Page 5 - Operation Homecoming - Return of the Vietnam P.O.W.s

"Operation Homecoming"
Return of the Vietnam P.O.W.s
A Collection of Memories and Photos - Page 5

The Following photos and material contributed by Salli DiBartolo '77

Photo #25

Photo #26

Photo #27

Comments on Marilyn Holmlund's (WHS Faculty '66-'68) "Operation Homecoming" site Can picture the silence AND the joy and jumping around at FSU in the ROTC bldg. It was pretty much the same on the flight line at Clark awaiting the arrival of the plane bringing the returnees to American soil. The emotion, joy, sorrow, happiness, . . . . , and then being able to have them visit the schools for several hours prior to heading home to the great US of A. It was a time and experience that no one will ever forget. Ivan Warner's comments hit the nail on the head! Democracy is worth it! ...
Mr. "T" (Bruce Taft, WHS Principal)

I defy anyone to read this web page with a dry eye. When I was in 3rd grade at Seymour Johnson they deployed the entire fighter wing to Vietnam. My dad was their supply officer but didn't go because he had just come back. I remember my friends' fathers being shot down and becoming POWs.
Tom McCreery '81

Excellent reading did bring back many memories even thou I was in bed sicker than a dog. Good thing I got in to see the doctors at the hospital before Operation Homecoming, I heard it was next to impossible to get in while our POWs were at clark. But it was great seeing it on TV. Recommend it highly.
Milton Rivera Jr. '72-'74

Pretty cool. I especially like "My thanks to Larry Chesley, Lt. Col. USAF Retired". Chesley was one of my AFROTC instructors at Arizona State.
Gary McClellan '75

    I am the author of the page, and I've enjoyed seeing your comments. I was in the Air Force at the time, and have since retired. I had been stationed in Thailand previously, and so of course knew some of those who became POWs.
    The page started as a project for a Photoshop class I was taking. We had to tell a story with images. Of course I didn't manipulate these much, just tried to clean them up, improve the color, etc. My instructor was a Vietnam vet and was very moved by the story, and so were my classmates, most of whom were a lot younger. So I decided it should be on the Web. I get comments quite regularly, and always enjoy hearing from people about their memories and reactions. It's always positive; I just wish things had been as positive for those guys when they came home.
    You might be interested to know that Air Force Magazine, published by the Air Force Association, is commemorating Homecoming in the February issue. Can you believe it's been 25 years!!!! They said they will probably use the photo of the man with the little dog on the cover.
    Before I joined the Air Force, I taught Spanish at Wagner (66-68)...so am very happy to have found the Wagner pages - they're great!
Marilyn Holmlund<MJH@asu.edu>

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