Rodney “Rocky” Sickmann is devoutly non secular.
So non secular the truth is that earlier than he left dwelling for the challenges of Marine Corps bootcamp, his mom gave him a easy message: “Be sure you pray, as a result of sometime you’re going to wish that.”
No kidding.
On Nov. 4, 1979, whereas working as a guard on the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, Sickmann turned certainly one of 66 American hostages captured by Iranian revolutionaries. Sickmann, a employees sergeant, can be held captive for 444 days in what turned often known as the Iran Hostage Disaster. His sturdy religion can be examined like by no means earlier than.
The Marine Corps veteran shared his emotional story at a prayer service to honor Veterans Day on Nov. 7 at Assumption Faculty in O’Fallon, Missouri. Sickmann, an Assumption parishioner, has two grandchildren.
Sickmann was raised in close by Krakow together with his 4 siblings. The household attended mass usually at St. Gertrude Parish, and he informed college students his dad and mom taught him to like God, household, and your nation.
Sickmann was simply 22 years outdated when he was kidnapped by the Iranians. Fourteen hostages had been launched a couple of weeks later, however Sickmann was among the many 52 captives held till the disaster resulted in late January 1981.
Within the 14 months he was held prisoner, Sickmann stated he was allowed solely seven minutes of time exterior.
“What does freedom imply to you?” he requested the scholars. “What number of of you wish to play exterior?”
Nearly each pupil raised their hand, letting the message sink in – freedom might be taken without any consideration.
Coming House…Lastly
When Thanksgiving 1979 rolled round, most households within the U.S. had been sitting all the way down to get pleasure from a hearty meal and time with family members. However for Sickmann, this Thanksgiving was drastically totally different. Tied to a chair, he tried to concentrate on nice ideas of pumpkin pie and turkey. He stored praying, hoping to in some way discover a solution to survive and spend the subsequent Thanksgiving surrounded by household.
That day would lastly come when the hostages had been launched and Sickmann, nonetheless blindfolded, felt the crunch of snow beneath his toes as he walked to the airplane that might take him dwelling. After a cease in Germany, he boarded one other flight and landed in St. Louis on Jan. 28, 1981. Greater than 4,000 Individuals welcomed him dwelling.
Throughout his 14 months in captivity, Sickmann’s hometown parish stored considering of him, holding particular lots and Sunday morning rosary prayers. The day he was launched, church buildings rang bells at midday, and the St. Louis Cathedral held a particular mass of thanksgiving. After President Jimmy Carter introduced a deal had been made to launch the hostages, Father Bernard Wilkins, a pastor at St. Gertrude, performed mass on the Sickmann household dwelling.
Considering of These Who Died
Sickmann was pleasantly greatly surprised by the heartfelt welcome dwelling. He remembered Vietnam Struggle veterans who didn’t obtain the identical honor upon returning to the U.S. a number of years earlier.
Utterly lower off from the information for greater than a 12 months, Sickmann additionally discovered about eight troopers from a Joint Operations Group that had been killed attempting to rescue the hostages within the spring of 1980.
“I can inform you, each morning I get up and I consider these veterans that gave their life attempting to regain my freedom,” he stated.
Sickmann reunited together with his girlfriend, Jill, and the couple was married a couple of months later. They lately celebrated 44 years of marriage. The veteran loved a prolonged profession at Anheuser-Busch and, today, pours his power into Folds of Honor, a nonprofit that awards scholarships to youngsters of deceased or disabled veterans and EMTs.
He requested college students to take time and discuss to veterans in the event that they see them sporting navy service caps or jackets. Sickmann additionally inspired veterans to inform their tales.
“They need to share their story with all the kids, in order that they hear what they’ve completed to assist present us the liberty that we get pleasure from each day, together with freedom of faith,” he stated. “So, I’m honored to be right here to have the ability to do this, particularly with my grandchildren. I by no means thought, 46 years in the past once I was taken hostage, quick ahead, I’d be sitting right here chatting with my grandchildren in a grade faculty. It’s fairly highly effective.”
Significance of Veterans Day
Sickmann’s daughter, Chelsea Frese, realized of her father’s traumatic ordeal in Iran as a second grader. Rising up, it made Veterans Day carry a bit extra significance within the Sickmann family. Quick ahead a long time later and her father’s story has come full circle to incorporate her personal youngsters.
“Love of nation and love of God at all times went hand-in-hand in our family rising up,” Frese stated.
Sickmann reminded his daughter usually that when instances had been at their worst throughout his captivity, he relied on religion to tug him by way of.
“You suppose you’re having a foul day and name him, and he reminds you immediately that, , what you’re experiencing at present is nothing like having three weapons to your head,” she stated. “So, he’s at all times reminded us to be true in our religion and belief in God.”
Woodson, certainly one of Sickmann’s grandkids, stated his grandpa is “a extremely large deal.”
Granddaughter Rooney stated folks ought to take a second to thank veterans for his or her service.
“They assist shield the world and assist preserve us secure,” she stated.
