the seventh floor knew how to get things achieved around the world because
of their experience with the POW campaign, that T.J. had been able to rent
a plane, that the mob had stormed the Gasr Prison ...
And he thought of all the things that might have gone wrong. He recalled
the proverb: success has a thousand fathers, but failure is an orphan. In
a few minutes he would stand up and tell these people a little of what had
happened and how Paul and Bill were brought home. But it would be hard to
put into words the risks that had been taken, the awful cost if the thing
had gone badly and ended in the criminal courts or worse. He remembered the
day he left Tehran, and how he had superstitiously thought of his luck as
sand running through an hourglass. Suddenly he saw the hourglass again, and
all the sand had run out. He grinned to himself, picked up the imaginary
glass, and turned it upside down.
Simons bent down and spoke in Perot's ear. "Remember you offered to pay
me?"
Perot would never forget it. When Simons gave you that icy look, you froze.
"I sure do."
"See this?" said Simons, inclining his head.
Paul was walking toward them, carrying Ann Marie in his arms, through the
crowd of cheering friends. "I see it," said Perot.
Simons said: "I just got paid." He drew on his cigar.
At last the room quieted down, and Perot began to speak. He called Rashid
over and put his arm around the young' man9s
ON WINGS OF EAGLES 407
shoulders. "I want you to meet a key member of the rescue tearn," he said to
the crowd. "As Colonel Simons said, Rashid only weighs a hundred and forty
pounds, but he has five hundred pounds of courage."
They all laughed and clapped again. Rashid looked around. Many times, many
times he had thought about going to America; but in his wildest dreams he
had never imagined that his welcome would be Re this!
Perot began to tell the story. Listening, Paul felt oddly humble. He was
not a hero. The others were the heroes. He was privileged. He belonged with
just about the finest bunch of people in the whole world.
Bill looked around the crowd and saw Ron Sperberg, a good friend and a
colleague for years. Sperberg was wearing a great big cowboy hat. We're
back in Texas, Bill thought. This is the heartland of the U.S.A., the
safest place in the world; they can't reach us here. This time, the
nightmare is really over. We're back. We're safe.
We're home.
EpiLoGuE
Jay and Liz Coburn were divorced. Kristi, the second daughter, the emotional
one, chose to live with her father. Coburn was made Manager of Human
Resources for EDS Federal. In September 1982 he and Ross Perot, Jr., became
the fiM men to fly around the world in a helicopter. The aircraft they used
is now in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It is called
Spirit of Texas.
Paul became Comptroller of EDS and Bill became Medicaid Marketing Director
in the Health Care Division.
Joe Poch6, Pat Sculley, Jim Schwebach, Ron Davis, and Rashid all continued
to work for EDS in various parts of the world. Davis's wife, Marva, gave
birth to a boy, Benjamin, on July 18, 1979.
Keane Taylor was made Country Manager for EDS in the Netherlands, where he
was joined by Glenn Jackson. Gayden continued to be head of EDS World, and
therefore Taylor's boss.
John Howell was made a full partner in Tom Luce's law firm, Hughes and
Hill. Angela Howell had another baby, Sarah, on June 19, 1980.
Rich Gallagher left EDS on July 1, 1979. An easterner, he had never quite
felt one of the boys at EDS. Lloyd Briggs and Paul Bucha, two more
easterners, left around the same time.
Ralph Boulware also parted company with EDS.
Lulu May Perot, Ross Perot's mother, died on April 3, 1979.
Ross Perot, Jr., graduated from college and went to work for his father in
the fall of 1981. A year later Nancy Perot did the same. Perot himself just
went on making more and more money. His teal estate appreciated, his oil
company found wells, and EDS won more and bigger contracts. EDS shares,
priced around 408
ON WINGS OF EAGLES 409
eighteen dollars apiece when Paul and Bill were armsted, were worth six
times that four years later.
Colonel Simons died on May 21, 1979, after a series of heart attacks. In
the last few weeks of his life, his constant companion was Anita Melton,
the zany stewardess from the Boeing 707. They had an odd, tragic
relationship: they never became lovers in the physical sense, but they were
in love. They lived together in the guest cottage at Perot's Dallas house.
She taught him to cook, and he started her jogging, timing her with a
stopwatch. They held hands a lot. After Simons died, his son Harry and
Harry's wife, Shawn, had a baby boy. They named him Arthur Simons, Jr.
On November 4, 1979, the U.S. Embassy in Tehran was once again overrun by
militant Iranians. This time they took hostages. Fifty-two Americans were
held prisoner for more than a year. A rescue mission mounted by President
Carter came to an ignominious end in the deserts of central Iran.
But then, Carter did not have the help of Bull Simons.
EK
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS,
DALLAS DIVISION
ELECTRONIC DATA SYSTEMS CORP. IRAN VS.
SOCIAL SECURITY ORGANIZATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN, THE MINIMY OF HEALTH
AND WELFARE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN, THE GOVT. OF MAN
NO. CA3-79-218-F
(Extracts from the Findings of Fact)
Neither EDSCI nor anyone on its behalf procured the contract unlawfully. No
evidence showed bribery of any official or employee of Defendants in order
to secure the contract, nor did the evidence suggest the existence of fraud
or public corruption in the procurement of the contract ...
The price of the contract was not exorbitant; rather, the evidence showed
that the price was reasonable and in accordance with amounts charged by EDS
to others for similar services. The price did not compare unfavorably with
amounts charged by others in the health care industry for similar services
. . .
The failure by SSO and the Ministry to provide written notice of
non-acceptance of unpaid invoices was inexcusable and therefore constituted
a breach of the contract. The assignment of Dr. Towliati to SSO as Deputy
Managing Director did not effect such an excuse. I do not find evidence
that Dr. Towliati's services influenced the process of approval for
invoices, nor do 1
410
ON WINGS OF EAGLES 411
find evidence that Dr. Towliati functioned improperly in his review of
performance under the contract. Rather, the evidence showed that the
Ministry and SSO had full and continuous opportunity to monitor EDSCI's
performance. Moreover, I do not find credible evidence of trickery or that
EDSCI conspired with anyone to gain wrongful approval for payment of its in-
voices or to deny the Defendants fair opportunity for their evaluation of
EDSCI's performance under the contract ...
EDSCI did not materially breach its performance obligations under the
contract; rather, EDSCI substantially performed in accordance with the
description and timing of its duties for each applicable phase up until
January 16, 1978, the date of termination of the contract ...
Recovery under the contract is not barred by Defendants' claims,
unsupported by the evidence, that EDSCI procured the contract by fraud,
bribery or public corruption. Specifically, the evidence did not
demonstrate that EDS' relationship with the Mahvi Group was illegal.
EDSCI's execution of and performance under the contract violated no Ranian
law ...
Plaintiff introduced a plethora of evidence showing the fact and result of
its services: testimony from those who managed and implemented the data
processing systems, photographic evidence illustrating aspects of the data
prepamtions functions developed, as well as reports jointly prepared by
EDSCI and the Ministry of benefits being realized from the contract.
Credible evidence failed to directly rebut this showing ...
(Extract from the Final Judgment)
rr is oRDEnD, ADjuDGED and DEcREw that Plaintiff Electronic Data Systems
Corporation Iran have and recover of Defendants The Government of Iran, The
Social Security Organization of The Government of Iran, and the Ministry of
Health and Welfare of The Government of Iran, jointly and severally, the sum
of fifteen adllion, one hundred and seventy-seven thousand, four hundred and
four dollars ($15,177,404), plus two million, eight hundred twelve thousand,
two hundred fifty-one dollars ($2,812,251) as prejudgment interest, plus one
million, seventynine thousand, eight hundred seventy-five dollars
($1,079,875) as attorneys' fees, plus interest on all such sums at the rate
of nine percent (9%) per annum from the date hereof, plus all costs of suit
herein ...
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many people helped me by talking to me for hours on end, by replying to my
letters, and by reading and correcting drafts of the book. For their
patience, frankness, and willing cooperation, I thank especially the
following:
Paul and Ruthie Chiapparone, Bill and Emily Gaylord;
Jay and Liz Coburn, Joe PocK Pat and Mary Sculley, Ralph and Mary Boulware,
Jim Schwebach, Ron Davis, Glenn Jackson;
Bill Gayden, Keane Taylor, Rich and Cathy Gallagher, Paul Bucha, Lloyd
Briggs, Bob Young, John Howell, "Rashid," Toni Dvoranchik, Kathy Marketos;
T. J. Marquez, Tom Walter, Tom Luce;
Merv Stauffer, for whom nothing is too much trouble;
Margot Perot, Bette Perot;
John Carlen, Anita Melton;
Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Ramsey Clark, Bob Strauss, William
Sullivan, Charles Naas, Lou Goelz, Henry Precht, John Stempel;
Dr. Manuchehr Razmara;
Stanley Simons, Bruce Simons, Harry Simons;
Lieutenant Colonel Charles Krohn at the Pentagon;
Major Dick Meadows, Major General Robert McKinnon;
Dr. Walter Stewart, Dr. Harold Kimmerling.
As usual, I was helped by two indefatigable researchers, Dan Starer in New
York and Caren Meyer in London.
I was also helped by the remarkable switchboard staff at EDS headquarters
in Dallas.
More than a hundred hours of taped interviews were transcribed,
412
ON WINGS OF EAGLES 413
mainly by Sally Walther, Claire Woodward, Linda Huff, Cheryl Hibbitts, and
Becky DeLuna.
Finally I thank Ross Perot, without whose astonishing energy and
determination not only this book, but the adventure that is its subject,
would have been impossible.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Beny, Roloff. Persia, Bridge of Turquoise. London: Thames & Hudson, 1975.
Carter, Jimmy. Keeping Faith-Memoirs of a President. New York: Bantam,
1982.
Forbis, William H. Fall of the Peacock Throne. New York: Harper & Row,
1980.
Ghirshman, R. Iran. New York: Penguin, 1978.
Graham, Robert. Iran: The Illusion of Power. New York: St. Martin's Press,
1980.
Helms, Cynthia. An Ambassador's Wife in Iran. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1981.
Keddie, Nikki R., and Richard Yann. Roots of Revolution. New Haven: Yale
University Press, 1981.
Ledeen, Michael, and William Lewis. Debacle: The American Failure in Iran.
New York: Knopf, 198 1.
Maheu, Reni, and Bruno Barbey. Iran. Paris: Editions J.A., 1976.
Pahlavi, Mohammad Reza. Answer to History. New York: Stein & Day, 1980.
Roosevelt, Kermit. Countercoup: The Strugglefor the Control or Iran. New
York: McGraw-Hill, 1979.
Schernmer, Benjamin F. The Raid. New York: Harper & Row, 1976.
Stempel, John D. Inside the Iranian Revolution. Bloomington: Indiana
University Press, 1981.
Sullivan, William H. Mission to Iran. New York: Norton, 1981.
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