Americans who have found little to admire in the Vietnam war discovered heroes in the returning prisoners of war and their sober, proud and dignified expressions of faith in God and their country. Old-fashioned patriotism, apparently out of style in some quarters, should get a rebirth from the quiet eloquence of men like Captain J. A. Denton of Virginia, proud to have served their country in difficult circumstances and profoundly grateful to their country and their Commander in Chief, President Nixon, for “hanging in there until peace with honor was won.” Their faith and trust kept their morale strong, Their discipline and regiment of exercise kept them fit, and whistling “California, here 1 come,” kept up their hope of freedom. And as Navy Captain James B. Stockdale of Illinois said, they lived on loyalty, “loyalty to each other, loyalty to the military ethics, loyalty to our Commander in Chief.” Soberly happy, they relished their freedom as only men who have lost it can, and they eagerly assuaged their hunger for home, family, hot showers and remembered favorite foods. Their fellow countrymen appeared as hungry to show their appreciation as the men were for steak and chicken, ice cream and strawberry shortcake, and perhaps most of all – the news, never so precious as when it is kept from you. in contrast to the comparative indifference that has greeted most retuming servicemen, the POW’s met a pent-up outpouring of sentiment expressed in gifts from ice cream to automobiles. The comparatively good physical and mental condition of the men released by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong came as a pleasant surprise to American medical teams ready for anything. None needed emergency treatment and those on stretchers and- crutches will get the attention they need at home. For most, an accumulation of non-taxable back pay with interest will ease the return to the ordinary world, For some, the amounts will exceed $100,000. More than two million veterans of the fighting in Vietnam have come back without stirring much of a ripple in the public consciousness, too much aware of its own dissensions. But the Veterans Administration planned to cut Vietnam veterans disability benefits, President Nixon acted quickly to put a stop to that kind ofeconomy and the bureaucrat responsible was b””‘x’?ftPH,E,2’4.9fi’$”; Let the country honor the POW’s who stand as an example to us all, but let it not forget those who gave their lives nor those who served their turn and escaped cap ture. Let us now renew our faith in God and our country and strive for the mutual respect and reconciliation essential to our national well being.