“Now, day one, day one of Ronald Reagan’s presidency and day one of freedom for 52 Americans. Though thousands of miles apart, these two historic events moved almost in parallel…”
Kyle Kellams: All right, Randy Dixon with the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History. Welcome back.
Randy Dixon: Thank you, Kyle. Part two. Boy, what a news day that was.
Kellams: Oh my gosh.
Dixon: That was Jan. 20, 1981.
Kellams: Yeah.
Dixon: And so you have the new president sworn in, Ronald Reagan. And in less than an hour, you have 52 American hostages released from the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
Kellams: Much of the day was split screen on your television. You were seeing inaugural activities, a ball, a gala, a speech. And on the other side, you might see the hostages going onto a plane —
Dixon: Or sitting on the tarmac waiting for Jimmy Carter to no longer be president. And that’s what the Iranians were waiting for.
Kellams: Exactly, exactly. So what we’re talking about this week is a conclusion of what we started last week, the Iranian hostage crisis. 444 days, 52 hostages, including a couple of Arkansans held hostage.
Dixon: Right. Steven Kirtley, who was a young Marine stationed at the embassy, and Robert Blucker, who was a State Department — I think he was an economist. He was a diplomat. And he was brand new in the office — Included with that, during the fourteen months that they were held hostage, the United States tried a rescue effort.
Kellams: Yes, which we covered last week.
Dixon: Right.
Kellams: And it failed.
Dixon: But I just want to point out that an Arkansan, George Holmes Jr. from Pine Bluff, died in that rescue attempt.
Kellams: Right.
Dixon: So there were a lot of connections to Arkansas, but we’re up to — they’ve finally been released. The plane takes off from Tehran right after Reagan is sworn in, but their journey isn’t quite done. They have to go to Algiers, then they have to go to Wiesbaden, I believe, there’s a naval base or an Army base there in Germany, and then to Washington and then finally home. But here is the ABC News coverage from that day, Jan. 2, 1981:
“Well before this day of happiness could dawn, there were more anxious hours during the long night. In this country, the command post, as often in a time of crisis, the Oval Office of the White House. We have a report from Barrie Dunsmore.”
“It wasn’t the first time that top Carter administration officials had spent sleepless nights in the Oval Office over Iran. But no matter what, it would be their last. Later this morning, after word was received that Iran had taken all the necessary steps to make the transfer of its assets possible, Mr. Carter could relax even more. Although there was always the nagging doubt, it wasn’t until the motorcade on their way to the Capitol that the president was able to tell the president-elect that the hostages were aboard planes and would be airborne in 15 or 20 minutes. But it would be longer. Finally, just before Mr. Carter got to Andrews Air Force Base for his trip home to Plains, the hostages’ departure was officially confirmed. They had taken off about a half an hour after he was no longer president. The timing could hardly have been accidental.
“Once the planes had left Iran’s airspace, members of the Iran Working Group at the State Department could take their first sigh of relief and begin formally informing hostage families that everyone was out and safe. Relief, exhaustion and disbelief were the prevailing emotions. The State Department is nearly empty this evening. The Carter folks have left. The Reagan people haven’t yet arrived. Many of the professionals don’t know what they’re going to be doing. Such circumstances don’t really lend themselves to celebrations. However, there is an overwhelming sense of relief here that the new administration can begin without the curse of the Iran crisis. Barrie Dunsmore, ABC News, the State Department.”
Dixon: I was working at Channel 7, so it was — we were camped out at the families’ houses, as we had been for 14 months. But ABC News was with the family of Robert Blucker, that State Department employee from Arkansas who had been held for all that time. Here’s a report from ABC’s Bob Sirkin.
“Throughout the final agonizing and confusing hours of the crisis, even after he was airborne on his way to freedom, the family of hostage Robert Blucker held back its emotions. 78-year-old Hazel Albin said she wouldn’t believe her son was really free and safe until she saw him step off the airplane in Algiers.”
“There he is. There he is.” “God. Yeah.”
“When he did, four hundred and forty-four days of worry and frustration turned into a moment of ecstasy. Robert Blucker is a 53-year-old State Department economics officer. He came out of Iran wearing the same suit he went in with four days before the embassy was seized. Aside from him losing 25 pounds, Hazel Albin noticed another change in her son.”
“He looked wild. He had too much beard on and not enough hair. Oh, he looked good. We’re glad to see him.”
“In a few days, the reunion of the former hostages and their families. The family of Robert Blucker is awaiting State Department instructions to tell them when and where. Their bags are packed. Bob Sirkin, ABC News, North Little Rock, Arkansas.”
Dixon: Local media had been glued to the two families throughout the ordeal. KATV’s Bill Rogers was at the house when Robert Blucker called his family. He was no longer a hostage, but he still had a few days before he was going to get home.
“Last night they saw the pictures. Today they heard his voice.”
“Hello?”
“Bob. How are you?”
“Oh, I’m all right. I’ve survived. Fine.”
You did?
“No problem, no trouble. Well, how are you?”
“Oh, we’ve been... We’re doing all right.”
“The phone call was dispatched this morning at 6:45. It was recorded in the family, played back several times. They wanted to embrace every moment, every word. Mrs. Hazel Albin hasn’t heard her son’s voice in over 14 months. Her daughter, Dr. Linda Blucker Lee, was worried about her brother’s health, troubled about the impact of 444 days of captivity.”
“How do you feel, Bob?”
“Oh, I feel all right. I’m very angry, of course. I remained aggressive and belligerent and tough to the very end and got along very well with that.”
“Good. Did they ever beat you to do anything like that? They would knock you around?”
“Yeah. They knocked me around a couple of times at the beginning, but toward the end, I don’t think they wanted to beat anybody up unless they could help it. I had about a daily altercation with somebody, a shouting match about every day into the last weeks of the affair, and refused to cooperate. I wouldn’t even give them a blood sample the other night.”
“Oh my lord.”
Kellams: You pointed out to me before we started this on the air how sort of matter-of-fact Mr. Blucker sounds —
Dixon: The first of that. It almost sounded like he’d been on a fishing trip or something. He was very low key. And I think that’s the kind of guy he was, and I guess his entire family. But it was interesting to see the reaction from the two different families. You had the older family, Robert Blucker, who was 52 when he was captured, 53 when he was released. Steven Kirtley was a young Marine in his twenties. And Bob Steele had been hanging out with his family for the last year-plus. This is a report that we need to probably explain.
Kellams: Right. Yeah. You’re going to hear a bleep in this report because you’ll hear a subject quoting her son using an epithet that we’re just not going to share. It was 45 years ago, but we’re just not going to share that word. But you’ll hear from her.
Dixon: Right. Here’s Bob Steele.
“Surrounded by her daughters, Betty Kirtley is anxiously awaiting the return of a son. Today, she greeted members of the media with news that she had talked to him for the first time in 444 days. There have been many reports today from the former hostages concerning physical abuse. Mrs. Kirtley believes it may have happened to her son, even though he didn’t talk about it.”
“I don’t think Steven will discuss that with me just yet. He was just too excited to talk to right now. And I think after he relaxed a little bit and everything like that, he might start talking more to us. I believe really he will talk more to his brothers about that and the other men than he would us, because he’s the kind of boy that sort of tries to protect us.”
“Did he seem bitter?”
“Well, he did make a statement in his telephone last call last night that he was out of there. He was leaving the [omitted] behind.”
Kellams: So I’m sure that when the former hostages arrived, perhaps a trip to Walter Reed. I mean, 444 days hostage.
Dixon: They were medically examined. They were briefed, debriefed, greeted, honored, everything you could think of.
Kellams: And then there’s always the challenge it could be overwhelming because this had been such a national story. And people had yellow ribbons, and there were celebrations.
Dixon: And parades.
Kellams: Yeah, it could be a lot.
Dixon: Right. And everyone was just pouring the attention on these people. Here’s a report, I believe it’s from Renetta Hunt from KATV, But Stephen Kirtley was one of several invited on to Good Morning America on ABC:
“The Americans formerly held hostage have now enjoyed ten days of freedom, and the majority of those days have been filled with celebrations, parades and gifts. But many of the former hostages say what’s meant most to them have been the special hometown greetings and reunions. Three of the 52 were interviewed this morning on ABC’s Good Morning America. Marine Sgt. John Maciel of Dallas, William Gallegos of Colorado, and Arkansan Steven Kirtley of Little Rock.
“Kirtley said he often dreamed of a patriotic, welcoming home, but nothing like what he’s seen.”
“I did dream about it quite a bit because we did have plenty of time to think. But in all my dreams and all my thinking about it, it never came to where I thought it would be anything as big or as massive a bringing together of the United States as what has happened. And I’m really proud as a Marine and an American to be a part of it. I can’t think of a word to describe it. It was really fantastic.”
“Many of the hostages said they were physically and psychologically abused while in Iran. Some suffered beatings, but Kirtley said he believes it was obvious to the Iranians that he didn’t care for them. He said perhaps he projected an intimidating demeanor, but he said he was never abused.”
“They never struck me or tried to rough me up at all. I don’t know if it’s because they’re not sure of what I would have done or anything, but I really don’t know. They just never tried to.”
“Official welcome home ceremonies will commence here Tuesday for Marine Sgt. Kirtley and State Department employee Robert Blucker. A parade will begin in North Little Rock, come across the bridge and end at the state Capitol. Robert Blucker is in New York today for still more celebrations. His return is expected tomorrow. Renetta Hunt, News 7.”
Kellams: You mentioned parades, there was one in Little Rock?
Dixon: Yes, there was. It was a few weeks after. And I have to apologize, speaking of audio, this was one of those things that happens with an archive. The videotape was bad and there were dropouts, so I had to sort of edit this partial report together. It should make sense, but excuse the audio dropouts.
“The parade is the second leg of a welcome home ceremony for the two freed American hostages and their families. It featured seven bands, 14 floats and 300-500 scouts. Hundreds of children, downtown office workers and other well-wishers collected along a two-mile parade route to welcome the former hostages home. Spectators along the curbs and on rooftops showered paper streamers as they proceeded slowly to the Capitol. Once the parade reached the Capitol, Gov. Frank White and officials held a reception.”
“We rejoice today in the safe return of two fellow Arkansans who returned to freedom, Steven Kirtley and Robert Blucker.”
“Following the governor at the podium, it finally fell down to the former hostages themselves.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, I did not come to make a speech. I’ll just say that this completes our program of reentry. And we now know that the American people did not forget us. Thank you.”
“Not much I can say to that. I’m just really proud, especially in Arkansas. It took a long time. Like Mr. Blucker said, I'm really, really amazed at the turnout that the American people made on our behalf.”
Kellams: KATV went to D.C. for the arrival of the hostages?
Dixon: Yes. And also sent Channel 7’s two main anchors, Amy Oliver and Steve Barnes. They went up not only to report on the Blucker family that went to Washington to greet Robert, but they also produced a 30-minute public affairs show called New Scene Reports. Steve and Amy sat down with Robert Blucker for a full half hour. Here’s an excerpt from that:
“Mr. Blucker, can you give us a chronology? How did it happen? What happened?”
“Well, it’s a long story because we were moved very frequently. As you probably know, the people were split up into small parties, and you kept going from here to there and changing the people you were with, out of the embassy and back, and later out of the country. I was moved about 15 different times in the middle of the night. So it’s a rather long story as to chronology.
“I was in my office. The first real day of work. I had just taken over the desk, and at the moment that the crisis started, I was interviewing, talking with an American citizen businessman and his Korean associate. At a certain point, a Marine came down the hall shouting, ‘Everybody out, everybody out!’ And it soon became apparent that these terrorists were in the embassy compound all around the building. So we moved up to security on the second floor of the embassy. Apparently that didn’t last long. The security was not very good. It lasted about three hours until we surrendered.
“I was approached by a monstrous little dwarf, about so high, with a huge head and no neck and a pistol shoved into his belt, who wanted to know where I lived because they wished to loot our apartments as well as everything else, looting our offices and so forth. And that led to some interrogation. A lot of people involved, a lot of people crowded around me, people slapping me and striking me on the side of the head with the fist, people kicking me, knocking my glasses across the floor, threatening to kill me, threatening to cut my throat.”
“Mr. Blucker, are you angry?”
“I’m angry at the people who kept us. I’m angry at this whole radical, fanatic Shia Islam religion that causes these people to be the way they are, to have the notion that they can do any crime in the book in the name of God.”
“Is any of that anger directed toward the United States government?”
“No, it really isn’t. Because I thought the Shah should have been admitted to the United States, in fact earlier.”
“I know you may not have had a chance to see everything that was done or hear of what went on, but do you think the Carter administration did the best that it could in negotiating your release?”
“In negotiating release, yes, I think it probably did. I do not criticize the Carter administration for what it did there.”
“You don’t think there was anything that it could have done better?”
“It could have gone to war right away, in which case most of us probably, or all of us, would be dead.”
Dixon: If you would like to see that entire half hour, I found — it’s not the edited program, but it’s the unedited field tape of that interview. It’ll be on our website.
Kellams: I’m so happy these archives exist.
Dixon: Oh, it’s priceless.
Kellams: 45 years ago, as you’re watching it, you’re not thinking about historical value. It’s in the present. And it’s just amazing that these exist.
Dixon: Well, there was a man named Jim Pitcock, news director at Channel 7 for years and years —
Kellams: In the Arkansas Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
Dixon: That’s right. And he first came up with the idea of an archive system.
Kellams: So this concludes our two parts on the 45th anniversary of the release of the hostages.
Dixon: The hostages are free. And so next week—
Kellams: Something else.
Dixon: Something else. Very cool.
Kellams: You always bring something very cool. Randy Dixon is with the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History. Thank you, Randy.
Dixon: Thanks. I’ll see you next week.
Ozarks at Large transcripts are created on a rush deadline. Copy editors utilize AI tools to review work. KUAF does not publish content created by AI. Please reach out to kuafinfo@uark.edu to report an issue. The audio version is the authoritative record of KUAF programming.
