for a little L AST MONTH,years,the second time inchildren more than two U. S.

wives and were evacuated from a potential war zone. In October 1962 it was Cuba; in February 1965 it was South Vietnam. They went back to Guantanamo six weeks later. The big question today is, will they go back to Saigon and other cities of South Vietnam? With the dramatic escalation of U. S. participation, following President Johnson's February 7th order sending Navy and Air Force planes over North Vietnam, his decision to pull out the dependents was probably wise. But scarcely any of them wanted to leave. Else Baker, wife of U. S. Military Assistance Command information officer Col. Lee Baker (and author of January's Post of the Month feature on Saigon) had 24 hours' notice "to get out of town," as she put it. "With no children, it came as something of a surprise to find that I was on the second plane out," she wrote from Bangkok, where she is now awaiting "in temporary exile" the completion of her husband's tour next month. No one can say for sure when and if dependents will return to South Vietnam. They might take heart, however, from a statement a high officer made to us at the Pentagon that rainy February Sunday, right after LBJ's "orderly withdrawal" edict was announced. "Give us 12 months and they'll be back," he said A.A.
LEAVING "THE UGLY LITTLE WAR" on her doorstep, a young service wife heads for the chartered transport that will evacuate her from Vietnam. Her husband, wearing regulation combat boots, belt-carrying knife and .45 pistol, has her loaded purse slung over his shoulder.

USAF

WIVES AND CHILDREN LEAVE VIETNAMWILL THEY GO BACK?

r l M drawal of | all U.S. of many that went on throughout a tense week after President Johnson on February 7th decreed an "orderly withtary and civilian government dependents from Vietnam m-mmm-m,,. USAF

U.S.AIR FORCE

USAF KATHERINE WESTMORELAND, wife of four-star Gen. William C. Westmoreland, top U. S. military commander in Vietnam, wearing many welcoming leis, talks with her daughter at Honolulu International Airport upon arrival February 14th. They were among 76 evacuees who flew by jetliner non-stop from Saigon to the islands.

USAF REGINA THROCKMORTON, wife of Lt. Gen. John L. Throckmorton, U. S. deputy commander in Vietnam, smiles upon seeing her father-in-law, a retired Army colonel, right, at the Honolulu airport. Her Army captain son Tom was wounded in action 40 miles from Saigon February 9th and flown to Dewitt Hospital at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

LINDA OWEN AND KITTEN, arriving at Travis Air Force Base near San Francisco from Saigon, are welcomed by Travis employee Betty Meyer, center, and airman's wife Mrs. Alfred L. Corbin, two of the many Family Service volunteers who dropped everything to aid returning dependents. Linda and "Buttons" were among 163 passengers on a Pan Am chartered jet which flew non-stop from Tokyo to the big MATS mainland terminal February llth. Pat Schaller

SMALL TRAVELLERS Kathy Baer, 1, and sister Mary Ann, 3, stay close to their mother, Mrs. R. L. Baer (in background), wife of a U. S. embassy employee in Saigon, as shes goes through customs. Kathy is held by Travis Red Cross volunteers chairman Lorraine Davis, wife of Maj. Robert Davis, and Mary Ann holds on to WAF T. Sgt. Sarah Sellers. Pat Schaller

TWO VOLUNTEERS who eased arrival and subsequent departure problems of dependents were Evelyn Horst, left, wife of S. M. Sgt. James L. Horst, and Mrs. James W. Chapman, wife of the 1501st Air Transport Wing commander at Travis. Here they assist one of the evacuees. Five hours after landing, all but two of the 163 passengers had departed for home. Schaller