Similar
170819-N-NG136-040 MAYPORT, Fla. (Aug. 19, 2017) Aviation
Naval Service Training Command (NSTC) Command Master
U.S. Army Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, left, United Nations
The U.S. Coast Guard Band and the U.S. Coast Guard
Colonel Stephen Medeiros, commanding officer of Marine
150916-N-BG318-039 Chesapeake, Va. (Sept. 16, 2015)
NEW YORK (Nov. 11, 2015) Rear Adm. Cynthia Thebaud,
Related
Ex-POW, U.S. Navy LCMDR Richard D. Mullins (Captured 6 Jan 67), shakes hands with 13th Air Force Commander LGEN William G. Moore Jr. prior to boarding the C-141 Starlifter for the flight to the United States. CMRD Mullins was released in Hanoi by North Vietnam on 4 Mar 73
Ex-POW, U.S. Navy CMDR Edward H. Martin (Captured 19 Jul 67) shakes hands with COL John W. Ord, Commander, Clark Hospital prior to boarding the C-141 Starlifter for the flight to the United States. CMRD Martin was released in Hanoi by North Vietnam on 4 Mar 73
Ex-POW and U.S. Navy CMDR Collins Henry Haines (Captured 5 Jun 67) shakes hands with some of the many well wishers who came to the flight line to say goodbye as he leaves for the United States. CMDR Haines was released in Hanoi by North Vietnam on 4 Mar 73
Ex-POW and U.S. Air Force CPT Robert Archie Abbott (Captured 30 Apr 67) says farewell to a group of well wishers and friends who came to the flight line to say goodbye as he leaves for United States. CPT Abbott was released in Hanoi by North Vietnam on 4 Mar 73
Ex-POW and U.S. Air Force CPT Edward J. Mechenbier, (Captured 14 Jun 67) says farewell to some of the crowd of well wishers who came to say good bye as he prepares to depart for the United States. CPT Mechenbier was released in Hanoi by North Vietnam on 18 Feb 73
Ex-POW and U.S. Air Force MAJ Jay R. Jensen (Captured 18 Feb 67) salutes the Honor Guard colors after arriving on the bus, in the background, and prior to boarding a C-141 Starlifter for the flight to the United States. MAJ Jensen was released in Hanoi by North Vietnam on 18 Feb 73
Ex-POW and U.S. Air Force CPT Kevin J. McManus (Captured 14 Jun 67) says farewell to some of the crowd of well wishers who came to say good bye as he prepares to depart for the United States. CPT McManus was released in Hanoi by North Vietnam on 18 Feb 73
Former POW and U.S. Air Force COL Raymond James Merritt at the microphone, thanks the crowd and press upon arriving on a flight from Clark Air Base. COL Merritt was captured on 16 Sep 65 and released by the North Vietnamese in Hanoi on 12 Feb 73
Former POW and U.S.Navy LMDR John Heilig (Captured 5 May 66)waves to the public and press there to greet the plane load of former POWs flown in from Clark Air Base. LCMDR Helig was released by the North Vietnamese in Hanoi on 12 Feb 73
Ex-POW, U.S. Navy LCMDR John H. McGrath (Captured 30 Jun 67), carrying a bouquet of flowers, waves to the crowd that came to see his departure on a flight to the United States. LCMRD McGrath was released in Hanoi by North Vietnam on 4 Mar 73
Summary
The original finding aid described this photograph as:
Subject Operation/Series: HOMECOMING
Base: Clark Air Base
State: Luzon
Country: Philippines (PHL)
Scene Camera Operator: CPT Frank J. Adinolfi
Release Status: Released to Public
Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files
On January 27, 1973, the United States agreed to a ceasefire with North Vietnam allowing withdrawal of American military forces from South Vietnam. The agreement also included the release of about 600 American prisoners of war. On Feb. 12, 1973, three C-141 flew to Hanoi, North Vietnam, and one C-9A aircraft was sent to Saigon, South Vietnam to pick up released prisoners of war. The first flight of 40 U.S. prisoners of war left Hanoi in a C-141A, later known as the "Hanoi Taxi". From February 12 to April 4, there were 54 C-141 missions flying out of Hanoi, bringing the former POWs home, the total number of returned was 591. The return of the nearly 600 POWs increased the polarization of the public and media. A majority of the POWs returned in Operation Homecoming were bomber pilots shot down while carrying out the campaign waged against civilian targets located in Vietnam and Laos. Many viewed the freed POWs as heroes, while others questioned if treating these men as heroes served to distort and obscure the truth about the war. Some felt these men deserved to be treated as war criminals or left in the North Vietnamese prison camps. Many worried that Homecoming hid the fact that people were still fighting and dying on the battlefields of Vietnam and caused the public to forget about the over 50,000 American lives the war had already cost. Veterans of the war had similar thoughts concerning Operation Homecoming with many stating that the ceasefire and returning of prisoners brought zero sense of an ending or closure. Operation Homecoming has been largely forgotten by the American public.
Nothing Found.