Terry Anderson, a US journalist who was held captive by Shia Hezbollah militants of the
Islamic Jihad Organization in Lebanon for bout seven years, has died aged 76.
The longest-held hostage and former chief Middle East correspondent for the Associated
Press (AP) died on 21-04-2024 at his home located near Greenwood Lake in NY, according
to his beloved daughter Sulome Anderson.
Combat Veteran Anderson
On October 27, 1947, Terry Alan Anderson was born in Lorain, Ohio. Who became a
professional journalist in the U.S. Marine Corps and served for six years, owing two degrees
one in journalism and mass communication, the other in political science from Iowa State
University, in 1974. Anderson’s role as former chief Middle East correspondent when
assigned to Lebanon and joining the associated press.
One of the American longest-held hostage
Terry Anderson, who believed in on-the-ground eyewitness reporting, showed an act of great
courage during his hostage and Civil War period. He describes all his experience in one of his
best-selling memoirs of 1933 i.e. ‘Den of Lions’. As he was capturing this chaotic scenario of
Lebanon fighting with Israel.
On his day off he was playing tennis with a former AP colleague and suddenly a car came up
with a lot of gunmen he ended up being kidnapped, and here Anderson journeyed as a
longest-held hostage by members of Hezbollah. He faced a lot of torture near to going insane.
“What kept me going? My companions. I was fortunate to have company the majority of the time.
My faith, stubbornness. You do what you have to. Every day when you wake up, you call up
the energy from somewhere. You go through the day believing you don’t have it, and
you do it. Day after day after day.” Anderson stated after releasing from Gripping.
Terry Anderson Heroic Return
Terry Anderson’s return was heroic and warmly welcomed at AP’s headquarters. Although he wouldn’t
like to be called a hero, Louis D. Boccardi, the Associated Press president and chief executive officer
at the time Quoted him “The word ‘hero’ gets tossed around a lot but applying it to Terry
Anderson just enhances it.”
His faith in the religion lets go of all his rage and hatred towards his captivates and her wife
helps him let all this go by beautifully concluding that “If you keep the hatred you can’t have
the joy.”
Afterward, he found meaning in his life by educating his experiences and the different aspects of
journalism to Youth in NY also filed a case against the Iranian government and won $26
million but also lost some of it by investments he made.
Sulome Anderson’s tribute to her father
“I love my dad very much. My dad has always loved me. I just was unaware of that since he
was unable to present it to me,” Sulome Anderson said in an AP interview from 2017. She also stated to CBS
News that his father has gone through an extremely rough patch in his life but he would not
like to be remembered as his worst phase but as all the efforts he made in humanitarian
grounds he was at peace with his life after liberation.
