Daytonians are being offered a rare look at one of the most important chapters of the Cold War in an upcoming presentation at the National Museum of the United States Air Force Museum. On July 15, attendees will have a chance to hear the firsthand experiences of those on the ground during a landmark mission to bring Prisoners of War (PoWs) home following the Vietnam War.
The event is being held at the museum’s Carney Auditorium to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Southeast Asian conflict’s conclusion. Visitors can expect to learn about the condition of PoWs in Northern Vietnamese territory and why Operation Homecoming was so important.
The mission to repatriate captured Americans was part of the landmark Paris Accords of 1973 that brought American involvement in Vietnam to an end, according to the museum. From Hanoi’s Gia Lam Airport, 591 PoWs were flown first to Clark Air Base in the Philippines before heading home.
Retired Colonel Larry Benson, who was part of Clark Air Base’s reception team, will be on hand to share his personal experience of the event at the museum as a guest commentator. No reservations are required to attend and learn more about the lives of the heroic men and women that survived captivity. Details of their life after returning stateside will also be shared. According to the museum, their number included 566 military personnel and 25 civilians. Additionally, 660 PoWs survived the war. Of that amount, around 80% of freed military personnel continued to serve.
The near 20-year conflict was one of the defining events of the 20th century and was part of the larger Cold War that saw the US confront the USSR in proxy wars that spanned the globe. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the conflict would leave around two million civilians, over one million fighters from both the Communist North and Western-backed South, and over 57,000 Americans dead.
Ismael David Mujahid
Managing Editor