Friends, former hostages praise Terry Anderson, AP reporter and philanthropist, at memorial service

NEW YORK (AP) — Fellow former hostages, family and coworkers celebrated the life of journalist and philanthropist Terry Anderson Wednesday, remembering a man who helped others while struggling to heal himself.

The news writer became a news subject when he was taken hostage in Lebanon by members of an Islamic extremist group in 1985. At the time, he was chief Middle East correspondent for The Associated Press, had one daughter and his future wife was six months pregnant. He was one of the longest-held hostages in U.S. history, captive for 2,454 days.

Anderson died on April 21 at his home in Greenwood Lake, New York. He was 76. The memorial on Wednesday was shown on YouTube by the Overseas Press Club.

More than a year into captivity, two new hostages were moved into his jail, men from Northern Ireland and England who spoke at his memorial from the AP office in New York. They said Anderson's hunger for intellectual stimulation had him verbally pounce on them, squeezing them for knowledge of current events, histories of their homelands and any shred of literature they could share.

He “prodded and poked at something for weeks and weeks until you almost had nothing left to tell him," said Brian Keenan, originally from Belfast, who was teaching English in Beirut when he was kidnapped and later found himself imprisoned with Anderson.

“Terry’s bullish, stubborn nature was a really vital part of our survival together,” said John McCarthy, a British journalist and fellow hostage who attended the memorial, crediting him for pestering guards to give them books, a radio at one point and crucially — respect. "It was about constantly reminding the men with the guns ... that we were human beings.”

Terry Anderson received a hero’s welcome when he was freed in 1991, from the AP and New York state. Mourners remembered how he kept his sense of humor. Louis Boccardi, who had been leading the AP for two-and-half-months when Anderson was kidnapped, had arranged for Anderson to spend time in the mountains in Europe to speak with trauma counselors.

“'I haven’t been in the warm sunshine for six and a half years. And you want me to go to the Alps?'” Boccardi recalled Anderson saying. The counseling was moved to the Caribbean.

Anderson struggled with PTSD and, his ex-wife revealed at the memorial, was unable to fully heal from his ordeal. But he was rarely idle and pursued healing and growth for others. Anderson taught journalism and led philanthropic efforts to help children and veterans.

“Terry wanted his students to write with purpose and conviction, to speak the truth through power, with authority and without fear,” said Keenan.

A Vietnam War veteran, Anderson helped found the Vietnam Children’s Fund, which built 51 schools in that country over decades.

On Wednesday, New York State Sen. James Skoufis presented a posthumous Liberty Medal for Anderson's contributions to journalism and his advocacy for homeless veterans in Hudson Valley. Skoufis said that Anderson spent seven years advocating for funding for a veteran's housing program, which was approved only months ago, in the form of a $1 million federal grant.

John McCarthy, a British journalist and one of three fellow hostages held with Terry Anderson, speaks at a memorial gathering for Anderson at the Associated Press headquarters in New York, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio)

Louis Boccardi, who had been leading the Associated Press for two-and-half-months when Terry Anderson was kidnapped speaks at a memorial gathering for Anderson at the AP headquarters in New York, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio)

New York State Senator James Skoufis, right, and Sulome Anderson, Terry Anderson's daughter, attend a memorial gathering for Anderson at the Associated Press headquarters in New York, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Skoufis presented a posthumous Liberty Medal for Anderson's contributions to journalism, and his advocacy for homeless veterans in the Hudson Valley. (AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio)

Brian Keenan speaks during a memorial gathering for Terry Anderson at the Associated Press headquarters in New York, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Keenan, originally from Belfast, who was teaching English in Beirut when he was kidnapped and later found himself in a cell with Anderson. (AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio)

FILE - Terry Anderson, who was the longest held American hostage in Lebanon, grins with his 6-year-old daughter Sulome, Dec. 4, 1991, as they leave the U.S. Ambassador's residence in Damascus, Syria, following Anderson's release. Fellow former hostages, family, and coworkers celebrated the life of journalist and philanthropist Terry Anderson, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, as a man who helped others while struggling to heal himself. (AP Photo/Santiago Lyon, File)

FILE - Wearing a "Hello World" sweatshirt printed with his picture, former hostage Terry Anderson greets colleagues, Dec. 10, 1991, at The Associated Press headquarters in New York, as he walks with his arm around fiancée Madeleine Bassil, center right. Fellow former hostages, family, and coworkers celebrated the life of journalist and philanthropist Terry Anderson, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, as a man who helped others while struggling to heal himself. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm, File)

FILE - Former hostage Terry Anderson, center, carries his daughter Sulome, 6, through a crunch of media upon arrival to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Dec. 10, 1991. At left is Sulome's mother, Madeleine Bassil, and at immediate right is Associated Press President Lou Boccardi. Fellow former hostages, family, and coworkers celebrated the life of journalist and philanthropist Terry Anderson, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, as a man who helped others while struggling to heal himself. (AP Photo/Ed Bailey, File)

FILE - Former hostage Terry Anderson, accompanied by his daughter Sulome and her mother, Madeleine Bassil, arrives to a festive welcome, Dec. 12, 1991, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va. Fellow former hostages, family, and coworkers celebrated the life of journalist and philanthropist Terry Anderson, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, as a man who helped others while struggling to heal himself. AP Photo/Barry Thumma, File)

FILE - Former hostage and Associated Press Middle East chief correspondent Terry Anderson, center left, hugs colleague Jim Abrams during a visit to the Washington bureaus of The Associated Press in Washington, Dec. 12, 1991. Fellow former hostages, family, and coworkers celebrated the life of journalist and philanthropist Terry Anderson, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, as a man who helped others while struggling to heal himself. (AP Photo/Greg Gibson, File)

FILE - Former hostage Terry Anderson waves to the crowd as he rides in a parade in Lorain, Ohio, June 22, 1992. Fellow former hostages, family, and coworkers celebrated the life of journalist and philanthropist Terry Anderson, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, as a man who helped others while struggling to heal himself. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan, File)

MIAMI (AP) — Harrison Bader and Tyrone Taylor each drove in two runs in a four-run first inning, star closer Edwin Díaz was not used in a save situation and the New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-3 on Sunday for just their second win in seven games.

Brandon Nimmo homered and Francisco Lindor singled twice following a 1-for-27 skid as the Mets rebounded from blowing a four-run, ninth-inning lead on Saturday and avoided a three-game sweep. New York stopped Miami’s four-game winning streak.

“You’re not defined by what you do the day before. You’re defined by how you get up from adversity,” Lindor said. “We wanted this one for sure. I think it’s important to win after a tough loss like that.”

Sean Manaea (3-1) allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. Sean Reid-Foley and Jake Diekman pitched an inning each, and Reed Garrett got his second save by allowing one hit over two innings with four strikeouts in a 34-pitch outing.

Díaz has a 10.80 ERA over his last eight appearances after serving up four homers in 8 1/3 innings. He has blown three of his last four save chances.

“We all believe in him. We all know he’s going to be back,” Garrett said. “Whenever my name’s called, I’ll pitch, but I know as a collective unit we all believe in Edwin and we know what he can do.”

New York (21-25) had dropped five games under .500 on Saturday for the first time since an 0-5 start.

“Not an easy weekend, not the way we expected, but we just have to continue to move forward,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Today was a huge win for us.”

With New York ahead 4-3, Nimmo hit a two-run homer off Anthony Bender in a three-run ninth that included Brett Baty’s RBI single.

“I was just looking for a good pitch in the middle of the plate to drive,” Nimmo said. “I was able to hit that ball — good launch angle — and hit it hard. Found its way out of the ballpark.”

Nimmo returned to the lineup Saturday after missing two games because of a stomach illness.

“I’m coming around,” Nimmo said. “It’s been a little bit of a journey the last three days to get over the sickness. Right now, I’m just trying to get some appetite back. I’m definitely not at 100%. Just trying to battle through it and glad that I was able to help out there at the end and solidify the win.”

Dane Myers hit a two-run homer in the second, and Christian Bethancourt had a solo drive in the seventh against DIekman.

Sixto Sánchez (0-2) allowed four runs and six hits in four innings. He gave up Taylor’s two-out double in the first and Bader’s single.

“He was obviously better second through the fourth inning but he put us in a hole early,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “At this level it’s hard to come back from four runs every single time. He’s not giving his teammates a chance to win.”

Miami recalled right-handed reliever Emmanuel Ramirez from Jacksonville and optioned right-handed reliever Anthony Maldonado to the Triple-A farm team.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: DH J.D. Martinez (flu symptoms) didn’t play but was available to pinch hit. Mendoza said Martinez played through the illness the prior two days.

Marlins: INF Tim Anderson (lower back tightness) homered and had three singles in five at-bats during a rehab game with Jacksonville on Saturday, then went 0 for 4 with a walk on Sunday.

UP NEXT

Mets: RHP Tylor Megill (0-1, 2.25) will start the opener of a three-game series at Cleveland on Monday. RHP Ben Lively (2-2, 3.06) will start for the Guardians.

Marlins: LHP Ryan Weathers (2-4, 3.81) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game home series against Milwaukee on Monday. The Brewers will go with RHP Joe Ross (2-4, 4.61).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Mets' Sean Manaea delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo (9) and Francisco Lindor (12) congratulate each other after they scored on a double by Tyrone Taylor, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader is unable to catch a ball hit by Miami Marlins' Josh Bell for a double, during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Miami Marlins third base Emmanuel Rivera, right, tags out New York Mets' Harrison Bader as he slides into third base during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader (44) catches a ball hit by Miami Marlins' Josh Bell as both he and left fielder Tyrone Taylor (15) vie for the ball during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets relief pitcher Reed Garrett, right, and catcher Omar Narvaez celebrate after the Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-3, during a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)