Then & now

Airman, May, 2005 by Orville F. Desjarlais

There are moments in people's lives that change them forever.

Those moments for Paul Needham occurred when he stood before a firing squad--twice.

"I was shaking uncontrollably," Mr. Needham said about his two brushes with death. "After I said the 23rd Psalms. the shaking stopped and a calmness came over me."

Although his walk through the valley of the shadow of death ended peacefully, he said he felt the presence of God that stays with him to this day--crystal clear and in color.

It was October 1979 and then-Captain Needham was staying in the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, while negotiating a spare parts contract for Iranian aircraft made in the United States. While deployed from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, the former Air Force logistics plans and programs officer sat tight until his replacement arrived. Political unrest reigned in the country and anti-Shah and anti-American sentiments were at the boiling point.

On Nov. 4, hundreds of Iranians--fueled by their love for the Ayatollah Khomeini and their deep hatred of America--stormed the embassy. Radical Islamic fundamentalists took 90 hostages and started what became known as the Iran hostage crisis. The event would prove a harbinger of terrorism to come, to include Sept. 11, 2001, and beyond.

Of the captives, 52 were prisoners for 444 days, including Captain Needham. Although none were seriously injured, many were beaten, blindfolded, isolated and lined up for mock firing squads.

Fear, uncertainty and putting his life in God's hands--after twice facing a firing squad--are what Mr. Needham remembers most about his ordeal. After his release Jan. 20, 1981, he remained in the Air Force, retiring in 1992. He went on to earn a doctorate degree.

"It's the little things in life that count now," he said. "When you're gone, nobody cares about how much money you made. They care about the moments you had that impacted their lives."

After 23 years of Air Force service, Mr. Needham retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1992. He is a professor at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, D.C. Today, he's making an impact on the military leaders of tomorrow. He teaches officers and high-ranking government officials the intricacies of defense management and administration; business and military logistics, foreign military sales; defense resource management and war gaming and simulation.