Jackson High School - Osky Wow Yearbook (Jackson, OH)

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mm 1981 OSKY WOW ' Tropic and Vaugbn Streets Jackson, OH 45640 A Student Publication Volume 69

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Celebration of Freedom V' 5rreed VtosXa es ate sa e-, .ea orv s 4Q V pre ' jj k vow. NOHi A. mhr gie€t% oU SI » kw. ov ft January 20, 1981, just 30 minutes after President Ronald Reagan took the oath of office former President Carter announced that the 52 American hostages held by Iranian Revolutionary government had been released. With teary eyes. President Carter said, I doubt if at any time in our history more prayers have reached Heaven. On November 4, 1979, the Islamic revolutionaries overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took captive 66 of the Americans serving there. The revolutionaries did this in revenge to the medical help the U.S. was giving to the deposed Shah. Shortly after the takeover, the militants released five women and seven blacks. Richard Queen, ill with multiple sclerosis was released on July 20, 1980. On April 25, a rescue mission was aborted and eight U.S. airmen lost their lives. After this the Iranians moved the hostages to various parts of Iran. Iran engaged in war with Iraq on September 2 and at the time of the release. President Carter, along with Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, had worked each hour of the last week negotiating with the Iranian leaders so the President-elect Reagan would not have to deal with the Iranian Crisis. Their liberty was secured by giving $8 billion in frozen assets. The hostages left Tehran on January 20 and flew to Algiers and on to Weisbaden, West Germany, where American physicians and psychologists examined them. The hostages adjusted to their new freedom before returning to an ecstatic America. Sunday, January 25, the day the hostages flew home to American soil, churches all over the country rang their bells at 11:00 a.m. fifty-two times in honor of their dedicated countrymen and women. The homecoming was marked with flag flying and countless yellow ribbons tied on trees, poles, and people. With the Iranian crisis almost settled, President Reagan turned his attention to the longest and worst sustained inflation in our history. In his inaugural speech President Reagan encouraged Americans to face the inflationary crisis and give our best effort, our work, and our willingness to believe in ourselves then we can solve the problems which confront us. We must act today in order to preserve tomorrow. And let there be no misunderstanding we are going to act beginning today.