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Former POW and U.S. Navy CPT Jeremiah Andrew Denton (Captured 18 Jul 65) stands at the microphones and talks to the crowd of well wishers and press upon his arrival on the C-141 Starlifter from Clark Air Base, Philippines. In the background MGEN John Gonge, 22nd Air Force Commander and MGEN Daniel "Chappie" James look on. CPT Denton was in the first group of POWs released on 12 Feb 73 by the North Vietnamese government in Hanoi
Former POW and U.S. Air Force CPT David Earle Baker, on crutches, walks away from the greeting party, MGEN John Gonge, Commander 22nd Air Force and BGEN Ralph Saunders after his arrival from Clark Air Base, Philippines. CPT Baker was captured on 27 Jun 72 in Cambodia and released by the Viet Cong at Loc Ninh on 12 Feb 73
Former POW and U.S. Navy CMDR Raymond Arthur Vohden (Captured 3 Apr 65) uses his crutches to leave the flight line after his arrival from Clark Air Base, Philippines. CMDR Vohden was in the first group of POWs released by the North Vietnamese government in Hanoi
Former POW and U.S.Navy CMDR James Glenn Pirie walks away from the C-141 Starlifter, that transported him and fellow POWs from Clark AB, Philippines, with MGEN John Gonge, 22nd Air Force Commander, BGEN William Deitrich, Vice Commander, 22nd AF in the background. CMDR Pirie was captured on 22 Jun 67 and released by the North Vietnamese in Hanoi on 18 Feb 73
Former POW and U.S. Army SSG Bobby Louis Johnson (Captured 25 Aug 68), is greeted by MGEN John Gonge, 22nd Air Force Commander and BGEN William Deitrich, Vice Commander, 22nd AF upon his arrival on the C-141 Starlifter from Clark Air Base, Philippines. SSG Johnson was in the group of POWs captured in South Vietnam and released on 12 Feb 73 by the Viet Cong at Loc Ninh, South Vietnam
Former POW and U.S. Army SGT Kenneth Wallingford (Captured 7 Apr 72) waves to the crowd of well wishers upon his arrival on the C-141 Starlifter from Clark Air Base, Philippines. In the background MGEN Daniel "Chappie" James await the next returnee to deplane. SGT Wallingford was in the first group of POWs captured in South Vietnam, and released on 12 Feb 73 by the Viet Cong at Loc Ninh, South Vietnam
Former POW and U.S. Air Force LCOL Lewis Wiley Shattuck (Captured 11 Jul 66) salutes the American Flag upon his arrival on the C-141 Starlifter from Clark Air Base, Philippines. In the background MGEN John Gonge, 22nd Air Force Commander and MGEN Daniel "Chappie" James await the next returnee to deplane. LCOL Shattuck was in the first group of POWs released on 12 Feb 73 by the North Vietnamese government in Hanoi
Released Prisoner of War, U.S. Navy LT CMDR Larry Howard Spencer, (Captured 18 Feb 66)) salutes MGEN John Gonge, 22nd Air Force Commander and MGEN Daniel "Chappie" James upon his arrival at Travis Air Force Base. LT CMDR Spencer was in the third group released by the North Vietnamese on Feb 12, 1973 in Hanoi
Ex-POW and U.S.Navy CMDR James Glenn Pirie (Captured 22 Jun 67), at the flight line microphone, thanks the crowd of well wishers and press before departing for the United States on the C-141 Starlifter in the background. 13th Air Force Commander, LGEN William G. Moore Jr., stands in background near the ambulance bus that brought the ex-POWs to the flight line. CMDR Pirie was released in Hanoi by North Vietnam on 18 Feb 73
Former POW and U.S. Navy CMDR Raymond Arthur Vohden (Captured 3 Apr 65), on crutches, salutes MGEN John Gonge, 22nd Air Force Commander and MGEN Daniel "Chappie" James, upon his arrival on the C-141 Starlifter from Clark Air Base, Philippines. CMDR Vohden was in the first group of POWs released on 12 Feb 73 by the North Vietnamese government in Hanoi
Summary
The original finding aid described this photograph as:
Subject Operation/Series: HOMECOMING
Base: Travis Air Force Base
State: California (CA)
Country: United States Of America (USA)
Scene Camera Operator: SGT Morawski
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.
- C-141 Tail Number: 66-0177
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