.....  Kirtley was a lanky 6-foot, 3-inch corporal fresh out of Marine security-guard school at the Quantico base when he arrived at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on Aug. 8, 1979.......

Kirtley had gone off duty at midnight on Nov. 3, 1979, and was in the living quarters across from the embassy with one of his Marine roommates when the hand-held walkie talkie in his room crackled, indicating an emergency.
He threw on his uniform and they raced to the top of their eight-story building for a glimpse of the trouble.
There were Iranians all over the place, Kirtley said.
Soon, the protesters invaded the living quarters and began kicking down doors. Kirtley radioed back for instructions.
Lock the door and if they kick the door in, we want you to surrender, he was told.
Within 20 minutes, he was walking across to the compound, his hands clasped atop his head, a pistol pointing his way.

Three times, Kirtley expected to die.
The first came on his initial day of captivity. He was blindfolded, bound at his wrists and marched in front of one of the 28-acre compounds brick buildings. He stood there as an angry crowd of Iranians jeered.
Then, after what seemed like an eternity, his captors walked him back indoors without explanation.
That was probably my good excuse for being cooperative, Kirtley said of his attitude thereafter.
The second threat of death was the 2 a.m. mock firing squad in February 1980.
The third came four months after a botched April 1980 rescue attempt by U.S. forces.
The hostages had been dispersed throughout the country and were in the process of being reunited. Kirtley and three other captives were being driven from the city of Isfahan, about eight hours southwest of Tehran, back to the capital when the van they were in flipped three times along a desert highway.
Kirtleys first thought was of death. His second was of freedom.
Neither came.
After several minutes of confusion, the captors got the situation under control and the journey continued.

Passing the time
A few weeks into their captivity, the Iranians allowed the hostages access to books seized when an American school in Tehran closed. But they still could not speak to one another not for another two months.
Then they were given games to keep them occupied playing cards, poker chips and pieces for chess and checkers.
Fresh air was harder to come by.
On average, the hostages got one hour in a small enclosed space once a month. At one point, they went four months without going outdoors.
That was tough for a long-legged Marine who hated sitting still. He began walking in circles in the room he shared with three to five men to keep from going stir crazy.....