“When I was first taken hostage and a gun was thrust to my head, I said to myself this cannot happen,” reflects Barry Rosen.

For Rosen and the other former hostages held in Iran for 444 days three decades ago, it could be thirty years….or thirty seconds. Sometimes it almost seems like not a day has gone by.

Rosen is one of fifteen former hostages attending a reunion this weekend at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where in 1981 they returned to recuperate and reunite with their families in a private setting.
This morning they were given a rousing welcome by the entire West Point corps of 4,400 cadets, who cheered and applauded as the former hostages walked down a long corridor to their first event.

“We are an age right now where possibly we may never have a reunion again,” Rosen said.

When he was captured, Rosen was the press attaché at the U.S. embassy in Teheran. He is one of the original 52 Americans who were held for the duration. Most of the time he was blindfolded, faced mock execution, and endured other forms of physical and mental abuse.

“For two months we didn’t see any light at all. We were absolutely in total darkness,” Rosen remembers.

This reunion is not only about catching up with old friends, but also educating cadets who weren’t even born when the hostage crisis occurred. They are attending panel discussions about their experiences and Iran.

“We’re going to have people involved in a crisis in American history actually talk to the future leaders of our military about something that is very, very important,” said Rosen.

In 1981, the hostages were flown to nearby Stewart Airport and driven in a caravan of busses to the military academy. Yellow ribbons and cheering crowds welcomed their return. Today, even in the snow covered hills, the feelings are just as warm.

Temple University historian David Farber wrote a book on the hostage crisis called, “Taken Hostage” and says the crisis brought Americans together during a difficult time for the nation. Farber told Fox News, “This was a time of economic crisis. ” He says “that ironically in their debacle, in their frustrating experiences was a place where Americans could unify; Conservatives, Liberals, Democrats, Republicans… everyone was behind the dream of getting those hostages home safe.”

The group will meet local people at a wine and cheese party, attend the Army-Navy basketball game, and reflect on the meaning of their ordeal. They will also meet five survivors of the ill-fated rescue mission that resulted in
the crash of helicopters that killed 8 U.S. servicemen.

Highland Falls, New York Mayor Joe D’Onofrio has asked residents to display yellow ribbons, the sign that the hostages were never forgotten, as a symbol of remembrance and support that continues to this day.

The West Point Chief of Staff, Colonel Charles (Gus) Stafford, was one of the cadets who welcomed them home in 1981. He told Fox News that “to physically see those people here and know how happy they were and that they were and home and they were free, it just made your heart burst, it was wonderful.”

As for his feelings toward the Iranians now, Rosen bluntly says “I don’t forgive my captors. I think I’m a pretty decent person about most things and I don’t hate Iranians. I do despise this regime.”