Vietnam War veteran returns home -- 47 years later

today an American soldier was laid to rest after being killed in battle in 1968 more than 16-hundred service members are missing in Vietnam and James Holt was among them he returned this week to a grateful nation more grateful than his family might have imagined here's David Martin after 47 years Master Sergeant James Holt came home from Vietnam at by his widow Linda his two daughters and other family members I thought oh my god he's finally home I thank God Almighty and he was finally home there was a military honor guard as you might expect but no one expected this a spontaneous honor guard of police officers you saw those all those police officers lined up oh yes it was out there it was quite amazing thanks to cell phones and social media everybody can now see those police officers lined up it just happened to be at Washington's National Airport greeting family members of fallen police officers arriving for an annual dinner when they heard a fallen soldier was coming home it just kind of all fell together who's just perfect homes like he's meant to be hold was a green beret at a remote outpost called Long Bay overrun by the North Vietnamese Army in 1968 Dennis Thompson was there too and he came to be with the family for their final farewell he was the last man to see hold alive the last time I saw Jim he was appeared to be trapped in the medical buggery so what do you think happened to him I think it was a shot to death in the interest of that medical bunker Holt's body was never found but this past December new DNA techniques identified pieces of human bone as his those remains were buried today at Arlington an event that would have passed unnoticed by all but family and friends this is just one little thing that can happen to a family in war except that spontaneous honor guard gave that little thing the significance it deserved it took James hold a long time to come home but when he finally did he chose the perfect moment David Martin CBS News Washington

Channel: CBS Evening News

Views: 177,522

Keywords: video, cbs, news

Id: VA9FdtE9kW4

Length: 2min 31sec (151 seconds)

Published: Thu May 14 2015