| Mark Gordon | |
| Fictional Character | |
| State of Jefferson POD: Pre-history; Relevant POD: 1919 | |
| Appearance(s): | "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" |
| Type of Appearance: | Direct |
| Nationality: | United States |
| Species: | Sasquatch |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Date of Birth: | 1950s |
| Occupation: | Diplomat, Analyst |
| Parents: | Tim and May Gordon |
| Relatives: | Samantha and Bonnie (sisters) |
Mark Gordon (b. 1950s) was a sasquatch from Jefferson, United States. He went to work for the U.S. State Department in the 1970s. He was assigned to the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran when it was overrun by militant college students in November 1979. He and the rest of the hostages were released in early 1981.
Because he was a sasquatch, a species unknown outside North America, the Iranians initially treated him differently from the rest of the American diplomats. Some wanted to kill him immediately. Gordon kept the fact that he spoke Farsi secret, using English to explain his status as a U.S. diplomat. The Iranians opted not to kill him, but did keep him separate from the other hostages. The Iranians soon connected sasquatches to yetis, many of whom had taken refuge in Iran after the People's Republic of China annexed Tibet in 1959. Gordon explained that the two species were similar, but not the same. He also explained that he was a Christian, not a Buddhist, and so was entitled to good treatment as a Person of the Book. The Iranians grudgingly allowed Gordon to rejoin the other hostages.
When the U.S. effort to rescue the hostages failed, the hostage-takers sent Gordon and some other Americans to a jail. Gordon and his colleagues kept his fluency in Farsi a secret. The Iranians spoke freely around him, and so he was able to share intelligence with the U.S. military when he was repatriated.
Gordon was released in January 1981. He was flown to the U.S. base at Wiesbaden, then returned home February 3, 1981. He was welcomed by his parents, Tim and May, and his sisters, Samantha and Bonnie, as well as Jefferson's governor Bill Williamson. Later, Gordon and his family joined Williamson and Jefferson's First Lady, Louise for dinner at the governor's mansion. Gordon shared his story with his family and the Williamsons. Everyone found Gordon's experiences terrifying, and Williamson told Gordon he would make himself available if needed to talk. A week later, Gordon, somewhat frustrated by his status as "former hostage Mark Gordon", availed himself of Williamson's offer, and vented to the governor over lunch at Fat Albert's.
A few days later, Asianto Supandy, an Indonesian restaurateur and Indonesia's honorary consul to Jefferson. Albert had bragged about Williamson and Gordon's lunch to Supandy. Concurrently, Supandy received a message from Consul Kertosudiro in Los Angeles to deliver to Williamson. The message, purportedly written by President Suharto, was a rubber-stamped goodwill message anticipating continued good relations between Indonesia and the United States. Supandy invited Williamson and Gordon to a dinner at his restaurant, the Bird of Paradise, to show that not all of the world's Muslims shared Iran's theology.
Williamson quickly understood Supandy's purpose, and extended the invitation to Gordon. Gordon had little use for Suharto, he, like Williamson, saw the political value of dinner, which was well covered by the press. All parties enjoyed the meal, and broadly expressed feelings of mutual respect and friendship.[1]
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