Bill Dowell, a long-ago colleague of mine, pointed out that the photo hardly hinted at the truth: The day after he was released from more than five years in captivity and before he was flown home to the States, Air Force Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm received a letter from his wife Loretta (2nd from right) telling him their marriage was over. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. Burst of Joy became and remains an iconic photo marking the end of the US involvement in Vietnam. DONATE HERE. Many people try to escape the past by willing themselves to forget, by allowing the years to dull the ache and make the memories recede. "It was like Christmas," she says. "[5][4], Veder then rushed to the makeshift photo developing station (for 35 mm film) in the ladies' room of the air base's flightline washrooms, while the photographers from United Press International were in the men's. She is also survived by four step-children; John Adams, wife Catherine and son Scott, Vicki Adams, husband Steve Greene and children Andy and Robin, Tom Adams, Jr. and wife Yuko, and Cathy Adams and husband Don Gordon, also by numerous other family members and by many friends. insights on the dynamics of community life, #15 & #16: Parts I & II of "It's Her Story". a pattern of misconduct on her part during Stirm's imprisonment. But for Stirm's older daughter, Lorrie Kitching, the photo captures a . She was very young.. Lorrie Stirm Kitching, the girl with open arms in the picture, does not see her parents failed marriage in the photo. Life is too short." know we can't make it together - and it doesn't make sense to be unhappy when She lived a lie. She also received the family home and 42.9% of Stirms retirement pay, though the judge noted a great deal of evidence was presented to show a pattern of misconduct on her part during Stirms imprisonment. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. The joy of this reunion leaps out from the pages of history: Bob Stirm, crisp in his Air Force uniform, was finally home after nearly 5 1/2 years in the prison camps of Vietnam. Lorrie Kitching About Work No workplaces to show College No schools to show High school Went to San Mateo High School Photos See all photos Others Named Lorrie Kitching See more Others With a Similar Name Lorraine Lanyon Lorraine Tett Lorrie Dionisio Lorrie Courteaux Lorrie Viguier Lorraine Borg Lorrie Hinkle Lorrie Joseph Lorrie Anaya She is a senior executive assistant to director of operations and infrastructure who is currently employed at Raytheon. To this day, Robert Stirm cannot enjoy this picture capturing the joy of his family. Adding insult to injury, the divorce became a rather publicized affair, with Loretta getting custody of two of their kids, the family home and nearly 43 percent of Stirms retirement pay. It brought a lot of notoriety and publicity to me and, unfortunately, the legal situation that I was going to be faced with, and it was kind of unwelcomed, Stirm said of the photo. "[6] Lorrie's exuberant reaction earned her moniker "The Jumper" or "The Leaper. Directly behind Lorrie in the photo is Cindy, the youngest child. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. Im the one that lives with all the aches and pains from my imprisonment, but she continues to get paid.. marriage from three different men. . Stirm, a 1950 graduate of San Mateo High School and an alumnus of College of San Mateo, grew up in leafy San Mateo Park. "I have changed drastically - forced into a situation where I finally had to grow up," the letter read in part. Lorrie is survived by her husband, Thomas B. Adams; children, Lorrie Kitching and husband Norm, Robert Stirm, Roger Stirm and wife Nevert, Cindy Pierson and husband Steve; loving grandchildren, Christopher Clark, Jessica Pierson, Nicholas, Ryan, Cody and Sommer Stirm, Norman Kitching IV, Ralph, Irene and Rhoda Minderhoud; and one great-grandchild Its a wonderful piece of history that we just happened to stumble into, she said. In his home near San Francisco, a Vietnam history book is opened to that page of Stirm's life. . People recognized this photo, he said. You could feel the energy and the raw emotion in the air, Veder said of the moment. I love you--we all love you, but you must remember how very unhappy we were together, it said. Robert Stirm Jr. is 34 now, the father of three sons and a dentist in Concord, Calif. His sister, Cindy, is his office manager. And Loretta? . "That moment was all our prayers answered, all our wishes come true.". He endured nearly six years of mock executions, torture, illness, and starvation while living in the notorious Hanoi Hilton. "[5], Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 23:15, U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yInvz73m_8, "POW's Homecoming a Picture of Joy, but a Tapestry of Sadness", "Loretta Adams Obituary (2010) San Francisco Chronicle", "Coming Home: To a war-weary nation, a U.S. POW's return from captivity in Vietnam in 1973 looked like the happiest of reunions", https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/watch/episode/2701K1-filoli-hour-1/, Pilots from Takhli and Korat Airbases shot down between 19651972, Sad Story Behind 'Burst of Joy' Vietnam POW Photo, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Burst_of_Joy&oldid=1141017147. "I would like to see you when you come home, but will understand if you Hi Class of 1975. He followed in his father's footsteps; he is a captain in the Air Force based in Panama City. She lived a lie. Lorrie was born on December 14, 1935 to James and Hazel (Reed) Mrosko, in Marlin, TX. Asked why, Stirm doesnt mince words. "In some ways, it's hypocritical, because my former wife had abandoned the marriage within a year or so after I was shot down. For the soul of Black history, a podcaster-author looked past the same old stories, How MIT scientists fought for gender equality and won, How free-market extremism became Americas default mode, Penguin announces The Roald Dahl Classic Collection after outrage over censorship, It was all a blur: How guitarist Graham Coxon (barely) survived Britpop, in a memoir, How to watch author Brendan Slocumb discuss The Violin Conspiracy, Actor Ray Buffer charged with petty theft after allegedly stealing comic books in San Diego, Rachel Howzell Hall, George Saunders, James Hannaham among L.A. Times Book Prize finalists, Sign up for the Los Angeles Times Book Club, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Im visiting all 600 L.A. spots on the National Register. You knew Christmas was going to be great, but you didnt really know what was going to happen on Christmas, and that was just like when Dad came home. This phone number may belong to other persons L Kitching, Kathryn F Kitching, Norman E Kitching, Andrew Robles. to grow up," the letter read in part. principles of language teaching ppt; best hvac systems 2020 consumer reports Burst of Joy is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph by Associated Press photographer Slava 'Sal' Veder, taken on March 17, 1973 at Travis Air Force Base in California. Stirm was awarded custody of Lorrie and Robert Jr., and Loretta was given custody of Roger and Cindy. But he says he can't bring himself to display the picture." events, and all four children are on good terms with both parents. Norman Kitching Norm Kitching Nue Kitching Lorrie Kitching Norman D N Kitching E J Norman. Have you taken a DNA test? I was so young. Did an Ancient Magnetic Field Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago? Theres some sort of notoriety in that. I didn't really know him when he left and I thought it would be 2755 N LAKE BLVD 60 contains 957 square feet of living area and was built in 1972. "She had a rough job, raising four children on her own," Lorrie says. . See the links below for more info. Lorrie Stirm, the girl with her arms outstretched to her father, was a 15 year old student at the time. The story behind the famous photo of a family's reunion after a father, a POW, returns from Vietnam is significantly less joyous than the imagery implies. +91-9879950702 Monday - Friday 10:00 - 7:30 Rakhiyal, Ahmedabad, Gujarat . On March 17, the plane landed at Travis Air Force Base in Solano County, California. I don't feel like I was really a part of it. She works in the sales department of He points to the picture, to the tall woman - just outpacing her younger son - dressed in a blue-and-white pleated skirt and blue sweater, sporting a large corsage. [3], USAF Lieutenant Colonel Robert L. Stirm made a speech[4] "on behalf of himself and other POWs who had arrived from Vietnam as part of Operation Homecoming. Roger, 12 at the time, trails everyone, wearing a ski jacket. I would like to see you when you come home, but will understand if you would rather not.. . discoveries. Burst of Joy was one of the most famous images taken of U.S. POWs returning home from Vietnam. The photo is in the house of every member of the family, except Stirm. His arrival, however, would leave him feeling anything but loved. Lorrie, 35, lives in San Mateo, Calif., with her second husband and an 11-year-old son from her first marriage. Everybody's face is genuinely happy.". It portrays (that) everybody there was happy to see me.. what is a voter acknowledgement card nj. His older daughter is racing to meet him, arms outstretched, both feet off the ground, face split wide in a giddy smile. Its not just, Stirm said. But for Stirm's older daughter, Lorrie Kitching, the photo captures a wonderful, pure moment in time. With the signing of the Paris Peace Accords on January 27, 1973 American involvement in the Vietnam was over. Today, she is Cindy Pierson, the 31-year-old mother of an 8-year-old girl. It brought basket after basket of fan mail and newspaper clippings from all over the world, she recalls. The family story it was telling was of the United States. WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. But the photo per se didn't really change my life - it was my father coming home that changed my life.". Download Record Provide Feedback. He says he survived the torture, the mock executions, the dread-filled days View Lorrie Kitching's record in Mountain View, CA including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Find Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok profiles, images and more on IDCrawl - free people search website. States. Burst of Joy is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph by Associated Press photographer Slava "Sal" Veder, taken on March 17, 1973 at Travis Air Force Base in California. marriage within a year or so after I was shot down. Its not fair. Though it revives the pain, it is inevitable that he see the picture again Burst of Joy became and remains an iconic photo marking the end of the US involvement in Vietnam. picture does not show the realities that she had accepted proposals of All Rights Reserved, FAMED PHOTO IS TARNISHED FOR POW WHO CAME HOME, Utah social media influencer charged with throwing metal bar stools, wooden play set at boyfriend, Bill mandating counties to provide homeless shelters, enforce camping laws passes Utah House, Sen. Mike Lee to Japan on failure to return imprisoned U.S. officer: What goes around comes around, Media groups oppose bill requiring police to seek consent before identifying child homicide victims, Biden touts plan to raise taxes on the rich, but its unclear he has support in the House, 1 in critical condition after auto-bicycle accident. On March 17, 1973, the Stirm family was finally reunited. Lorrie Stirm Kitching [the girl running to greet her father, who had been released in 1973 after fives years in a Hanoi prison] 'We have this very nice picture of a very happy moment, but every time I look at it, I remember the families that weren't reunited, and the ones that aren't being reunited today many, many families and I think, I'm one of the lucky ones.' "I can't begin to tell you how proud we are of you. were together," it said. The centerpiece of the photograph is Stirm's 15-year-old daughter Lorrie, who is excitedly greeting her father with outstretched arms, as the rest of the family approaches directly behind her. "There's some sort of notoriety in that. The two had previously divorced when they were younger, but remarried shortly after. I cant begin to tell you how proud we are of you. Lorrie is her husbands universe and will be forever loved and deeply missed. He rushed to a makeshift darkroom in a ladies' bathroom on the base (United Press International had commandeered the men's). I have your pictures up and your certificates and have kept you very much with us while you were gone and the children have not forgotten their father. His older daughter is racing to meet him, arms outstretched, both feet off Just three days before Stirms March 1973 arrival at Travis Air Force Base, California, he received a Dear John letter from his wife of 18 years, Loretta. "It never would have gone away in my mind, but seeing that photo and nights, so he could return to her, only to be handed a "Dear John" letter Roger, 12 at the time, trails everyone, wearing a ski jacket. After his promotion to Colonel and retirement in 1977, Stirm went to work for a steel company and as a corporate pilot. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at the picture recently and saw herself at 15, about to leap into her fathers arms, her feet shod in her first pair of high heels. . In some ways, its hypocritical, because my former wife had abandoned the marriage within a year or so after I was shot down. It was March 17, 1973, and it had been six long years since she had last seen her father, Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm, an Air Force fighter pilot who was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 and had been missing or imprisoned ever since. "It never would have gone away in my mind, but seeing that photo brings it all back again - just all the joy that was there.". He kept copies of the image, but none are on display. Lorrie Kitching, ne Stirm, who was just nine years old when her father was shot down, later noted that her mother was quite young at the time and that raising four children on her own had taken its toll. In the past, Lorrie has also been known as Lorrie D Stirm Clark, Lorrie A Stirm Kitching, Lorrie A Stirm-kitching, Lorrie A Stir and Lorrie A Stirmclark. She lives in Mountain View, California, with her husband. You were racing down the To Stirm, 60, it is cruel irony that so public a reunion had so hollow a Dave Chappelle helped kill plans for an affordable housing development in his hometown of Yellow Springs, Ohio, the Dayton Daily News reports. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. by a chaplain upon his release. wonderful to have a dad because all my friends had dads at their functions.". He gazed at it. He gazes at it. The centerpiece of the photograph is Stirm's 15-year-old daughter Lorrie, who is excitedly greeting her father with outstretched arms, as the rest of the family approaches directly behind her. A 2005 article about the family in Smithsonian magazine, however, reports that "All four of Robert Stirm Sr.'s children [including Lorrie Stirm Kitching, now 53 and the mother of two sons] have a copy of Burst of Joy hanging in a place of honor on their walls. The moment is Cindy, the 31-year-old mother of an 8-year-old girl all my friends had at! 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