By DEBORAH FLINCHUM

By DEBORAH FLINCHUM

Rappahannock Newa Special Writer

“The thing that is most important is you have to learn to survive,”Col. Leland Holland, former Iranian hostage, told the sixth grade class at Rappahannock County Elementary School on April 10. Parent Vivian Sutton, a Vint Hill employee, arranged the program for Mr. Fountain’s history class.

Currently commander of Vint Hill Farms Station, near Warrenton, Col. Holland has been in the Army for 30 years. He has spent five years in Germany, three years in Italy and served two tours jn Vietnam. In 1978 he and his family went to Iran, where he „Was an American Army Attache at the American Embassy.

Col. Holland remembered that when the revolution began everything changed. Martial law was declared and there was a lot of confusion and shooting.

Forty percent of the 45 million people in Iran could not read or write. Therefore, when the Ayatollah came into the public eye expressing his “religious” beliefs he influenced the populace greatly.

In 1979 Col. Holland’s wife and daughter were sent home to America. On November 4, 1979, the American Embassy was attacked by Iranian students and 52 hostages were taken. They were held for 444 days. In 1980 Iraq attacked the country and they are still at war today.

Col. Holland told of his experiences during captivity. The sixth grade students were spellbound while listening to the horrifying circumstances. However, a sense of pride flowed when Col. Holland explained how the captives handled the obstacles they encountered.

Day after day his legs and arms were tied to a chair and a blindfold was placed on his eyes. He was only allowed up to go to the bathroom, or at night he was removed from the chair but his legs and hands were still bound. His diet consisted mostly of rice and tea. No fork could be used because it was against the Muslim religion.

At Christmas 1979, four American ministers came and assured