Home at last Hundreds of cheering military and civilian officials and families, awaiting in a beautiful Hawaiian dawn at Hickam Air Force Base, welcomed home 24 crew members of the U.S. Navy spy plane downed in China.
Cheering crowd welcomes
Enroute marriage proposal By Helen Altonn
freed crew members to Hawaii
and Leila Fujimori
Star-Bulletin"On behalf of the crew, we're definitely glad to be back," Lt. Shane Osborn, the pilot, said in brief remarks to the crowd.
The crew, minus their damaged surveillance plane, arrived in Hawaii aboard an Air Force C-17 plane at 6:20 a.m. Osborn led them off the plane one by one -- some waving "shaka" signs -- to shake hands with a line of dignitaries, including U.S. Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka; U.S. Reps. Patsy Mink and Neil Abercrombie; Rear Adm. Michael Holmes, commander of the Patrol and Reconnaissance Force Pacific, who oversees the surveillance plane crew members; Maj. Gen. Edward Correa, adjutant general of the State of Hawaii; Brig. Gen. John Castellaw, deputy commander of the Marine Forces Pacific; Brig. Gen. Steven Redmann, commander 15th Airbase Wing; and Navy Capt. Richard Paupard, commanding officer, Naval Security Group Activity Misawa in Japan.
Osborn carried a folded American flag under his arm, given to the crew by members of the C-17. Master Gunnery Sgt. John Black, with the Marine Forces Pacific, said the C-17 flight crew presented the flag as a symbol of "the spirit of the whole nation welcoming them home."The Pacific Fleet band played, "The Trio to the National Emblem March," while they deplaned and greeted everyone. Hundreds of military families, mostly women and children, waved signs, such as "A Proud Navy Day."
Among them was Cindy Lineberry, whose husband William is a chief on the USS Russell, and who was accompanied by her mother and daughter. "I'm a Navy wife, Navy proud and America proud, really," she said.
Janet Milot said she and her three children had been monitoring the whole incident in Southern China because her husband, Lt. Marc Milot, is a Navy surveillance plane pilot. News of the incident was "devastating" because the families here did not know exactly what happened.
She said she feels connected to the crew because her husband is a Navy pilot out flying now. "We hate to get that call. It could easily have been one of us," Milot said.
She said that they had put yellow ribbons around the trees and their antennas showing support for the crew members. "Today is truly an awesome occasion. We are so glad to have them back on U.S. soil," she said. "I'm sure they're looking forward to having some great food here."
"It's a great morning here in Hawaii and a great day in America," said Adm. Thomas Fargo, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. He welcomed "this courageous air crew" to loud applause and cheers."We're all very proud of you. You've conducted yourselves the past few weeks with the high spirit of professionalism that you demonstrate in the service of your country every day.
"We're lucky to have men and women like you protecting the interest of our nation."
Fargo read a letter from Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld welcoming the crew back to the United States. "America could not have had better representatives for the ideals we value," Rumsfeld wrote. "You put your lives at risk in the service of a great nation. ...The President is grateful. I am grateful. America is grateful."
Osborn said he wanted to assure all the families and loved ones of crew members that they are healthy and anxious to get home. He expressed thanks for everyone's support.
In a telephone call to his mother, Osborn said the crew struggled to land the crippled Navy EP-3E surveillance plane safely after the two aircraft collided.
"He said it took every bit of strength that he had. All the crew helped," Diane Osborn of Norfolk, Neb., told MSNBC. "He was well trained by the Navy and I thank God he gave him the strength to get it down."
Pierre Frenay, a pilot on the chartered plane that flew the 24 to Guam, told NBC News that Osborn told him the crew had considered bailing out of their plane following the collision.The ceremony took 10 minutes and the crew members were given leis as they filed out. They were taken by buses to the Pearl Harbor Naval Base, where they will stay in bachelor officer's quarters while in Hawaii. The 21 men and three women faced 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. debriefing sessions today to go over their ordeal, with an additional 14 hours tomorrow. They will depart Honolulu 7:15 a.m. Saturday, and arrive at Naval Station Whidbey Island in Washington state, where they are stationed, at 4 p.m. local time.
President Bush was having lunch at the White House with Vice President Dick Cheney when the plane carrying the crew arrived in Hawaii. He looked up from his meal at television reports of the arrival and told Cheney, "Good news. Welcome home."
Presidential spokesman Ari Fleischer said Bush was convinced "the framework for a productive relationship with China has been preserved." Building on it depends on actions by China, as well as the United States, he said.
Next Wednesday, U.S. and Chinese delegations will meet to weigh the future of the Navy aircraft, left on Hainan Island, with no certainty it will be released or much U.S. confidence that its mission and spying equipment have not fallen into the hands of its captors.
In Paris, amid meetings on the Balkans, Secretary of State Colin Powell said, "This is not over. Some discussions will begin, and we still have our plane there. But this will all unfold in the days and weeks ahead."
The crew's long flight home ended the diplomatic standoff, with American officials resisting the Chinese demand for an apology went from expressions of "regret" to the word "sorry" during the weekend. Finally, a letter delivered to Chinese officials yesterday said the United States was "very sorry" for the Chinese pilot's death and for the U.S. plane's landing in China without permission.On Guam, where they had time to "decompress, freshen up, put on some clean clothes and, most importantly, make some phone calls home," Rear Adm. Holmes told reporters in Honolulu yesterday.
"I think it's important to understand that in the minds of the crew members, their mission is not complete as of yet," he said.
Twelve groups of debriefers will talk with the individual crew members. "The debriefs will get into the specifics as far as the questioning from the Chinese," Holmes said.
Debriefing sessions typically include intelligence and operational portions, Holmes said. Medical and psychological care also will be available.
By all accounts, the crew was treated well by the Chinese, Holmes said. But the aircraft did not fare as well.
"You gotta understand the airplane was in pretty bad shape," Holmes said. "We're not sure what it takes to fly it out."
Holmes praised the crew: "I'm very, very proud of my sailors. Every day, men and women in uniform can be put at risk at a moment's notice. And Americans around the world should be very, very proud of the conduct of our 24 men and women."The admiral also called Osborn a hero. "His actions today are responsible to allow 24 people to come home."
When asked if Osborn had any reason to apologize, Holmes replied, "Not to his boss, and that's me."
The crew was flying an EP-3E, crammed with surveillance equipment, when it collided with a Chinese fighter jet on April 1 and made on emergency landing on Hainan island. Crew members worked to destroy top-secret codes and intelligence before the Chinese came aboard.
Condoleezza Rice, the White House national security adviser, emphasized today that the incident will not end U.S. surveillance flights near China, which she said are essential to the security of the United States and its Asian allies.
"The responsibility for avoiding future accidents rests not just with the United States, it rests heavily with the Chinese and the way that they respond to these flights," Rice said on NBC's "Today."
The Associated Press
contributed to this report.
FORT WORTH, Texas >> One of the 24 Americans detained in China for 11 days lost no time mapping out his future after the deal was reached to free them: He proposed to his girlfriend. Crewman proposes
Associated Press
en route from China,
and she says ‘yes’Technician 1st Class Josef Edmunds of California telephoned Sandra White in Texas yesterday with the proposal, which was accepted, according to Fort Worth TV station KTVT.
White, from Fort Worth, says she plans to see her fiance as soon as she can get to Hawaii.
The crew members headed to Honolulu today after a stopover in Guam. They were expected to stay in Hawaii for two days of military briefings before a homecoming celebration Saturday at Whidbey Island, Wash., their home base.
Edmunds, from Davis, Calif., said he and his fellow crew members were thankful for the support from back home. "We're very happy, too -- very excited to be back. Thank you guys and thank everyone for their hopes and prayers."
White said she spent the 12 days of the crew members' detention monitoring news reports for clues to an impending release. But the more time that passed, the more fearful she grew.