Paul R. Shaffer

Col. Paul R. Shaffer (1930–1975) was a United States military aide to Iran who, along with another US officer, Lieutenant Colonel Jack H. Turner, was assassinated by Marxist terrorists. Col. Shaffer had served as an air force pilot in both Korea and Vietnam.[1][2] The People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) was responsible for the assassination.[3] In the newspaper clipping, Col. Shaffer is on the left and Lt. Col. Turner is on the right.

Ettela'at newspaper covering assassination of US Air Force Col. Jack H. Turner and Col. Paul R. Shaffer


Assassination

On 21 May 1975, terrorists stopped the car carrying Col. Shaffer and Lt. Col. Jack Turner. They ordered the Iranian driver to lie down, and then shot and killed the Americans at point-blank range. The shooting happened when the two officers were on their way to work at an Iranian military base in south Tehran.[1][4][2][5]

Aftermath

The Iranian government identified the terrorists as Marxist guerrillas. An unknown woman, claiming to speak for the "Iranian People’s Warriors Association" said "the execution of American officers was in reply to the execution of nine Iranian revolutionaries in prison the previous month."[1]

Memorial

In 2005 a memorial was built by the War on Terror Foundation to honor Col. Shaffer.[6]

References
  1. "Daily Kent Stater 22 May 1975". Kent State University.
  2. "Desert Sun 21 May 1975" – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  3. Global Terrorism Database [Data file], National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), 1975-05-21, 197505210002
  4. "Desert Sun 28 August 1976" – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  5. "Terrorists Kill Iranian Employe of U.S. Embassy". The New York Times. 4 July 1975.
  6. http://www.waronterror.org/the-memorial/
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