Like everyone who was alive during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis (I was eight), I remember the rising count of days the 52 Americans spent in captivity, the ominous pictures on TV of angry Iranians spouting their grievances, the yellow ribbons tied everywhere to express our national concern.

But what most of us weren't aware of during those tumultuous 444 days were that six Americans had sneaked out of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in the midst of the takeover, and took refuge in the Canadian ambassador's residence. Their captivity—which lasted 79 days—wasn't nearly as austere as that for those at the U.S. Embassy, and their rescue efforts were completely clandestine—but their situation was just as dangerous, as they feared discovery and certain death at any moment.

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