![]() (For a young, newly married wife's first-person account of her own journey through the dark period spanning her husband's capture and release, see "Operation Homecoming from Beginning to End… A Young Wife’s Personal Perspective" below.) The prisoners returned included future politicians Senator John McCain of Arizona, vice-presidential candidate James Stockdale, and Representative Sam Johnson of Texas. A majority of the POWs were held at camps in North Vietnam, while some were held in at various locations throughout Southeast Asia. The remaining 266 consisted of 138 United States Naval personnel, 77 soldiers serving in the United States Army, 26 United States Marines and 25 civilian employees of American government agencies. Of the POWs repatriated to the United States a total of 325 served in the United States Air Force, a majority of them bomber pilots shot down over North Vietnam or VC controlled territory. They were then relocated to military hospitals. From there they were flown to Clark Air Base in the Philippines for processing, debriefing and physical examinations. Under the terms of Operation Homecoming, as it was dubbed, POWs held by the Viet Cong were flown by helicopter to Saigon, POWs held by the People's Army of Vietnam were released in Hanoi and three POWs held in China were freed in Hong Kong. Denham, USAF, observed, "You could hear the shouts all over the aircraft" on this 28 March 1973 flight. No one was silent as the Air Force C0141 Starlifter left the runwaty at Hanoi. ![]() The returnees maintained their composure until it was clear they were again safe under American control.
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