1 00:00:01,659 --> 00:00:03,603 Today , the largest contingents of 2 00:00:03,603 --> 00:00:06,210 repatriated prisoners . So far , 60 men 3 00:00:06,219 --> 00:00:08,386 were flown from park to Kram Air Force 4 00:00:08,386 --> 00:00:12,159 Base , California . The first plane 5 00:00:12,170 --> 00:00:14,281 came in , we were all anticipating it 6 00:00:14,281 --> 00:00:16,690 and uh it was quite a thrill for all of 7 00:00:16,700 --> 00:00:18,756 us that or had anything at all to do 8 00:00:18,756 --> 00:00:21,920 with it . And uh I know myself , I , 9 00:00:21,930 --> 00:00:24,329 one of my first ones I saw was on the 10 00:00:24,340 --> 00:00:27,059 inside of the aircraft and just their 11 00:00:27,069 --> 00:00:29,209 facial expression was enough to uh to 12 00:00:29,219 --> 00:00:31,441 really let you know that they were . So 13 00:00:31,441 --> 00:00:33,386 I'm happy to be back in the States 14 00:00:33,386 --> 00:00:36,459 again . Ladies and gentlemen , it's 15 00:00:36,470 --> 00:00:39,860 indeed my sincere pleasure to on behalf 16 00:00:39,869 --> 00:00:41,925 of all America to welcome you fellas 17 00:00:41,925 --> 00:00:45,659 back home . Thank you general On behalf 18 00:00:45,669 --> 00:00:47,810 of the 18 men in this group . Uh I 19 00:00:47,819 --> 00:00:49,763 assure you that we appreciate your 20 00:00:49,763 --> 00:00:51,763 welcome and we're really glad to be 21 00:00:51,763 --> 00:00:53,930 back . We're glad to be home . All the 22 00:00:53,930 --> 00:00:56,909 receptions have been wonderful . Uh I 23 00:00:56,939 --> 00:00:58,995 don't know how we can ever thank you 24 00:00:59,279 --> 00:01:01,446 when they finally got the word that we 25 00:01:01,446 --> 00:01:03,557 were gonna get the prisoners out of , 26 00:01:03,557 --> 00:01:07,419 out of Vietnam . Uh My job was to get 27 00:01:07,430 --> 00:01:10,720 them in the airplane and get them home . 28 00:01:10,889 --> 00:01:13,639 You know , safe and sound and nobody 29 00:01:13,650 --> 00:01:16,440 hurt . Unfortunately , we did , they 30 00:01:16,449 --> 00:01:19,500 were first we set up all the airplanes 31 00:01:19,510 --> 00:01:21,849 and it was a very dramatic thing when 32 00:01:21,860 --> 00:01:24,779 we , uh , everything , we got all the 33 00:01:24,790 --> 00:01:27,980 airplanes out time to start , start 34 00:01:27,989 --> 00:01:30,100 your engine , run them off , got them 35 00:01:30,100 --> 00:01:33,410 all ready to go and , and we went to 36 00:01:33,419 --> 00:01:36,629 Hanoi and so they had come around , 37 00:01:36,779 --> 00:01:40,089 landed and taxied up pretty soon . We 38 00:01:40,099 --> 00:01:43,709 saw the bus come over the side . And 39 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:46,290 then , so then we moved the table out 40 00:01:46,300 --> 00:01:50,059 in between us in the airplane and they 41 00:01:50,069 --> 00:01:52,569 let them all out , we could see they 42 00:01:52,580 --> 00:01:54,580 were alive and they were moving as 43 00:01:54,589 --> 00:01:56,533 we'll start to exchange with their 44 00:01:56,533 --> 00:01:59,500 officer come out to the table and mine 45 00:01:59,510 --> 00:02:02,379 went out to the table and they sat down 46 00:02:02,389 --> 00:02:04,800 with names , sent people there one at a 47 00:02:04,809 --> 00:02:08,360 time and they sent him , by the 48 00:02:08,369 --> 00:02:11,750 way , they were captured and they could 49 00:02:11,759 --> 00:02:13,759 go around the table and the nurse , 50 00:02:13,759 --> 00:02:17,529 nurse or officer would pick him up and 51 00:02:17,539 --> 00:02:21,250 walk him out to the airplane . And , uh , 52 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:24,119 that's the first time they really knew 53 00:02:24,750 --> 00:02:28,520 that they were gonna be free , you know . 54 00:02:29,039 --> 00:02:30,650 And of course they were very 55 00:02:30,650 --> 00:02:33,279 refrigerator , were very quiet , ever 56 00:02:33,289 --> 00:02:35,960 said much of anything and , uh , thing . 57 00:02:35,970 --> 00:02:38,889 But , but you could tell they were just 58 00:02:38,899 --> 00:02:42,169 like this , we got , got them on board 59 00:02:42,179 --> 00:02:46,070 and uh , uh first airplane taxi 60 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,869 out to , to take off and he started to 61 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,520 take off and the second airway came in 62 00:02:51,529 --> 00:02:54,410 and landed and just to the same 63 00:02:54,419 --> 00:02:58,419 procedure , uh , they took off and it 64 00:02:58,429 --> 00:03:00,429 wasn't much said they were very , 65 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,199 pretty quiet till we got out . And , uh , 66 00:03:03,210 --> 00:03:06,910 the Navigator told them we're now over 67 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:10,520 open water and we're out of Vietnam 68 00:03:10,979 --> 00:03:13,029 and the tears just went crazy 69 00:03:18,559 --> 00:03:20,615 when we found we were coming to , to 70 00:03:20,615 --> 00:03:23,520 Travis to unload the first big load 71 00:03:23,529 --> 00:03:27,360 that we get . Uh , all , we let all the 72 00:03:27,369 --> 00:03:29,929 base people come , go down , be down to 73 00:03:29,940 --> 00:03:33,000 the terminal and all the wives and kids 74 00:03:33,009 --> 00:03:35,065 and everything were all down there . 75 00:03:35,065 --> 00:03:37,176 And of course , families are the ones 76 00:03:37,176 --> 00:03:40,789 that knew that was gonna be there . If 77 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,229 they were still together , they were 78 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,351 there to meet him too . And they , of 79 00:03:45,351 --> 00:03:47,296 course , went to the hospital from 80 00:03:47,296 --> 00:03:49,629 there into that . And then the next day , 81 00:03:49,839 --> 00:03:52,800 uh , if they were from New York , say , 82 00:03:53,350 --> 00:03:56,990 uh , they had another airplane , a 83 00:03:57,089 --> 00:03:59,440 smaller airplane , they turn him in 84 00:03:59,460 --> 00:04:00,904 that and took them home , 85 00:04:04,029 --> 00:04:07,679 you know . So they were very to the man . 86 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,429 They were just as dedicated as they 87 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:12,509 were , even though they've been in a 88 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,479 camp and the man , everyone of them 89 00:04:15,919 --> 00:04:19,269 comes to the door and stood and hit a 90 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:23,149 brace and slued the flag and then come 91 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:26,390 down there and we welcome them . That 92 00:04:26,399 --> 00:04:29,369 was a real prime . Probably the , the 93 00:04:29,380 --> 00:04:32,440 most wonderful moment of my whole 94 00:04:32,450 --> 00:04:35,470 career , you know , and I got , I got 95 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:37,536 to meet every one of those guys that 96 00:04:37,536 --> 00:04:40,429 come off of there and to each one of 97 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:42,890 them , you know , welcome to the United 98 00:04:42,899 --> 00:04:45,066 States for the President . All of them 99 00:04:45,070 --> 00:04:48,079 were so dedicated to it and of course 100 00:04:48,089 --> 00:04:50,311 they want to see their families if they 101 00:04:50,311 --> 00:04:53,089 had family there . I think , you know , 102 00:04:53,670 --> 00:04:57,640 how wonderful to , to be chosen to , to 103 00:04:57,649 --> 00:05:00,390 bring those guys back . And they were 104 00:05:00,399 --> 00:05:02,850 probably , uh , you know , the one 105 00:05:02,859 --> 00:05:04,970 thing that you want to do , you don't 106 00:05:04,970 --> 00:05:07,149 want any of your service people , your 107 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:10,130 guys that thought and to be , to be a 108 00:05:10,140 --> 00:05:12,579 prisoner and you , you first you go get 109 00:05:12,589 --> 00:05:14,519 them and bring them home and then 110 00:05:14,529 --> 00:05:17,440 welcome to , you can't ask any more 111 00:05:17,450 --> 00:05:19,730 than that . And that was just about the 112 00:05:19,739 --> 00:05:22,760 most wonderful thing I've ever seen . I 113 00:05:22,769 --> 00:05:25,940 ever had , I was a new two star and , 114 00:05:26,269 --> 00:05:29,570 and I , at that time and I 115 00:05:29,579 --> 00:05:32,769 really enjoyed every minute . I think 116 00:05:32,779 --> 00:05:35,510 that if you're harder or what felt like 117 00:05:35,519 --> 00:05:37,686 it was gonna break , that's the time I 118 00:05:37,686 --> 00:05:39,920 did . You know , they just , they just 119 00:05:40,700 --> 00:05:43,790 tension was so great . And , uh , but 120 00:05:43,799 --> 00:05:46,049 the nice thing about it , you could 121 00:05:46,059 --> 00:05:48,170 have that kind of tension because you 122 00:05:48,170 --> 00:05:50,720 knew they were home . Please . Let's go 123 00:05:50,730 --> 00:05:53,010 home . You know , that's what everybody 124 00:05:53,019 --> 00:05:56,089 wanted all in , all I loved every 125 00:05:56,100 --> 00:05:58,149 minute of it and I would do it again .