My journey to Iran began with a going away party for my boss in a bar that I frequented in Littleton, Colorado- Sir Richards.  He and I worked at Martin Marietta Aerospace had worked on a major proposal to the Air Force for the Space Tug program (using a Transtage module to send payloads in to high earth and geo-sync orbits) and also worked on a study concept proposal for reusable upper stage astrioinics presented in 1970 to the Air Force Space and Missile Command in El Segundo Ca. The Space and Missile Command, which controlled all satellite launches for the military, seems to have been assigned the same functions as the Trumps new Space Force?  My then boss John Ryder’s going away party was a lunchtime meeting with drinks.  I ordered for John, I knew his drink. He was having, a vodka martini consisting of ice and vodka and passing the vermouth cork over the top of the glass. Knowing the barkeep, I told her that I wanted to be sure my boss had a good send off so she proceeded to take a 16 oz shaker glass of filling up with ice and vodka. After we each had a couple of drinks, he told me what he was about to partake in a journey to Iran.  He was going with his wife, to work at Iran Aircraft Industries (IACI) and asked if I could join him, if he ever becomes in a position to hire me. I was 27 years old.

I worked with DCAA audit, helping them write audit reports. One of the auditors found out I had the opportunity to work in Iran and shared with that me he had also worked in Iran. He strongly suggested I get to know the people and gave me some literature and books on Iran. After 2 months, I was contacted by John and a package was delivered giving me instructions and forms and application to fill out, in order to start my journey.  The forms included a questionnaire that I recall specifically asking when and where and of what religion I was baptized. I left Martin Marietta Aerospace and within a month, sold my car and committed to go to Iran.  Having weight allowance of 500 lbs. of personal goods packed, a ticket from Los Angeles to New York to London and a flight on Homa (Iran Air Lines) to Tehran via Beirut, I was on my way.

 I was met by an employee of Iran Aircraft Industries (IACI) and he took me to the Kings Hotel in Mid – Tehran, an older smaller hotel with a bar. I arrived on a weekend and had a day to recover from jet lag. Tehran has an altitude of 5,000 ft slopes from the base of the Alborz mountains to the flatlands and out to the desert.  The city has a horseshoe shaped highway that runs from Evan Prison and Hotel at the top to the Bazaar at the base.  The highway has a running stream on one side, where I witnessed the daily washing dishes and clothes.  Most roads have an open 1 ft wide and 1 ft deep drainage channel on each side of the street, called a jube, which was for a good reason that I will go into later.

 My first day in a new country where 98% of the population is Muslim and spoke Farsi, I wandered out of the hotel where the staff understood and spoke some English.  I found the Iranians to be friendly and curious and since I spoke English, all the locals would try their hand at conversation.  Everyone seemed to be more curious about what I was dong in Tehran.  I was sure I stood out like a sore thumb due to my language and dress. However, I never felt threatened or fearful while living there, but later I found out why the people were so curious.

My first day at work I was met in the lobby of the hotel by a driver that took me to the main office located next to the Miami hotel and just down from Park Siae on what is now called Revolution Blvd.  There I was introduced to the staff and discussed the assignments with John.  I was impressed with the ambition and forward planning including the eventual manufacturing of aircraft.  IACI provided aircraft modification, maintenance and engine overhaul for all of the Iranian Military.  IACI was a result of a collaboration with the Shaw of Iran and the CEO of Northrop, T.V. Jones, who both knew each other from Stanford University.  Northrop’s investment was about 2 million dollars for 49% share in the enterprise.  The Bank Melli held 2% and the government of Iran held the other 49% (the result was actually 51% held by the Gvt, since Bank Melli is 100% owned by the Gvt.).  While employed, I had the title “Manager of Financial Planning and Pricing”, with the responsibility of producing a budget and a method of tracking and monitoring the budget to actual expenditures. 

I learned quickly why the local Iranians were so curious.  The Savak (the Iranian equivalent at of our FBI and being trained by U.S. CIA at that time) employed 1 in 7 Iranians as informants, which made them slightly wary of me.  I do think, however, they were genuinely friendly and curious.  I had the feeling they desired the knowledge of, and some even envied, western culture by emulating dress, and speaking a foreign language either French or English.  These discretions were in contrast to the religious fundamentalist cleric’s desires for more modest dress and no western influence.  The clerics would have all females in full penguin outfits. In the early 70’s, the older Iranian women and some devout younger women wore the traditional dress, while most of the younger women wore western dress.

There was one other caution expressed by fellow expatriates, which was if there was any kind of insurrection, go to the Swiss or the British embassy. Stay away from the United States embassy.  They expressed the concern that the U.S. embassy in Tehran had the function of servicing the U.S. companies operating in Iran and the coordination of training the Iranian military and the Savak.  At that time (1973) Richard Helms was the U.S. Ambassador. He was appointed after his tenure as Director of the CIA and went directly from the CIA to Ambassador to Iran.

My first week was hectic with the novation of a poorly designed and impossible to manage Fixed Price Contract for Maintenance and overhaul of C-130 Aircraft.  Due to routine maintenance and Time Compliance Technical Orders, which vary by Aircraft due to their configuration when they were delivered, and other considerations, it was impossible to accurately predict hours and dollars.

IACI was losing money on their contracts with the Royal Iranian Air Force (IIAF) and the only way out was to novate the contract to a more realistic Time and Material type contract.  Another consideration was the desire of the Iranian Airforce to become self sufficient in Maintenance and Overhaul. The primary problem was English language proficiency.  I had 4 Iranian employees, each with limited English language proficiency even though one had a Tehran University degree in English.

 IACI was in its infancy when I arrived and there were large purchases while I was there.  The purchase of a DC-8 load of machinery and tools to set up the necessary backshops for maintenance, and the construction of the $10 million engine test cell capable of handling any military or commercial aircraft engines.

During my tenure at IACI I had to interface with the Northrop Office in Tehran.  I was tasked with coming up with the annual plan and a long range 5 and 10-year plans for IACI to be incorporated into the Northrop Annual planning documents.  My 10-page document was summarized into a sentence in the Northrop Corporate Business Plan.

 I began my stay by enrolling in a Farsi class learning the basics of getting around.  I must say one of the best things working for IACI was the car and driver provided during the day on workdays.  I always had a driver at my call. The auto rental contractor that IACI used was located up the street where I was housed in spacious a 2 bedroom, living room, 1 ½ baths and 2 balconies in a 10 story secure apartment in the middle of Tehran.  It also had a room for a baji (housekeeper)/cook/servant, but I used it for storage.  The ½ bath was an Iranian toilet (hole in the floor with treads to squat and a water source to wash the debris down and a hole.  The full bath was westernized and had a bidet.  The kitchen was unique because it had full size appliances with a large refrigerator, stove/oven and a full size washer.  Visitors were in awe of the appliances, that I had purchased from the prior tenants, which were also IACI employees.

I was fortunate to have a lease agreement, which included a rent control freeze (approx. $330/month) as long as I did not move. Compared to the unit above me that was rented at $1,000/mo. after it turned over, I felt I had a great deal, but my landlord was anxious for me to leave.  She knew she could purchase the furniture and appliances and rent out the unit furnished for $1.500, so I stayed put.

My in country sponsors John Ryder and his boss Kenneth J. Berchtolld within a few months of my arrival, were wrapped up in a dispute with the Iranian Air Force customer and the Iranian counterparts.  The dispute started with the intended novation (an irritant to the Air Force) and culminated with the declaration of the General Manager as President of the company. This declaration so unsettled the Iranians, that all senior Northrop management was ordered to leave.  The declaration was taken as an affront to the Iranian counterparts and was seen as a power grab.  Since I had not been associated with some of the disputes and was always assigned to Northrop World Wide Aircraft NWASI, a subsidiary, and not directly with Northrop Aircraft Division Hawthorne, I was saved from the slaughter. The new general manager was from NWASI and that could be what saved my bacon.

I find that a large portion male population in both Iran and more so in Saudi Arabia dominate misogynistic culture ingrained in the religion.  I find some of the same misogynistic tendencies in western religions cultures.  The prime example is the Catholic Church, although there are some differences.  The Muslims allows a divorce by the male repeating the words “I divorce thee” three times and then it was final. In Iran and Saudi Arabia the female could not leave the country without permission of the husband.  In Saudi Arabia a divorced female becomes a social outcast and had no prospect of employment. As can be seen there is a clash of cultural mores between East and West. 

Although the Iranians were friendly and helpful and I had never felt threatened, I can understand this because I was there to assist the Iranian and their Military to be self-sufficient. I was also aware I was not going to be totally accepted, as I was not Muslim.  I was one of the foreigners that did not work in the oil fields and actually worked in the city.  I could feel the undercurrent both expressed and implied, of the animosity to our Government for their attitude toward Iran, with the overthrow of their government and the installation of the Shah in 1950. The Shah’s goal was to take the country from the 19^th to at least the 20^th century with educational reforms and both social and cultural changes.  The younger unemployed Iranians were disgruntled and helped to create the revolution when the Shah was being treated for cancer in the United States and a popular cleric returned from exile in Paris.  Initially the Ayatollah was reluctant to create a governing body, however as convinced by the crowds he commanded.

I can now say I loved my time in Iran. I found that respect was all that was necessary to be appreciated. So, enough of the grim, let me discuss the recreation in Iran:

Ski trips to Dizene and Shim Shack ski areas in the Alborz mountains outside of Tehran

on the company bus, on weekends and thru the Tehran American Ski club

Trip to the Caspian Sea and the Gambling palace of Ramsar Pahlavi on company bus 2-day trip.

Weekly movie at the Tehran American Society on the back wall up a hill of grass.  Some of the best hamburgers and hot dogs.  (Until it was fire bombed and closed for a few weeks)

4^th of July at a school athletic field with fireworks, Budweiser and hot dogs.

Baseball/Slow Pitch softball – our team was made up of Locals, Philippinos, and Americans from IACI.  We played in a league of American Companies.

Ice cream parlor above Park Siaee.

A bowling alley.

Disco dancing in clubs and the Royal Tehran Hilton Hotel.

Stage Shows at the Hotel Intercontental.

Swimming at the Hotel Evan (outside the Evan Prison gates).

Movie Theaters (Male separated from female).

Shopping in the Bazaar and other souks.

Swiss embassy bar and Swiss restraint.

Delicious food- Lunch at the Miami hotel, and New Show pizza , other great food like kabab and Che Michael restaurant.

Rug shopping and drinking tea.

Learning Farsi.

Trips to Shiraz, Esfahan, the grand mosque, Pasargadae and  Persepolis ruins.

Traffic and driving was curious since I had a car and driver assigned to me during the week.  After he dropped me off, I let him go until the end of the day, so he would go off and act as a taxi to earn extra money.  There were no rules of the road Iranians did not violate.  The common practice was to turn off headlights while driving at night. When all cars came to a stop light this was the most hair-raising experience.  Each lane at a traffic light crossroad (2 lanes in each direction would contain 16 lanes) would have autos facing off with each direction having 4 lanes heading in the same direction.  Picture each direction jockeying for the front and when the light changes chaos ensues.  Their driving skills were amazing with less than a foot side distance and at times less than an inch.  They also liked to race each other and run lights with no cross traffic.  The cab drivers were the most skilled. 

In order to get around in Tehran during weekends and after working hours, the yellow cabs were always available, just by holding up a hand.   The cabs all acted as a communal cab or a bus inside an auto in that the driver with passengers would pull up and ask the destination and would fit in anyone going the same direction to maximize their fares, similar to today’s ride share pools.

As my memories from Iran are from over 45 years ago, I only remember the good times. It is very funny how repression works. I am in possession of my letters to my mother while living in Tehran and have not read them since I was a resident.  I am sure that they all suggested the thoughts of missing my daughter.  I will be curious as to how I feel now vs what I observed then. I have a feeling I expressed being lonely at first until I learned Farsi. In the future, I will write about some of the passages from the letters.