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This project recognizes the people that were taken hostage for political or terrorist reasons. For example, more than sixty American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days (November 4, 1979, to January 20, 1981) after a group of Iranian students belonging to the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
One of the captives, Retired Army Col. Chuck Scott tells Debbie Elliott about the long ordeal and the taste of freedom:
"ELLIOTT: Now, you and the other hostages were held for 444 days, I'm sure that people ask you often what was it like? What do you tell them?
Mr. SCOTT: Well, it depends. The first month was shear hell. I was tortured. And then after that I spent a lot of time in solitary. The food was lousy and there wasn't much of it. But, like in all situations, you adapt. And people -- I've had people tell me, gee, I couldn't have done what you did. And I say you never had the chance. If you had to do it, you'd do it.
But the more they did nasty things to me the more I was determined that I wouldn't cooperate with them in any way whatsoever. And I didn't. And I realized after about the first month or so that, hey, this thing could go on for a long period of time. So, I sort of dug my foxhole deeper symbolically, and decided I'd dig in for the long haul.
ELLIOTT: How do you do that? How do you mentally prepare yourself to live that way?
Mr. SCOTT: One thing that you do, Deborah, is you learn to control your thought process. I set aside one hour every afternoon when I would let myself wander through all of the terrible scenarios of how that thing was probably going to end up. And then I would dismiss it.
And once the torture was over and I was in solitary, even though I was shackled and in handcuffs much of the time, I set up an exercise program for myself so that I could develop a routine. And the other thing I did, I followed some of our examples of prisoners of war in Vietnam.
I tried to use my mind as much as I could. I derived the Quadratic Formula, I did. I tried to put all the kids in my classes all the way through elementary school, junior high and high school back into their seats.
I never had a dream while I was there about, gee, I can't wait to get home and get a bigger house, or a new car, or money in the bank. I thought of all the people that had helped me along the way that I never really thanked, or told them that I loved them and I cared about them. And I vowed that while I was in solitary if I ever got out of there alive I'd never let that happen again. And I haven't. "
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