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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

Former POW and U.S. Air ForceMAJ Robert Norland Daughtrey in the passenger lounge after his arrival from Clark Air Base, Philippines. MAJ Daughtrey was captured on 2 Aug 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

Former POW and U.S. Air Force CPT Darrel Edwin Pyle talks with escort officers and other POWs in the passenger lounge after his arrival from Clark Air Base, Philippines. CPT Pyle was captured on 13 Jun 66 and released by the North Vietnamese in Hanoi 12 Feb 73

Former POW and U.S. Navy LCMDR Everett Alvarez (Captured 5 Aug 64) talks at the microphones to the public and press there to greet the plane load of former POWs flown in from Clark Air Base. LCMDR Alvarez was released by the North Vietnamese in Hanoi on12 Feb 73

Former POW and U.S. Air Force CPT Larry James Chesley is greeted by 22nd Air Force Vice Commander, BGEN William Deitrich and BGEN Ralph Saunders upon arriving on a flight from Clark Air Base. CPT Chesley was captured on 6 Nov 65 and released by the North Vietnamese in Hanoi 12 Feb 73

Former POW and U.S. Air Force CPT Kevin Joseph McManus talks to the press after his arrival from Clark Air Base, Philippines. CPT McManus was captured on 14 Jun 67 and released by the North Vietnamese in Hanoi on 12 Feb 73

Former POW and U.S. Navy LCMDR Porter Alex Halyburton talks on the phone in the passenger lounge after his arrival from Clark Air Base, Philippines. LCMDR Halyburton was captured on 17 Oct 65 and released by the North Vietnamese in Hanoi on 12 Feb 73

Former POW and U.S. Air Force TSGT Arthur Neil Black (Captured 20 Sep 65) waves to the crowd of well wishers upon his arrival on the C-141 Starlifter from Clark Air Base, Philippines. TSGT Black was in the first group of POWs released on 12 Feb 73 by the North Vietnamese government in Hanoi

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

description

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: SSGT Porter

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.

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Tags

former pow former pow navy cmdr raymond arthur vohden navy cmdr raymond arthur vohden crutches flight line clark clark air base philippines cmdr vohden group first group government hanoi california clark air base philippines air base coming home prisoners of war exchange prisoners travis air force base staff sergeant operation homecoming hanoi taxi us navy vietnam war prisoners exchange commission vietcong high resolution north vietnamese government pows ssgt porter us air force usaf navy base us national archives vietnam pow
date_range

Date

01/02/1973
collections

in collections

Hanoi Taxi

Operation Homecoming
place

Location

create

Source

The U.S. National Archives
link

Link

https://catalog.archives.gov/
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No known copyright restrictions

label_outline Explore North Vietnamese Government, Ssgt Porter, First Group

LCOL Daniel James Doughty (Captured 2 Apr 67) at the microphones talks to people who came out to greet the returning POWs on their nighttime arrival at Scott. LCOL Doughty was released by the North Vietnamese in Hanoi on 12 Feb 73

Nurse training. A student nurse, acting as physical therapist, points to the picture book, thus encouraging this toddler to learn to use his crutches

Capt. Matt Crandall, 349th Air Refueling Squadron pilot,

Members of the 179th Airlift Wing arrive home from

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

Returned POW U.S. Navy LCMDR Everett Alvarez (Captured 5 Aug 64) looks at a letter in his room at the base hospital. LCMDR Alvarez was held longer by the North Vietnamese than any other American POW. He was released on 12 Feb 73 in Hanoi

Mine workers take new quarters. Washington, D.C., Dec. 27. The accounting division pictured above, was the first group of the United Mine Workers of America office force to establish [...] in the new U.M.W. building at 15th & Eye Sts. The building which was formerly occupied by the University Club, was taken over by the Mine Workers last summer and has just been given a complete renovation. The Mine Workers expect to fully occupy their new quarters soon after he first of the year

Former POW and U.S. Air Force LCOL James Quincy Collins Jr. talks with escorts and other POWs in the passenger lounge after his arrival from Clark Air Base, Philippines. LCOL Collins was captured on 2 Sep 65 and released by the North Vietnamese in Hanoi on 12 Feb 73

[Military procession; includes Edwin Denby on crutches]

Ex-POW and U.S. Air Force MAJ Hubert K. Flesher (Captured 2 Dec 66) shakes hands with 13th Air Force Commander, LGEN William G. Moore Jr., after arriving on bus, in background, and prior to his flight to the United States. COL John W. Ord, Commander, Clark Hospital and COL Raymond G. Lawry, Deputy Site Commander, Joint Homecoming Reception Center are in the background. MAJ Flesher was released in Hanoi by North Vietnam on 18 Feb 73

A view of the welcome home sign prepared to greet recently released from a prisoner of war home from Vietnam

Airmen supporting the Indo-Pacific Command by maintaining

Topics

former pow former pow navy cmdr raymond arthur vohden navy cmdr raymond arthur vohden crutches flight line clark clark air base philippines cmdr vohden group first group government hanoi california clark air base philippines air base coming home prisoners of war exchange prisoners travis air force base staff sergeant operation homecoming hanoi taxi us navy vietnam war prisoners exchange commission vietcong high resolution north vietnamese government pows ssgt porter us air force usaf navy base us national archives vietnam pow