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Former POW and U.S. Air Force MAJ Hubert Kelly Flesher kisses his wife at the ramp of the C-141 Starlifter, that transported him and fellow POWs from Clark AB, Philippines. MGEN John Gonge, 22nd Air Force Commander, 22nd AF looks on. MAJ Flesher was captured on 2 Dec 66 and released by the North Vietnamese in Hanoi on 18 Feb 73
Former POW and U.S. Air Force COL Fred Vann Cherry (Captured 22 Oct 65) waves to the public and press there to greet the plane load of former POWs flown in from Clark Air Base. COL Cherry was released by the North Vietnamese in Hanoi on12 Feb 73
Ex-POW and U.S. Air Force MAJ Jay R. Jensen (Captured 18 Feb 67) blows a kiss to the press and the crowd of well wishers on hand to see the departure of the ex-POWs. COL John W. Ord, Commander, Clark Hospital stands in the background. MAJ Jensen was released in Hanoi by North Vietnam on 18 Feb 73
An unidentified US Air Force (USAF) Pilot assigned to the 174 Fighter Wing (FW), gets an affectionate kiss from his wife, upon returning home to Syracuse, New York (NY), following an Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) rotation
An unidentified Navy ex-POW gets a hug from one of the many well wishers who came to the flight line to say goodbye as he leaves for United States
Unidentified U.S. Navy, ex-POW gets a hug from one of the many well wishers who came to the flight line to say goodbye as he leaves for the United States
An unidentified member of the 128th Air Refueling Wing (ARW), Wisconsin (WI), Air National Guard (ANG), receives a welcome home kiss from his wife, on the flight line at General Mitchell International Airport (IAP)/Air Reserve Station (ARS) after returning home from a mission in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM
U.S. Air Force Capt. Kurt Wallin, conducts an air-to-air
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
Unidentified former POW/U.S. Air Force Captain blows a kiss to the public and press there to greet the plane load of former POWs flown in from Clark Air Base
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 Phillip M. 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.