By Staff
from staff and wire reports
May 9, 2004
MACON Former hostage Thomas Hamill, his arm around his 11-year-old daughter, credited God and worldwide support on Saturday for helping him deliver wife Kellie the best Mother's Day present of her life.
Speaking publicly for the first time since his early-morning return home, Hamill said that daily, multiple prayers reinforced faith that he would survive three weeks of captivity in Iraq.
The truck driver for Halliburton Corp. subsidiary KBR was wounded and captured when his convoy was ambushed April 9. He escaped a week ago today from a farmhouse about 50 miles north of Baghdad.
Hamill said his captors moved him several times throughout the Iraqi desert. He said he waited to be brought to an area where he was familiar with the roads and plotted to escape when his kidnappers left him alone.
When he arrived home the day before Mother's Day, his first action was to hug his 11-year-old daughter, Tori, and his 13-year-old son, Thomas.
Early arrival
Hamill arrived at about 1 a.m. aboard a private jet that landed at the Golden Triangle Airport, about 30 miles north of Macon. Hamill originally had been scheduled to land in Meridian.
The change left a small group of news reporters waiting at Meridian Aviation Inc. in case Hamill's jet reverted to its original plans. Other television and newspaper reporters headed for Columbus.
Ramona Dear, a photographer for Getty Images in Pensacola, Fla., had spent most of the day Friday with Hamill's family at his home in Macon. She stayed in Meridian and was disappointed she missed his arrival.
At the Golden Triangle Airport, the Hamills were met at the plane by their longtime friends Doris Yoder and Jesse Green. About 10 others from Macon also made the trip; news reporters outnumbered supporters 2 to 1.
A Mississippi Highway Patrol car whisked away the couple, who waved to the group. Several people chased the car down the street.
Later in the morning, all was quiet at the Hamill home.
Yellow police tape kept waiting media crews off the lawn, and ribbons decorated the two white columns in front of the modest brick home. Red, white and blue balloons floated atop the mail box.
About 20 friends and family members attended an afternoon cookout Saturday at the Hamill house. Hamill's 92-year-old grandmother, Vera Hamill, said she "was so thrilled just to see Tommy back on this side."
Wallace Green, his father-in-law, said Hamill was held without water during his first two days in captivity.
Hamill came out to the back yard Saturday afternoon, holding up his wounded arm in greetings to those outside. He and Kellie then walked around, arm in arm, greeting friends and family.
Hamill said early last week that he was looking forward to quiet time with his children. As a result, Macon Mayor Dorothy Baker Hines said plans for a parade and other celebrations were called off for now. "I want to keep this low-key," Hamill said Saturday night. "I just want to get back to some normalcy."
The news was a disappointment to some in this rural East Mississippi city of about 2,500.
But Jesse Green, a family friend who visited the Hamills on Saturday, said Hamill "does not want to draw any attention to himself. He does not consider himself a hero."
After meeting with his family, one of the first things Hamill will deal with are letters and calls offering him movie and book deals. Former Iraqi POW Jessica Lynch received a $1 million book deal and a network TV movie.
Stephen Goodwin, a Hamill family spokesman and part of the public relations team hired by Lynch, said Hamill has made no decision about a book deal
Hamill initially hadn't planned to make any statements this weekend, but changed his mind after viewing media coverage of his escape and return.
Hamill said he would consider returning to the job in Iraq, but he worries about how it would affect his children.