Scope and Contents

Approximately one and a half linear feet of slides, photographs, artifacts, audio cassette tapes, periodicals, newspapers, appointment books, military documents, correspondence, and POW lists document Charles H. Schmidt's U.S. Army service as a chaplain during the Vietnam War (1967-1968) and particularly his involvement helping the POWs during their return flights from North Vietnam in Operation Homecoming in 1973. The collection materials span from February 1967-July 1983 with the bulk being from 1973.

Items of special note are two editions of the Pacific Stars and Stripes. One is a special supplement covering news highlight for 1965 to 1972 that was distributed to the POW's on their 1973 Operation Homecoming flights. The other edition, for 18 March 18 1973, is autographed by several POWs including the longest held POW, Major Floyd Thompson; Sergent Ronald R. Ridgeway, who had been declared dead and buried in a national cemetery in St. Louis; Master Sergeant Harvey Gordon Brande; and Sergeant Robert R. Hille [?].

Biographical / Historical

Major Charles H. Schmidt served in the U.S. Army as a chaplain during the Vietnam War (1967-1968) and focuses primarily on his appointment as one of the U.S. Army chaplains assigned to Operation Homecoming flights in 1973 to support American POWs during their return flights from captivity in North Vietnam.

Series

• Series - Incoming Correspondence
• Series - Appointment Books
• Series - Lists
• Series - Reports
• Series - Poems
• Series - Homecoming Orders
• Series - Army Publications
• Series - Routing and Transmission Slip
• Series - Invoice
• Series - Flyer
• Series - Sermon
• Series - Bumper Sticker
• Series - Propaganda
• Series - Newspaper Clippings