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Motion · S6M-04854 · 8 Jun 2022

Commemorating Helensburgh’s Frank Meehan - Cold War Hero and Whose Story Featured in Bridge of Spies Drama

Lodged by Jackie Baillie (Scottish Labour) Standard Motion 21 supporters

The motion

That the Parliament expresses its deepest condolences to the family, friends and all those who knew veteran, Frank Meehan, who died on 7 May 2022 and, it understands, played a key role in some of the most significant events of the Cold War; recognises that he survived the Clydebank Blitz; acknowledges that Mr Meehan was based at the US Embassy in Moscow when Soviet forces shot down a top secret US spy plane and seized its pilot, Gary Powers, in 1960, and notes that the pilot's imprisonment and prisoner transfer, in relation to which it understands that Mr Meehan played a key role, was the subject of the picture, Bridge of Spies, starring Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance; further acknowledges that Mr Meehan became the US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia during 1979 and 1980 and then went on to become US Ambassador to Poland, and understands that Mr Meehan’s final posting as Ambassador was to East Germany, from 1985 until 1988, during which time President Ronald Reagan delivered his "tear down this wall" speech, at which Mr Meehan was present, before he moved to his home in Helensburgh with his wife Margaret.

Supporters (21)

Source: the Scottish Parliament motions and amendments record.