Ross Perot

Ross Perot has died. Most people will remember his failed run for president and blame him for splitting the Republican ticket. But few remember, if they even knew, about his rescue of company executives in Iran.

In 1978, two Electronic Data Services executives were arrested in Tehran for bribery. Perot decided to get his people out and he recruited a team of ex military EDS employees and hired a retired Army officer to train them to go to Iran and rescue their colleagues. This officer was "Bull" Simmons who had led the Son Tay Raid to rescue POWs in North Vietnam. Once they arrived in Tehran, nothing went as planned but the two executives were able to escape during a prison transfer and get to Turkey. The story is told in Ken Follet's book, "On Wings of Eagles."

This is an example of corporate courage and loyalty that would be hard to find today.