John Has Made It Home

I am blessed to have shared a small part of life with John McCain.

Very few are alive today that can say the same - that day John returned to US Soil from North Vietnam.

As I recount from memory, John McCain’s plane landed on US Soil as the sun had set, his first full day of freedom on US Soil was in front of him after many years as a POW in North Vietnam.

In 1973 I was a sophomore in High School at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. It is here that I was able to participate in the US POW return from North Vietnam.

I was taking a photo-journalism class that year when every news agency in the world showed up and offered our small class the opportunity to work with them in recording the return of US POW’s. This would be there first day of many on US soil for them, as they made their way back to AMERICA.

I was blessed again that first day to have been chosen by Peter Jennings to be a part of his news crew, and attended up close and personal, the return of John McCain and all these brave men from North Vietnam.

I recall the excitement by all of those in our small community at Clark Air Force Base as that first flight landed as the sun was setting. The spot lights were flooding the airfield and surrounding areas with daylight as that first plane touched down.

John was a VIP POW in the day because of his courage to live through the torture, and help his other POW’s simply survive.

As we find out later, he chose not to be released early as a political favor between high ranking military officers and politicians, making him more of a true soldier and an American hero.

A True US Soldier and Military hero.

A True American who loved this Country and our Constitution and freedoms.

Thank you John McCain. We will all miss you.

I took these attached photos the evening John McCain came back home.

I went on to participate in several more POW return landings at Clark Air Force Base, every one of them a heartfelt joy to know these men along with John McCain .... had returned home.

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