GUEST: It was 1979, the American embassy in Tehran, Iran.

52 Americans were stripped of their freedom, their dignity and their pride, known as the Iran Hostage Crisis.

That lasted 444 days.

The Shah had fled in January of 1979.

The government of, uh, Islamic Republic of Iran was formed.

I arrived October 7.

When we were taken hostage.

I was a young 22-year-old kid.

My part at the American Embassy was a Marine security guard.

And I'm happy to say that for four hours that morning of November 4, seven Marines held that American Embassy, waiting for the host government, the Islamic Republic of Iran, to come to free us.

But that never happened.

They basically broke through the basement window and attacked the embassy.

President Carter at that point in time said, uh, to give ourself up, that, uh, they were going to work on diplomacy to basically free us.

Well, that lasted 444 days.

APPRAISER: What was it like being a hostage?

GUEST: The first 30-plus days, we sat tied to a chair and not allowed to speak.

It wasn't Until January of 1980 I was put into the room with Billy Gallegos, another Marine, and Jerry Plotkin, the only American civilian.

And in that room, we came up with something to do.

And that consisted of those, uh, playing cards that we created.

We were locked in that room-- we went outside seven times out of 444 days.

We were put into offices of the American Embassy.

And in the offices, there was a table with a typewriter.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, they wanted us to write derogatory statements to our government asking for the Shah to return.

Uh, instead, I took the paper, started typing my diary, which really helped me pass the time.

Within weeks, they took the typewriter away.

Then I just got the paper and I started writing the diary.

There was about 600 pages.

Every time I would move, I would put it in a plastic bag and tie it around my thigh.

January, uh, 20, 1981.

When we were let go, uh, that night, I had it in a plastic bag.

I took two socks, again, tied it around my thigh, and I didn't take it off my body until we got to Germany.

APPRAISER: That's the first page when you had the typewriter?

GUEST: Yes, sir.

APPRAISER: That's the last page just before you put it around your leg.

GUEST: Yes sir.

APPRAISER: And you brought it out of the country.

GUEST: Yes.

So we get to Germany and President Carter, he jumped on Air Force One and came over immediately to meet with us.

APPRAISER: When did you get the signed picture and the note?

GUEST: It was that year of November 1981.

Uh, he had presented each one of the hostages.

APPRAISER: The note that Jimmy Carter sent?

Now, he was not president at the time, Reagan was president.

GUEST: Yes, sir.

APPRAISER: But can you read a little of that?

GUEST: It "is a photograph of us together in Wiesbaden "the day after you were released from imprisonment.

"This was one of the happiest days of my life, and I wanted to share this memory with you in this way."

APPRAISER: The two items of Jimmy Carter, usually, the more valuable items would be when they were president.

But the sentiment that he expresses by sending you that picture and saying, this is one of the happiest days of his life, I think easily an insurance value would be $5,000 on the pair of them.

GUEST: (chuckling) APPRAISER: You have four cards of the deck.

People collect cards, people collect P.O.W.

items.

So the cards, an insurance value, I would say would be $2,000.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: When people are looking for diaries, the reason they buy it, one, is because... ...the information in it is unknown.

In other words, it's something that can be studied.

It's bringing forth new information.

The other reason you buy it is it's a, a great item in and of itself.

It's a display piece-- you published a book.

From what I understand, the book is almost covering word-for-word.

GUEST: Yes, sir.

APPRAISER: So in a way that cuts what somebody might pay for it.

GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: An insurance value, I think, is more on the $20,000 value.

GUEST: Got it.

APPRAISER: It's a priceless piece because it was really a way for me to survive each day and think of home.