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Return of the Vietnam P.O.W.s A Collection of Memories and Photos |
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Return of the Vietnam P.O.W.s A Collection of Memories and Photos |
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Operation Homecoming, 1973. Arrival of POWs at Clark AB that were held by Viet Cong in South Vietnam. Click on photo to see a higher resolution version. |
| I remember that day so vividly. Sat in my parents living room watching the guys disembark at Clark, and waiting to see Col. Guarino, my classmates Dad, the second longest prisoner after Robert Alvarez. I hadthought of him for years, ever since learning of his capture. The picture of the pretty young teenage girl running to her Dad was the most moving of them all! Jerry Long'63 |
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Another photo of VC held POWs. Click on photo to see a higher resolution version. |
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Another picture of POW Arrival. Click on photo to see a higher resolution version. |
| I left
Wagner June 1972 and remember watching the homecoming on TV in San Francisco.
Not only was the entire scene moving but it was also nice seeing some of
my friends on TV that were still in the PI such as Mary Ann Binkley and
her sister.
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POW arrival. Click on photo to see a higher resolution version. |
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Arrival at Clark AFB flightline of the POWs that were held in North Vietnam. Click on photo to see a higher resolution version. |
| Before
and during Viet Nam, my favorite reading was of POW stories from WW2. I
still think of them when times get tough for me - then I can use their
experiences to put my own minute situation in perspective. (I recommend
everyone do that - there then might be less complaining everywhere.)
I was glad to see the POWs come home, I always used them in discussions about the war - it seemed they were always out of the picture whenever the politicians took a stand of attrition to end the conflict. I honestly, was more worried about their reactions to being thrust into the camera's spotlight - like they had to perform something. We've learned alot more since then, and applied it when the Iran hostages came home (after only 444 days). Their plane's touchdown and families reunion was kept private and could only be filmed from a great distance. That was done at the expense of the TV audience, not getting those heartfelt scenes of families reuniting and other things some might find confusing (and inevitably, make judgements on)... Mike Ward '70 |
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POWs from North Vietnam arriving on C-141. Click on photo to see a higher resolution version. |
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