In 1973, hundreds of American Prisoners of War being held captive in Vietnam finally gained their freedom, boarding planes en route to the United States by way of Travis Air Force Base. On Friday, those veterans were honored for their service and sacrifice during the second and final day of the 50th Anniversary of Operation Homecoming celebration at Travis. Despite memories of the horrific war, the mood was jubilant and the veterans present were wreathed in smiles. “It’s the way many of us dealt with things,” veteran Michael O’Connor, retired pilot and chief warrant officer, explained later. In a video, Gen. Michael Minihan with Air Mobility Command shared deep gratitude for Vietnam veterans.

‘Nothing like freedom’: Vietnam POW says it’s ‘Not our job to erase history’ (Orson Swindle)
Retired United States Marine Corps Lt. Col. Orson Swindle III spent 2,305 days as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam where he was tortured, beaten, interrogated and isolated. The fighter pilot was shot down in his F8 Crusader on Nov. 11, 1966, while flying his last mission (of more
