POWs to mark Hawai'i arrival

By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

On Feb. 12, 1973, the first American POWs left Vietnam as part of "Operation Homecoming."

Two days later, after a stop in the Philippines, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Edward A. Davis bent down and touched the ground at Hickam Air Force Base on his first return to U.S. soil.

Navy Capt. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr., another returning POW, called the flight from Clark Air Base a "glorious trip homeward."

"Perhaps you all have some inkling of how we feel to stand again in the United States of America," Denton told the crowd of 2,000 on hand at Hickam for the return.

Over a six-week period, more than 600 POWs were flown to the air base on their journey home to Hawai'i and the Mainland.

Tomorrow through Saturday, 25 Vietnam War POWs and their families will take part in a 30th anniversary observance of Operation Homecoming. On Friday that includes an 8:45 a.m. repatriation ceremony of crew members' remains from two aircraft crash sites in Laos.

Saturday's events include a sunset memorial service and POW dinner at the Officers' Club. The Museum of History and Art of Coronado, Calif., meanwhile, is displaying its "Vietnam POWs Thirty Years Later," a traveling photo documentary of the lives of 30 POWs from all branches of the military.

"Every one of (the POWs) that went home, went through Hickam first," said base spokesman Lt. Paradon Silpasornprasit.

The Air Force said that security concerns prevent the events from being open to the public, but most can be attended by personnel with military ID.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5459.