he also ensured that every minutia was precise, establishing Mendez’s heroism. Because of the extensive planning put into the exfiltration, Mendez was able to lead a successful mission and save six American lives. Another example can be seen when Mendez went through airport security and his suitcase, full of espionage-related illegal documentation and money, was examined: “... I had placed copies of Playboy and Time in my suitcase where they were easily accessible, knowing that these would be obvious distractions” (Mendez 219). This shows Mendez’s thoroughness, for he prepared distractions in case of security checks. Having placed the magazines beforehand, it suggests that Mendez knew he would face a problem before entering security. By carefully arranging copies of illegal magazines in his suitcase, it indicates that he knew how to distract the customs agent, a result of his experience. In addition, his distractions were a form of manipulation used to pert the agent’s attention from the illegal documents and thousands of dollars hidden in his suitcase. The clever trick he used to keep security away from the illegal baggage he was carrying shows that Mendez is clearly experienced and thus prepared for he knew the problems he would face with security and planned a counter in advance, using his knowledge of Iranian culture to select the specific magazines. As a result of his thoroughness and focus on details, preparing a concise plan for the main mission but even preparing something as ambiguous as magazines in a suitcase, he was able to heroically infiltrate Iran and save lives, rather than never making it to his destination as a result of poor planning. His thoroughness allowed him to focus on what he sought to achieve: the rescue of the six Americans. Whether it’s the fine details or the big picture, Mendez was thorough, making cover stories unconditionally convincing, giving him the ability to focus on rescuing people and saving lives.

Due to Antonio “Tony” Mendez’s leadership qualities and thoroughness, he was able to rescue countless operatives from hostile nations, displaying his heroism. Whether it’s Mendez’s willingness to take risks and encouraging attitude, or extraordinary thoroughness, Mendez is the epitome of an American hero. His inspiring attitude and courage demonstrate his incredible leadership skills, which drove him to lead a dangerous exfiltration, as well as instill confidence in people’s minds through times of adversity. Mendez’s thoroughness led him to success with multiple of his endeavors and thus allowed him to save the lives of numerous people. Despite Mendez’s countless, brag-worthy successes, he remained humble and diligent, writing in his book, “...we hadn’t expected a ticker tape parade upon our return… I was happy to have done my part in helping to get the six Americans out of Iran, but I knew there was more work to be done. There were still fifty-three Americans being held hostage who needed our help” (Mendez 277). Mendez is inspirational in the sense that he did not seek recognition; he was just thankful to have contributed to saving six lives. Even though Mendez already went great lengths and saved the lives of six Americans, he immediately began to think of ways to help the other hostages. Mendez is inspiring, for he works diligently on things even without the recognition, whereas, unlike most people, including myself, recognition is the driving force of hard work. His attitude inspires me to work hard towards things regardless whether I receive recognition, for knowing that I did everything I could to achieve my goal is the ultimate prize. Mendez is an inspiration to everyone for he encourages people to stay humble, appreciate the small things in life, and always march forward regardless of the difficulties. When the six Americans met their rescuer in Tehran, they did not meet a muscular figure in blue tights and red cape. He came and left in the shadows where his heroic deeds prevailed for years, but his heroism was never overshadowed, and when the light at last beamed on his story, his heroism was finally given the chance to shine and inspire the hearts of thousands.

Tony Mendez shakes hands with President Carter.https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Tony-Mendez-Creator-of-the-ARGO-Escape-Plan

Works Consulted

Bearman, Joshuah. “How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans From Tehran.”
        Wired, Conde Nast, 24 Apr. 2007, www.wired.com/2007/04/feat_cia/3/.

Braverman, Louise. “Tony Mendez.” The Master Of Disguise, The Master Of Disguise, 2012,
       www.themasterofdisguise.com/about/tony-mendez.

Kottoor, Naveena. “Tony Mendez, the real CIA spy in Argo.” BBC News, BBC, 20 Feb. 2013,
       www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21504409.

Mendez, Antonio. “A Classic Case of Deception.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central
       Intelligence Agency, 27 June 2008, www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/winter99-
       00/art1.html.

Mendez, Antonio J., and Matt Baglio. Argo : How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most
       Audacious Rescue in History. New York, NewYork: Viking, 2012. Print.

Murray, Lauren. “SCULPTURE UNVEILING WITH A HERO: TONY MENDEZ.”
       Westminster, MD Patch, Patch, 17 Nov. 2013,
       patch.com/maryland/westminster/sculpture-unveiling-with-a-hero-tony-mendez.

"Tony Mendez." Gale Biography in Context, Gale, 2013. Biography in Context,
       https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1650008718/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=5b51fc48.
       Accessed 21 Dec. 2017.