Dorothy Brush "Random Thoughts" Published March 13, 2002

Biggest news here in 48 years?

Remember Nov. 4, 1979? That was the day America was humiliated by Iranian militants who stormed our embassy and held the occupants hostage.

Because of that action Ted Koppel entered our lives and every night at 11:30 on ABC television we were brought a summary of what had happened that day. Titled "The Iran Crisis: America Held Hostage," the subtitle was the number of days the Americans had been held.

When the crisis ended in 1981 and the hostages came home, Koppel's show continued as "Nightline." Now, in 2002, it seems both Koppel and "Nightline" are being held hostage by ABC.

Only a handful of people in Crossville were aware of the tie-in our town had with that stressful period in 1979 but that all changed on Jan. 31, 1980. That day, the Chronicle's headline was "Biggest News Here in 48 Years," referring to the 1932 media coverage when it was erroneously reported the kidnapped Lindbergh baby had been seen here.

In 1980, the national media found Crossville again because a 1969 graduate of Cumberland County High School, Kathy Frank, worked at the American Embassy in Iran where her husband, Joe Stafford, was vice consul on that fateful day. They had managed to get out of the embassy undetected. The Canadian Embassy hid and took care of them and four other Americans during the following months. They managed to slip them out of the country during Iran's presidential election on Canadian passports, listing them as employees of the Canadian Embassy.

Kathy is the daughter of Chris and the late John Frank. Mother Chris, sister Charmaine and brother John kept a secret vigil at their home on Jamestown Hwy. after they learned of the takeover on Nov. 4. The State Department called Mrs. Frank that day and told her the couple had escaped but to keep silent. Then, on Nov. 5, Kathy called her mother to reassure her they were safe but there would be no more communication. The Chronicle learned about it Nov. 6, but not a word leaked.

Later, Chris told of a dream she had several days before Nov. 4. She was talking to Kathy and asked her what they had done to her. Then she awoke and could not go back to sleep because the dream was so disturbing, and it haunted her until the 4th.

Once the six escapees arrived safely at the Air Force Base in Frankfurt, Germany, to rest and be debriefed, the Canadian press released the story. From that moment, the phone started ringing at the Frank home. Calls from reporters across the country. In the vacant field across from the Franks, reporters from the CBS and ABC affiliates arrived by helicopter. The national evening news shows led with the story of Kathy and Joe on Brinkley, Cronkite and Frank Reynolds.

The Montreal Gazette sent its assistant bureau chief to Crossville to cover the homecoming. First National Bank welcomed him with a flashing light sign "Welcome to Crossville, Joel Ruimy from Canada." In one of the stories he wrote back to Canada, he said, "Crossville is a small mountaintop paradise." Richard L. Davis, Chronicle editor, wrote an editorial, "Thank God for Canada!" Soon Main St. was lined with Canadian flags.

On Feb. 2, the Franks flew to Washington, where they were whisked into the vice president's official jet and flown onto Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for a private reunion with Kathy and Joe.

Back on the Plateau, the Greater Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce was planning a big homecoming. They were going to meet the plane in Knoxville and have an official escort back to Crossville. Instead, Gov. Lamar Alexander's jet - with the governor aboard - met the couple and brought them to the Crossville airport. On that bitter cold snowy night, about 150 people stood outside, and another of the same number were inside the hangar for the welcome-home festivities.

During that ceremony the governor presented the couple with Canadian flags and said, "They are a token of appreciation for Canada, and they commemorate the first time that the Canadian flag has flown over the Capitol in Nashville. First the U.S. flag, then the Canadian flag followed by the flag of the great state of Tennessee."

What has happened to the leading characters in that exciting few days in 1980? I have found no answers. None of the Frank family lives here now. Kathy and Joe expected to be reassigned to another post by the State Department. Do any of you reading this story know where they are now?

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Dorothy Copus Brush is a Fairfield Glade resident and Crossville Chronicle staffwriter whose column is published each Wednesday.