US Mint – Congressional Bronze Medal – Canadian Ambassador Kenneth Taylor – 1980 – 75 millimeters – Mint Box — The original hero after whom the latest Hollywood blockbuster, ARGO, was conceived, Canadian Ambassador Kenneth D Taylor gave sanctuary to six American diplomats who were not in the US Embassy on the day of the takeover by the Iranian students on November 4, 1979 in Tehran. By November 10, three of the diplomats and two of their wives had made their way to the Canadian Embassy. A few weeks later, they were joined by another who had been sleeping on the floor of the Swedish Embassy. Faced with the daunting task of hiding the Americans, Ambassador Kenneth Taylor decided to smuggle them out of Iran on Canadian passports. Canada’s Parliament convened its first secret session since World War II to give permission to issue Canadian passports for the six Americans. The CIA prepared a set of forged Iranian Visas to go with the passports. Disguises and cover stories were invented for a series of scenarios. They eventually used the Hollywood advance crew who were scouting locations for a movie. On January 27, 1980, the American diplomats, now traveling on Canadian passports, boarded a flight for Zurich, Switzerland, leaving from Tehran. The Canadian embassy staff also left and closed the Embassy. The six rescued Americans were: Robert Anders, 34 – Consular Officer, Mark J. Lijek, 29 – Consular Officer, Cora A. Lijek, 25 – Consular Assistant, Henry L. Schatz, 31 – Agriculture Attache, Joseph D. Stafford, 29 – Consular Officer, Kathleen F. Stafford, 28 – Consular Assistant. Ambassador Kenneth D Taylor was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, approved on March 6, 1980. This Bronze Medal was struck on the authority of Congress by the US Mint after the same design.