Bob Simon learned the tricks of his trade covering Vietnam in the 1960s. The government’s restrictions on journalist movement, while ostensibly for their own safety, were really more about the government’s control. While covering the Gulf War, Simon and his correspondent crew ventured outside the designated safety zone, looking for adventure. They found one just a few steps into the borders of Iraqi-occupied Kuwait.

On this day, January 21st, in 1991, Bob Simon, along with his producer, cameraman and soundman were captured by Iraqi soldiers in Kuwait. They were imprisoned for 40 days, with brutal interrogations and little food, released only thanks to the American swift rout of Iraqi armed forces.

In a 1990 article for People magazine, Simon revealed the worst part of his ordeal was the hunger. He was given just a few pieces of bread a day, along with an occasional soup. “One does not get used to [the hunger]” he said. “One tries to prolong the process of eating, but that simply doesn’t work; you swallow that tiny ration of food in a minute. I really went crazy with hunger and knew that in the future I would never again casually say, ‘I’m hungry.’”