Homecoming preparations

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33148, 12 February 1973, Page 13

Homecoming preparations

CHICAGO, Feb. 11. No attempt will be made to “force-feed” accounts of the events of recent years to American prisoners of war returning home from North Vietnam. t Commander Dale Klinker'man, the officer in charge of the reception of Illinois area prisoners of war at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital, says that the men will be given a choice of what they want to read and watch on film or television.

Two dozen rooms have been specially prepared on the twelfth floor of the huge hospital for returning prisoners. Each has wall to wall carpeting, and brightly coloured curtains, and each also has a colour television set capable of receiving local and nation-wide commercial channels, so that the men will be i able to choose their own programmes when they are not occupied with the various rehabilitation courses. [ “In no way are we going to 'force-feed them—we do not even have a firmly structured programme saying that for a number of hours a day thev will have to do this or that,” Commander Klinkerman says. For more than a week now, the hospital, on the shores of Lake Michigan and not far north of Chicago, has been [receiving a daily stream of ; books and films for the prisoners. These include a synopsis of events over the last (seven or eight years prepared

Iby the Department of Dei fence. [ The television sets in each room have closed-circuit channels over which the men will be able to watch films of their choice. Among the material received so far is a film of the Apollo space achievement. “The whole process of bringing each man up to date will start from the moment he is released,” Commander Klinkerman said. “By the time they have spent some time at the Clark Air Force base in the Philippines—and have travelled back to the United States, lots of gaps will have already been filled.” The first person the returning prisoner will meet at the Great Lakes hospital will be a doctor who will immediately inquire if there is anything at all he wants before reunion with his family. “Before meeting their families again, some of the men might want to put on four or five pounds in weight,” Commander Klinkerman said. "Family reunions will take place in the privacy of each man’s twelfth floor room. “Relatives will be able to stay with volunteer families on the naval base housing the hospital, in bachelor officers’ quarters, or, if they wish, in motel or hotel accommodation. “The Government will pay all transport costs incurred by relatives.” Two hotels in the area have already offered to put [ up prisoners’ families free of charge. J