Steve Crowley
Encyclopedia
Sergeant Steven J. Crowley (March 27, 1959 – November 21, 1979) was a Marine Security Guard killed during the siege of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad
, Pakistan
, on November 21, 1979.
n Islamic zealot group led a takeover of the Mosque at Mecca
. Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini immediately claimed that Americans were behind the attack on Islam's holiest place, and this claim was repeated in media reports the morning of November 21.
On the afternoon of November 21, 1979, Pakistani students, enraged by a radio report claiming that the U.S. had bombed Islam's holy site at Mecca, stormed the U.S. Embassy at Islamabad.
At the time of the attack, Steven Crowley was a corporal assigned to the Marine Security Guard Battalion Detachment in Islamabad. Police assigned to protect the Embassy were driven back by rioters, who used a battering ram to break down the brick column holding the gate to the Embassy. When the gate fell, the mob surged onto the Embassy grounds.
Shots were fired, and stones and other missiles began to break the building's windows. Crowley, who was posted on the roof of the Embassy to assess the demonstration, was shot by a sniper just above his left ear and was brought back into the building by two of his colleagues.
As the rioters swarmed towards the chancery doors, the embassy staff took shelter in a steel-encased, windowless vault on the top floor of the building, which the rioters had set on fire.
Crowley was in another part of the vault under the care of Fran Fields, a registered nurse and the wife of Administrative Counselor Dave Fields. While in the vault, the staff members organized themselves into groups by blood type similar to Crowley's in case they were to be rescued and a transfusion were needed. This did not end up being necessary as Crowley never regained consciousness.
As the siege dragged on throughout the day, Political Counselor Herbert G. Hagerty was informed that Corporal Crowley had died at 3:55 PM. Fearing that the news would set off a panic inside the vault, Hagerty and others declined to inform the rest of the staff.
At 5 PM, as the sun dropped and temperatures began to cool, the rioters began to disperse. After ensuring that it was safe to leave the vault, the staff members climbed out and onto the roof of the embassy. The MSG Detachment Commander, Gunnery Sergeant Lloyd Miller, informed the staff that he was not going to leave his dead Marine in the building. Miller climbed up to the auditorium roof, then onto the main roof and to the hatch of the vault. Miller emerged a few moments later and slowly climbed down the ladder, rung by rung, with the body of Corporal Crowley over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.
sat next to Crowley's mother, Georgine, at his funeral in Arlington.
In a search of the embassy grounds after order had been restored, at least another six casualties were confirmed: one American and two Pakistani staff members, a U.S. Army soldier, and two rioters.
The Pakistani government would later pay the U.S. government $121 million to rebuild the Embassy compound after failing to prevent the riot. Corporal Crowley was posthumously promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Crowley was also awarded the Bronze Star
with "V" device and a Purple Heart
. On November 30, 2006, a plaque and classroom were dedicated to Crowley at the Marine Security Guard School in Quantico, VA.
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, on November 21, 1979.
Life
Steven Crowley was blonde, 6'5" tall, and from Port Jefferson Station, New York. He attended Comsewogue High School where he graduated in 1977. While attending Comsewogue he participated in varsity Cross Country and Track & Field. Individuals who knew him described him as chivalrous and cordial. A few months prior to his death, Crowley had begun dating Beth Rideout, the 17-year-old president of the student body at the International School in Islamabad.Siege Of The Embassy
On November 20, 1979, a Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
n Islamic zealot group led a takeover of the Mosque at Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
. Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini immediately claimed that Americans were behind the attack on Islam's holiest place, and this claim was repeated in media reports the morning of November 21.
On the afternoon of November 21, 1979, Pakistani students, enraged by a radio report claiming that the U.S. had bombed Islam's holy site at Mecca, stormed the U.S. Embassy at Islamabad.
At the time of the attack, Steven Crowley was a corporal assigned to the Marine Security Guard Battalion Detachment in Islamabad. Police assigned to protect the Embassy were driven back by rioters, who used a battering ram to break down the brick column holding the gate to the Embassy. When the gate fell, the mob surged onto the Embassy grounds.
Shots were fired, and stones and other missiles began to break the building's windows. Crowley, who was posted on the roof of the Embassy to assess the demonstration, was shot by a sniper just above his left ear and was brought back into the building by two of his colleagues.
As the rioters swarmed towards the chancery doors, the embassy staff took shelter in a steel-encased, windowless vault on the top floor of the building, which the rioters had set on fire.
Crowley was in another part of the vault under the care of Fran Fields, a registered nurse and the wife of Administrative Counselor Dave Fields. While in the vault, the staff members organized themselves into groups by blood type similar to Crowley's in case they were to be rescued and a transfusion were needed. This did not end up being necessary as Crowley never regained consciousness.
As the siege dragged on throughout the day, Political Counselor Herbert G. Hagerty was informed that Corporal Crowley had died at 3:55 PM. Fearing that the news would set off a panic inside the vault, Hagerty and others declined to inform the rest of the staff.
At 5 PM, as the sun dropped and temperatures began to cool, the rioters began to disperse. After ensuring that it was safe to leave the vault, the staff members climbed out and onto the roof of the embassy. The MSG Detachment Commander, Gunnery Sergeant Lloyd Miller, informed the staff that he was not going to leave his dead Marine in the building. Miller climbed up to the auditorium roof, then onto the main roof and to the hatch of the vault. Miller emerged a few moments later and slowly climbed down the ladder, rung by rung, with the body of Corporal Crowley over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.
Aftermath
On November 23, 400 shocked diplomats flew out of Pakistan on a commercial jet with the body of Crowley in the hold of the aircraft. U.S. President Jimmy CarterJimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
sat next to Crowley's mother, Georgine, at his funeral in Arlington.
In a search of the embassy grounds after order had been restored, at least another six casualties were confirmed: one American and two Pakistani staff members, a U.S. Army soldier, and two rioters.
The Pakistani government would later pay the U.S. government $121 million to rebuild the Embassy compound after failing to prevent the riot. Corporal Crowley was posthumously promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Crowley was also awarded the Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
with "V" device and a Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
. On November 30, 2006, a plaque and classroom were dedicated to Crowley at the Marine Security Guard School in Quantico, VA.
See also
- 1983 Beirut barracks bombing1983 Beirut barracks bombingThe Beirut Barracks Bombing occurred during the Lebanese Civil War, when two truck bombs struck separate buildings housing United States and French military forces—members of the Multinational Force in Lebanon—killing 299 American and French servicemen...
- Anti-AmericanismAnti-AmericanismThe term Anti-Americanism, or Anti-American Sentiment, refers to broad opposition or hostility to the people, policies, culture or government of the United States...
- US-Pakistan relationsUS-Pakistan relationsPakistan – United States relations refers to the bilateral relationship between the Pakistan and the United States. The United States first established diplomatic relations with Pakistan on 20 October 1947. The relationship since then was based primarily on U.S. economic and military assistance to...
- 1979 U.S. embassy burning in Islamabad
- Marine Security Guard