Former Hostage Terry Anderson’s Passing
When someone passes away, a lot can be discovered about them, maybe something deeply insightful that not everyone currently knows.
“The word ‘hero’ gets tossed around a lot but applying it to Terry Anderson just enhances it,” says Louis D. Boccardi, the president and chief executive officer of the Associated Press at the time the former American hostage — his chief Middle East correspondent for the news agency, was denied his freedom from 1985–92 in Lebanon.
Anderson was “held in chains, being transported from hiding place to hiding place, strapped to the chassis of a truck, given often inedible food, cut off from the world,” Boccardi recalls and yet, he says about Anderson, in which “he reported on with such skill and caring.”
Anderson has died from complications from a recent heart surgery, per a report by the Associated Press. He was 76.
Of course, his survival was admirable, amazing even, yet that’s not what left the strongest impression on his life or in the world.
His daughter, of course is proud and elaborated on Anderson’s character, especially his sense of what mattered most — and his humility.
“He never liked to be called a hero, but that’s what everyone persisted in calling him,” says Sulome Anderson.
Her dad had a lengthy, painful, traumatic experience yet Sulome Anderson says that’s not how her father wanted to be known or remembered, adding that what would have been more meaningful for him would to be recognized for “his humanitarian work with the Vietnam Children’s Fund, the Committee to Protect Journalists, homeless veterans and many other incredible causes.”
As for how he emotionally, psychologically and physically survived, Anderson told his story.
“What kept me going?” he said years ago after his release. “My companions. I was lucky to have people with me most of the time. My faith, stubbornness. You do what you have to. You wake up every day, summon up the energy from somewhere. You think you haven’t got it and you get through the day and you do it. Day after day after day,” Reuters reports.
“Other hostages described Anderson as tough and active in captivity, learning French and Arabic and exercising regularly,” Reuters reports. “However, they also told of him banging his head against a wall until he bled in frustration at beatings, isolation, false hopes and the feeling of being neglected by the outside world.”
The emotional and psychological pain and the misery was real and overwhelming yet he did not, in the end, succumb to it. He beat the odds.
Notice that Terry Anderson was called a “hero” by those whom he worked for and additionally, the public. Maybe that made him feel respected and admired. It just wasn’t a designation he sought, needed or enjoyed.
No, he wanted to do work for people whom he thought he could help and make that his most profound legacy — and for those who knew him for those experiences — that reputation is the strongest one and the one for which Anderson’s name and memory will be associated.
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Michael Toebe is a reputation consultant, advisor and communications specialist at Reputation Intelligence: Reputation Quality, assisting individuals and organizations with further building reputation as an asset or ethically protecting, restoring or reconstructing it.