We thought our treatment had improved in China, but now it skyrocketed.

Having been greeted warmly be British authorities, U.S. Air Force officers, and Red Cross representatives, we were escorted along the railroad tracks to the British customs station. One of our hosts quickly began feeding coins into a Coke machine and we were soon drinking our first American soft drinks in two and one half years.

After a short rest in the shade and a relaxing chat to unwind, we were driven to the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Following a shower and a shave, we dressed in new Air Force uniforms which had been prepared for us down to correct sizes and insignia.

A long table had been set at which we were served a delicious dinner with the steaks cooked to individual preferences. During the meal a finance officer presented each man with a check covering pay in full, minus a few hundred dollars which were given to us in cash for spending money on the trip home.

Following the banquet we were escorted to a large lounge where a press conference had been arranged. Here we answered some basic questions about our confinement, our health, and feelings about being released. A more formal and detailed conference was to be held later.

Next we were driven to the airport where two C-54s were waiting to take us on the first leg of our trip home. One of the ships was “The Bataan,” General MacArthur's former official plane. We hadn't leveled off at cruising altitude before the chef on board rolled out another steak dinner. Dessert consisted of a large cake with “Welcome Home” written on it in icing.

It seemed that wherever we went several photographers were busy snapping away. Even on the planes, at least one camera was constantly clicking in someone's direction. As a result, each member was eventually presented with a pictorial review of almost every aspect of our return. The glossy prints were not only supplied by the Air Force; but, very thoughtfully, many shots were sent to us by the civilian media as well. Later when reviewing prints of the shots that were taken on the plane, we were able to see that we hadn't looked as good as we had felt. The photos depicted some very weary individuals — drained, not only by the heat, but more by the excitement of the previous few days. We saw ourselves reading magazines which dealt with our story, listening to news of our release coming over the headsets in the plane, and sometimes just reflecting and dozing.

Two or three doctors, at least one of whom was a psychiatrist, accompanied us on this flight. They answered any questions we had and made preliminary evaluations of our physical and mental conditions. Their presence was much appreciated, and we took full advantage of it.

When we landed at Clark Field in the Philippines, we were met with a royal welcome. An Air Force band was on hand and there were many people, both military and civilian, Americans and Philippinos. A Marine from my hometown, whom I hadn't seen for many years, walked over to greet me. He added considerably to the warm feeling already kindled by the many well-wishers.

We were taken to the base hospital in a bus where an entire wing had been prepared for us. There were doctors, nurses, and orderlies ready to fulfill any need or reasonable wish. They said we were about to have a steak dinner! This would be the third one of the day, so we respectfully declined. However, they insisted on rolling out a litter loaded with a variety of cold cuts and almost any other item for making sandwiches we might want. A bar was set up on another litter and the night turned into one big party during which no one got more than a couple of hours sleep. Several of the crew were up all night.

During the night I decided I needed a shower. Thinking it wise to keep my leg dry until a thorough physical exam was possible, a nurse provided me with a large plastic bag for encasing limbs. An orderly brought a stool, and I had my first shower in a long time. While I showered, my Chinese crutches were exchanged for a pair of adjustable GI types. Later I thought I might have retained the old ones as souvenirs. But I certainly didn't need them as reminders, and I imagine it wouldn't have been long before they would have been sitting, forgotten in the corner of a closet.

The next day we took off for Tachikawa Air Base in Japan near the starting point of our mission. Now we were going to get down to some serious business. Considering the unusual situations we'd experienced, thorough physical examinations and psychological evaluations were a must. Also, individual debriefing sessions were to be conducted with each crew member. Normally, debriefing would have been a group session, but this mission had been anything but normal. The latter procedure would be the most time consuming because there was much to be told concerning the past two and one half years.

We arrived at Tachikawa in the evening, and it wasn't long before I was climbing into bed for my first good sleep in almost a week. At first I didn't feel comfortable in the room alone, but the chief night nurse, a tall, good looking major thoughtfully left the door open so the hall light shone into the room. Of course, it's very possible that she did this to be able to check on me without opening and closing the door and waking me at intervals during the night. Either way it was a demonstration of concern, something we were to witness time and time again on our way home.

While at Tachi, we were probed and poked at, both physically and mentally, until it was determined that we were in relatively good health, with some physical exceptions in my case. (If there were any reservations regarding my mental state nobody ever mentioned them.)

At some point during the probing and poking, we experienced our first full-blown press conference. For this rather formal affair, we were seated on a stage at tables with nameplates before each of us. The small auditorium was packed with reporters, some of whom I recognized by name. They asked questions and we responded for what seemed like hours. I recall being calm but very warm.

One evening during our stay, we were driven to Yokota Air Base from which we had departed more than two years earlier. To me it seemed to have changed quite a bit. None of the old personnel were there, and I did not feel comfortable in spite of the very hospitable treatment I received from the replacement people.