Former Marine awarded Combat Action Ribbon 23 years after defending U.S. Embassy

WETHERSFIELD, Conn. -- Upon his recent return home from Qatar, Henry Lojkuc was surprised to have received a letter from the Marine Corps Military Awards Branch. It seems some 23 years later, the former Marine sergeant was awarded the Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon for his heroic actions in defense of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.  A second letter awarded him the Marine Security Guard Ribbon.  The awards brought back the memories.

 The sun bears down on the Middle Eastern desert with a sultry fire fueled by thousands of Middle Eastern men and women whose hearts burn with Anti-American sentiments. With the winter temperature averaging in the 70s the heat felt by the Marine Security Detachment standing watch at the United States Embassy is about to explode like a fireball from hell.

 The year is not 2002 and we are not in Kabul, Afghanistan, but in Tehran, Iran in the spring of 1979.  As anarchy was becoming the norm in the streets of Tehran, the gathering crowd began to swelter with a hate that shrouded the city.  Chants of “Yankee we’ve come to do you in” could be heard as hundreds of leftist guerrillas stormed the embassy grounds led by the pro Moscow Fadayeen Kalq forces. The Fedayeen Kalq - known as the people’s self-sacrifice guerrillas - were founded in the latter part of the 1960’s and were alleged to have ties to the Palestine Liberation Organization.

 From the end of December 1978 until February 14, 1979, American citizens were on constant alert as revolution spilled across Iran. Marital Law was in place as a political and religious conflict was taking place between the Shah elect Prime Minster Bahktiar and the exiled religious leader Ayatollah Rulloah Khomeini.

 “We had approximately 50 to 60 members of the Iranian Army assigned to assist us with the perimeter security of the embassy. With political and religious pressure mounting, the Iranian Army deserted their post leaving just 19 Marines defending the embassy against a crowd of hundreds during the gun battle that lasted about three and a half hours,” recalled Lojkuc who was a corporal at the time.

 Lojkuc joked that the Iranian Army did more sleeping on post than providing perimeter security anyhow.  Even though the Marine Security Detachment was armed, outfitted in full battle gear, well trained and fighting an uncoordinated adversary, the sheer numbers of the militant guerrilla force were overwhelming.

 “The number of weapons being used created a firepower that far outweighed our ability to defend the embassy,” said Lojkuc. “At that point all we could do was buy some time with our own safety and well being so the 100 or so United States citizens (American staffers and diplomats) could destroy classified material and equipment as well as retreat to a secure area within the embassy.”

 “We fired our shotguns and 38s till we ran out of ammo. Upon leaving the embassy grounds and moving into the chancery we gutted the three lower floors with tear gas.  Within an hour or so the leftist forces had made their way to the 3rd floor of the chancery and were pelting the door with automatic weapons fire. It was at this time we were ordered by Ambassador Sullivan to drop our weapons and to surrender.”

 Lojkuc can still remember the word “Pashemar” which means surrender in Farsi.  Being ordered to surrender his post was a feeling he was never prepared for.

 “Having the butt end of a Kalashnikov jammed into my ribs was not even close to the feeling of pain and despair of being ordered to abandoned and surrender my post” said Lojkuc. 

 A few hours into the siege forces loyal to the Ayatollah Khomeini retook the embassy and freed the hostages.  

 Lojkuc is noted for one other remarkable act of courage during the February siege.  In the middle of the siege he managed to slip away from his captors and secure the three remaining American flags as well as the Marine Corps colors. Lojkuc said after watching the militants desecrate other American flags he made his way through the tear-gassed areas, across the compound undetected, and secured the remaining flags. Lojkuc recalls that amid the parading of the Marines in front of reporters and other spectators he had the flags on his person.

 He still has one of the three flags.  Another was returned to embassy personnel for delivery to the State Department.  Lojkuc gave the third to the Marine Club of Hartford, Conn., at the annual Gideon Welles Awards Dinner in May 1979 which honored him as guest speaker.

 After the siege State Department officials sent Lojkuc and his fellow Marines to the U.S. for a debriefing.  The Marines were then given the choice of returning the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) or returning to embassy duty. Lojkuc opted to remain on embassy duty and was assigned to Vienna, Austria.

 The attack on the American Embassy in February 1979 was a precursor to a siege by forces loyal to Ayatollah Khomeini. The second siege lasted from November 1979 to January 1981, a period of over 14 months.

  “It was one of the most memorable St. Valentine Days I have ever had. With all that took place I would not have changed places with any other Marine,” said Lojkuc.  “Duty, Honor and Courage were then, and are today values live and die by.”

 Lojkuc went on to complete his enlistment and then entered the Marine Corps Reserve where he obtained the rank of sergeant. After a 15-year break in service, Lojkuc joined the Air Force Reserve and is presently serving as a technical sergeant. He recently returned from the Al Udeid Airbase in Qatar where he and members of his reserve unit were activated in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Story by: Sgt. Arthur DesLauriers