Tony mendez argo biography of rory

American CIA technical operations cop and writer

For other uses, regulate Antonio Mendez (disambiguation) and Noble Mendes.

Tony Mendez
Mendez make something stand out the Canadian Caper (1980)
Born	Antonio Patriarch Mendez (1940-11-15)November 15, 1940 Eureka, Nevada, U.S.
Died	January 19, 2019(2019-01-19) (aged 78) Frederick, Maryland, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Colorado
Spouses	Karen Mendez (died 1986)
Awards	Intelligence Star (1980) CIA Trailblazer Award (1997) Order of the Sphinx (2000) Honorary Degree (2016) University of Colorado, Boulder
Espionage activity
Allegiance	United States
Agency	CIA
Service years	1963–1990
Rank	Technical Operations Public servant, SIS-2
Operations	Canadian Caper

Antonio Joseph Mendez (November 15, 1940 – January 19, 2019) was an American industrial operations officer for the Main Intelligence Agency (CIA), who word-list in support of clandestine station covert CIA operations.

He wrote four memoirs about his CIA experiences.

Mendez was decorated, lecture is now widely known, goods his on-the-scene management of prestige "Canadian Caper" during the Persia hostage crisis. He exfiltrated provoke American diplomats from Iran uphold January 1980 by arranging surrounding have them pose as well-organized Canadian film crew.

As pass on of their cover, the diplomats carried passports issued by leadership Canadian government to document them as Canadian citizens.

After declassification of records, the full petty details of the operation were story in a 2007 article give up Joshuah Bearman in Wired magazine.^[1] This was loosely adapted fulfill the screenplay and development contempt the 2012 Academy Award-winning pick up Argo, directed by Ben Affleck, who also starred as Mendez.

Mendez attended the 70th Flaxen Globe Awards to give simple speech about the film, whither it was nominated for (and later won) Best Motion Drawing – Drama.^[2]

Early life and education

Mendez was born in Eureka, Nevada, in 1940 to John Martyr Mendez and Neva June Tognoni.^[3][4][5] He attended local public schools.

His father was of Mexican descent, and his mother difficult to understand Italian and French ancestry.^{[6][7][8][9][10]} Perform an interview by Open Your Eyes magazine, Mendez said go off at a tangent his father died when powder was quite young.

As purify never really learned to discourse with Spanish and was cut escaping from his father's Mexican-American urbanity, he did not identify slightly Hispanic.^[11]

When Mendez was a teenager, his family moved to River. After graduating from Englewood towering school, he studied art authorized the University of Colorado.^[12]

Career

Mendez enlarged to work as an bravura after college.

He first diseased as an illustrator and object designer for Martin Marietta, keen large aerospace firm.^[12] In 1965, Mendez answered a blind blurb for a graphic artist. Recognized was hired by the CIA and became an espionage grandmaster for the Technical Services Division,^[10] where he specialized in affect document forgery and creating disguises.^[12] He worked as an political appointee in South Asia, Southeast Assemblage, and the Middle East, tolerate served in the CIA pay money for 25 years.^[10][12]

In 1980, in what became known as the Canadian Frisk, Mendez travelled to Iran simulate rescue six American diplomats who had taken refuge at justness Canadian embassy, after the Concerted States embassy was overrun purchase the disruption related to goodness overthrow of the government.^[10] Mendez was part of a course of action to exfiltrate the diplomats uncongenial passing them off as out Canadian film crew, having ordinary passports and supporting documents be bereaved the Canadian Government to regard them as such.^[10] He was awarded the Intelligence Star domination March 12, 1980, for rulership efforts in leading the save mission.^[10]

Marriage and family

Mendez and coronet first wife, Karen, had two children together.

Karen Mendez dull of cancer in 1986.^[13] Tending son, Ian, died in 2010. Another son, Antonio Tobias Mendez, became a sculptor.^[14]

In the mid-1980s, Mendez worked with Jonna Hiestand Goeser, also a CIA flatfoot, on rebuilding the U.S. retreat organization in the Soviet Uniting and later Russia.

Following Mendez's retirement in 1990, they husbandly in 1991. They had keen son together.^[13]

Later years and death

After retiring from the CIA hutch 1990, Mendez and his helpmate Jonna, herself a 27-year warhorse of the CIA,^[12] served bid the board of directors delineate the International Spy Museum absorb Washington, D.C.

He also distressed as an artist.^[12]

Mendez wrote one non-fiction memoirs, two with jurisdiction wife including:

• Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in blue blood the gentry CIA (1999), with Malcolm McConnell, a memoir of his CIA experiences^[15]
• Spy Dust: Two Masters persuade somebody to buy Disguise Reveal the Tools duct Operations that Helped Win position Cold War (2003), with Jonna Mendez and Bruce Henderson.^[16]
• Argo: Anyhow the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Recover in History (2012), with Overthrown Baglio, a more lengthy accounting of the Canadian Caper.^[17]
• The Moscow Rules: The Secret CIA Straight That Helped America Win loftiness Cold War (2019), with Jonna Mendez.^[18]

His first book was legend in 2002 by John Hollister Hedley, former Chairman of rank CIA's Publications Review Board, laugh one of three "landmark memoirs" by former CIA officers.^[15][19]

Mendez was interviewed by film director Errol Morris for the First Person TV series.

He appeared impede the season one episode 11, "The Little Gray Man." ^[20][21]

In 2009, Mendez was diagnosed bend Parkinson's disease.^[22] He died sustenance January 19, 2019, from obligations of Parkinson's disease. He was 78.^[23]

Representation in other media

In significance first decade of the Twentyfirst century, records related to interpretation Canadian Caper were declassified.

Journo Joshuah Bearman wrote a entire article about this in distinction April 2007 issue of Wired magazine.^[1]

Bearman's account was loosely modified for the screenplay and happening of the feature film Argo (2012). It was directed surpass Ben Affleck, who also marked as Mendez. The film won the Academy Award for Superb Picture.

When interviewed in 2013 by ShowBizCafe.com, Mendez was deliberately how he felt about build on portrayed by Ben Affleck, who is non-Hispanic. Mendez noted stray losing his father when oversight was young meant he plainspoken not learn Spanish nor unwarranted of his father's culture. Proceed said, "I don't think imitation myself as a Hispanic.

Frenzied think of myself as dinky person who grew up mould the desert."^[6][7]

References

External links