>> David: FINALLY TONIGHT THE DAY THE NATION HELD ITS BREATH. DAY THE NATION HELD ITS BREATH. THE SURVIVORS COMING HOME, 50 THE SURVIVORS COMING HOME, 50 YEARS WITH US. YEARS WITH US. IT WAS A RELIEF AND ENJOY IN IT WAS A RELIEF AND ENJOY IN THIS COUNTRY 50 YEARS AGO. THIS COUNTRY 50 YEARS AGO. U.S. SERVICEMEN WHO HAD BEEN U.S. SERVICEMEN WHO HAD BEEN HELD CAPTIVE IN VIETNAM AS HELD CAPTIVE IN VIETNAM AS PRISONERS OF WAR FINALLY COMING PRISONERS OF WAR FINALLY COMING HOME. HOME. NORMA McDANIEL BACK ON NORMA McDANIEL BACK ON AMERICAN SOIL, 1973. AMERICAN SOIL, 1973. >> I HAVE A WONDERFUL WIFE AND >> I HAVE A WONDERFUL WIFE AND TWO WONDERFUL CHILDREN. TWO WONDERFUL CHILDREN. >> David: HELD CAPTIVE FOR >> David: HELD CAPTIVE FOR 2,399 DAYS, 50 YEARS LATER HE 2,399 DAYS, 50 YEARS LATER HE AND FELLOW PRISONERS OF WAR AND FELLOW PRISONERS OF WAR RIGHT HERE. RIGHT HERE. >> I AM NORMAN A McDANIEL, I >> I AM NORMAN A McDANIEL, I WAS SHOT DOWN ON JULY 20TH 1966. WAS SHOT DOWN ON JULY 20TH 1966. >> TOM HAMPTON, I WAS A YOUNG >> TOM HAMPTON, I WAS A YOUNG CAPTAIN WHEN I WAS SHOT DOWN. CAPTAIN WHEN I WAS SHOT DOWN. LEE ELLIS, I WAS A FIRST LEE ELLIS, I WAS A FIRST LIEUTENANT, AND WAS THERE FIVE LIEUTENANT, AND WAS THERE FIVE AND HALF YEARS. AND HALF YEARS. >> EVERETT ALVAREZ, I WAS >> EVERETT ALVAREZ, I WAS CAPTURED EIGHT AND A HALF YEARS. CAPTURED EIGHT AND A HALF YEARS. >> David: ALL FOUR MEN SHOT >> David: ALL FOUR MEN SHOT OUT OF THE SKY AND CAPTURED. OUT OF THE SKY AND CAPTURED. THEIR TREATMENT WAS BRUTAL. THEIR TREATMENT WAS BRUTAL. >> THEY DRAG YOU OUT IN A >> THEY DRAG YOU OUT IN A TORTURE ROOM, BACK INTO THE TORTURE ROOM, BACK INTO THE SALE. SALE. >> IT WAS TORTURED AND RESISTED >> IT WAS TORTURED AND RESISTED AND TORTURED. AND TORTURED. >> I FELT LIKE IT WAS ME VERSUS >> I FELT LIKE IT WAS ME VERSUS THE WHOLE NORTH BM ENDING USE. THE WHOLE NORTH BM ENDING USE. >> David: SPANNING YEARS >> David: SPANNING YEARS COMMUNICATING THROUGH PRISON COMMUNICATING THROUGH PRISON WALLS BY TAPPING. WALLS BY TAPPING. >> I WOULD TAP SO TO SAY HIGH >> I WOULD TAP SO TO SAY HIGH MATT, YOU GO 2324. MATT, YOU GO 2324. THAT'S IT. THAT'S IT. WE WOULD SIGN OFF WITH THIS ONE. WE WOULD SIGN OFF WITH THIS ONE. [KNOCKING] [KNOCKING] THAT IS GBU, THAT WAS GOD BLESS THAT IS GBU, THAT WAS GOD BLESS YOU. YOU. >> David: 1973, MANY YEARS >> David: 1973, MANY YEARS INTO THAT WAR, THE PARIS PEACE INTO THAT WAR, THE PARIS PEACE ACCORDS WERE SIGNED. ACCORDS WERE SIGNED. THE P.O.W.S FINALLY ABLE TO COME THE P.O.W.S FINALLY ABLE TO COME HOME. HOME. THE IMAGE BACK THEN EVERETT THE IMAGE BACK THEN EVERETT ALVAREZ WALKING OFF THE PLANE ALVAREZ WALKING OFF THE PLANE WITH A SALUTE HE HAS NOT WITH A SALUTE HE HAS NOT FORGOTTEN THAT MOMENT. FORGOTTEN THAT MOMENT. >> IT WAS UNREAL, IT WAS >> IT WAS UNREAL, IT WAS OVERWHELMING. OVERWHELMING. >> David: IN THE RIGHT HAND >> David: IN THE RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THIS PHOTO AT THE CORNER OF THIS PHOTO AT THE BOTTOM, THAT IS TOM HAMPTON. BOTTOM, THAT IS TOM HAMPTON. >> THIS IS THE REACTION WHEN HE >> THIS IS THE REACTION WHEN HE SAID WE ARE IN INTERNATIONAL SAID WE ARE IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS. WATERS. I MEAN EIGHT YEARS, EIGHT AND A I MEAN EIGHT YEARS, EIGHT AND A HALF YEARS? HALF YEARS? >> David: THE ELLIS BOARDING >> David: THE ELLIS BOARDING THE PLANE HOME HANDED US HER THE PLANE HOME HANDED US HER CAR. CAR. >> LOOKING AT MY MUSTACHE, AS >> LOOKING AT MY MUSTACHE, AS MOST HAD, AND GOING LIKE IT CAME MOST HAD, AND GOING LIKE IT CAME IN. IN. >> NORMAN McDANIEL WHEN HE WAS >> NORMAN McDANIEL WHEN HE WAS REUNITED WITH HIS WIFE AND HIS REUNITED WITH HIS WIFE AND HIS SON WAS 11. SON WAS 11. >> I WILL NEVER FORGET, HE SAID >> I WILL NEVER FORGET, HE SAID WE ARE NEVER GOING TO LET YOU WE ARE NEVER GOING TO LET YOU LEAVE US AGAIN. LEAVE US AGAIN. >> David: TO HONOR THE 591 >> David: TO HONOR THE 591 P.O.W.'S COMING HOME, P.O.W.'S COMING HOME, PRESIDENT NIXON INVITED THEM TO PRESIDENT NIXON INVITED THEM TO THE WHITE HOUSE. THE WHITE HOUSE. SERVICEMEN WALKING IN ON SERVICEMEN WALKING IN ON CRUTCHES, SOME WEARING EYE CRUTCHES, SOME WEARING EYE PATCHES. PATCHES. AND THIS YEAR, 50 YEARS AFTER AND THIS YEAR, 50 YEARS AFTER THAT DINNER, SO MANY OF THE THAT DINNER, SO MANY OF THE P.O.W.S TOGETHER AGAIN AT THE P.O.W.S TOGETHER AGAIN AT THE NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY. NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY. 150 P.O.W.S FROM 57 STATES. 150 P.O.W.S FROM 57 STATES. THEY TOLD US WHY THIS REUNION THEY TOLD US WHY THIS REUNION WAS SO IMPORTANT. WAS SO IMPORTANT. >> THEY ARE ALL HEROES. >> THEY ARE ALL HEROES. >> THEY ARE THE BEST. >> THEY ARE THE BEST. I WOULD DIE FOR ANY OF THESE I WOULD DIE FOR ANY OF THESE GUYS. GUYS. >> I JUST THANK GOD FOR EVERYONE >> I JUST THANK GOD FOR EVERYONE OF US WHO CAME BACK AND I FEEL OF US WHO CAME BACK AND I FEEL SO SORRY FOR THE ONES WHO DIDN'T SO SORRY FOR THE ONES WHO DIDN'T MAKE IT BACK. MAKE IT BACK. >> WE ARE JUST GRATEFUL.