Zena Kahn Sheardown is a
Guyanese-
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
woman,
who together with her husband
John Sheardown
John Vernon Sheardown (October 11, 1924 – December 30, 2012) was a Canadian diplomat who played a leading role in the "Canadian Caper". He and his wife Zena personally sheltered Americans hiding in Iran during the Iran hostage crisis.
Early li ...
, sheltered six Americans in their home for months during the
Iran Hostage Crisis
On November 4, 1979, 52 United States diplomats and citizens were held hostage after a group of militarized Iranian college students belonging to the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line, who supported the Iranian Revolution, took over t ...
, in what has come to be known as "the
Canadian Caper
The "Canadian Caper" was the joint covert rescue by the Canadian government and the CIA of six American diplomats who had evaded capture during the seizure of the United States embassy in Tehran, Iran, on November 4, 1979, after the Iranian ...
".
In 1980, Sheardown's husband was appointed to the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the ...
for his role in the Canadian Caper; Sheardown was ineligible for appointment because she was not a Canadian citizen. Her husband campaigned for her appointment, and in 1981, Sheardown was awarded the first-ever
honorary appointment to the Order of Canada.
By 1986, Sheardown had become a
naturalized Canadian, and her honorary appointment was terminated, in exchange for an appointment as a full member.
She thereby became the first person "removed" from the Order of Canada, although it is generally considered a transfer of status rather than a removal.
John and Zena Sheardown were portrayed in the 1981 Canadian-American television movie ''
Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper'' by
Chris Wiggins
Christopher John Wiggins (January 13, 1931 – February 19, 2017) was an English-born Canadian actor.
Career
He started out as a banker in his home country before he began his acting career in Canada, where he moved in 1952.
Wiggins is probably ...
and
Diana Barrington
Diana Barrington (born 6 May 1939) is a British actress. She studied drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She was married to Canadian actor Ken Pogue until his death in 2015.
Career
Barrington worked at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre ...
, respectively. After the big-budget Hollywood movie ''
Argo
In Greek mythology the ''Argo'' (; in Greek: ) was a ship built with the help of the gods that Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece. The ship has gone on to be used as a motif in a variety of sour ...
'' about the Canadian Caper was released in 2012, director
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and a Volpi Cup.
Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educationa ...
called to personally apologize to the Sheardowns for having to leave them out due to plot and time constraints, stating in a later interview, "It really did break my heart a bit."
References
Bibliography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheardown, Zena
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Members of the Order of Canada
Guyanese emigrants to Canada
Iran hostage crisis
Naturalized citizens of Canada