Terry Anderson was an Associated Press reporter who was held hostage in Lebanon by Islamic militants for nearly seven years from 1985 to 1991.
- Died: April 21, 2024 (Who else died on April 21?)
- Details of death: Died in Greenwood Lake, New York at the age of 76.
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Terry Anderson’s legacy
Ohio-born Terry Anderson is best known for his years in captivity, but he had a storied career well before his history-making capture. He served six years in the United States Marine as a combat journalist, serving two tours of duty in Vietnam. After returning to the United States, he earned a degree from Iowa State University, then joined the Associated Press. He served in Asia and Africa, and in 1983 became the AP’s chief Middle Eastern correspondent.
In 1985, Anderson was abducted on the streets of Beirut, Lebanon by Islamic militants of Hezbollah. He was one of several captives taken by the group, an act done in retaliation for the United States supplying weapons to Israel. He was held for nearly seven years in a variety of locations before being released in 1991.
Anderson continued to embrace journalism after being set free. When he returned to the United States, he taught journalism at Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Florida. He was also honorary chair of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Anderson penned a memoir about his time in captivity, “Den of Lions.” He and Kieu Chinh also co-founded the Vietnam Children’s Fund, a non-profit devoted to building schools in Vietnam.
On enduring his time in captivity:
“You just do what you have to do. You wake up every day, and you summon up the energy from somewhere, even when you think you haven’t got it, and you get through the day. And you do it, day after day after day.”— Interview with CNN, 2016
Tributes to Terry Anderson
Full obituary: The Washington Post
