The recent video of the beheading of James Foley by ISIS militants confirmed his family's worst fears: that Foley, an accomplished war journalist, beloved son, brother, and friend, would not be coming home.

For some, Foley is simply a face in a video, a tragic story of yet another journalist being silenced. But Foley's story, like many others who have lost their lives in search of the truth, is one which begs to be told.

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Foley's 2012 capture by ISIS in Syria was by no means the first time the young journalist had seen his life threatened by his work; in 2011 Foley was kidnapped along with fellow journalist Clare Morgana Gillis while reporting on the civil war in Libya.

Although the two were eventually released and returned safely home, Ms. Gillis spoke in depth later on about James' ability to keep her hopes up even under the most dire of circumstances.

The reporter also cared less for what could happen to him than what it would do to his family as Clare wrote:

"What grieved Jim most about detention was the worry he knew he was causing his family."

But the abduction scare did little to stop Foley from venturing out into the front lines of some of the most brutal warzones on the globe. He fearlessly carried out interviews with American soldiers on the front lines in Afghanistan, spoke with the Libyan soldiers of a despotic regime, and eventually began contributing to Agence France-Presse from Syria as a journalist "absolutely neutral in this conflict."

Years before ISIS started hitting the front pages of newspapers and media sources around the world, Foley was already trying to tell an unspoken story, to show the world what was really happening in Syria. It's possible this tenacious search for the truth was what ultimately cost the journalist his life.

Despite the incredible heartbreak of Foley's tragic death, his family couldn't be prouder of what he set out to do.

"We have never been prouder of our son Jim. He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people," his mother wrote on the Free James Foley Facebook page.

In a selfless act which truly honored her son, Foley's mother also turned attention to the remaining hostages, imploring the militant group to spare their lives.

The video released by the terror group showing the journalist's beheading seemed to be too much to bear and Foley's family issued a plea, tweeting Tuesday afternoon:

"Please honor James Foley and respect my family's privacy. Don't watch the video. Don't share it. That's not how life should be."

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists  (CPJ), Syria remains the most dangerous place on the planet for journalists, with 29 killed in 2013.

The CPJ also estimates that there are around 20 journalists currently missing in Syria. One of them, believed to be American journalist Steven Sotloff, appears in the ISIS execution video with the extremist sect also threatening to take his life.

It is unfathomable to comprehend the courage and dedication it takes for a journalist to willingly go to the most dangerous place on earth, and reprehensible that militant groups hope to silence the truth through the kidnapping and executing of these same people.

In the end, it is not Foley's death which should be remembered, but his life. His unwavering devotion to freedom of the press, and to telling a story few are brave enough to, speaks volumes.

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