James "O’Neill" Hughes, a retired Air Force non-commissioned officer, received the Prisoner of War medal for his role during the siege and seizure by demonstrators of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, in 1979. The demonstrators were protesting U.S. medical aid to the ailing Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who ruled the country at the time. The shah’s regime soon fell, giving way for the Islamic republic regime that governs the country to this day. Hughes, of New Orleans, was one of 65 Americans who were taken hostage by the Iranian militants after the embassy fell. During his capture, Hughes spent 16 days blindfolded, was subjected to torture, and was certain at times that he would be killed. Hughes resisted his captors’ efforts to extract information from him, replying to their demands only with his name, rank, and serial number. Hughes was one of 13 hostages released early by the Iranians, because he is African-American. Another 52 hostages remained in Iranian hands for 444 days. "That bothered me. We were military members. We never wanted any special favors just because of the color of our skin. In the military we never leave anyone behind. I felt guilty," Hughes said. Although Hughes returned to duty and served until he was eligible for retirement, he was beset by harsh memories of the experience. He later was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). "I feel some relief. It was kind of therapeutic for me to have the ceremony. I’ve been dealing with this for a long time," Hughes said.
