Desert One - Operation Eagle Claw

Operation Eagle Claw (or Operation Evening Light) was a United States military operation that attempted to rescue 52 American hostages from the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran on 24 April 1980. The attempt was aborted when three helicopters that were part of the operation were damaged or forced to return to the carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) by a sandstorm. As the U.S. force prepared to leave Iran, a refueling accident led to the remaining helicopters and a C-130 Hercules refueling aircraft being destroyed or left behind, and the deaths of eight American servicemen.