Terry Anderson was held by Islamic militants for 2,454 days

It was only part of his life, he insisted. He had done so much else. Before it, he had been a Marine, joining straight out of high school and seeing combat duty in Vietnam. Then, after studying journalism at Iowa State, he had signed on with the Associated Press. He reported from Japan and South Africa, and then volunteered—volunteered!—for the Beirut desk. There was a civil war in Lebanon, but he found that fascinating, the best job he ever had. There were straightforward good times, too, when he and his colleagues and Madeleine, his beautiful Lebanese fiancée, would gather on the balcony of his seaside apartment, high above the rubbled streets, smoke cigars, sip Scotch and watch the twilight come down over the sea.