From the S&S archives: Nixon visits hijack victims aboard airliner in Rome

ROME — President Nixon got the thumbs-up sign from 31 released American hijacking hostages as he took time out from his. busy peace mission to Europe to spend half an hour here at noon Monday with the passengers en route home from their three-week ordeal as guerrillas' captives in Jordan.

Nixon — whose visit came as a complete surprise — boarded the plane after it touched down here on a flight from Nicosia, Cyprus, to New York. He shook hands with all of the freed Americans — some too ill to leave the TWA jet. He told them that he was. "glad to see you in such good spirits," and that, although it had been "a part of life you don't ask for, it is certainly one you'll always remember."

The President told them that "the incident had crystalized" the hijacking problem and should help "to reduce the possibility of further hijackings."

He informed them of the armed guards being put on U.S. planes as a deterrent.

The passengers assured the President that he could be "proud of us as Americans" and gave him the international thumbs-up sign of courage and cheer.

They also expressed their understanding when Nixon said that the United States had been "trying to help you without hurting you." He also assured them that everyone back home had been "bucking for them."

The 26 aboard the plane when it landed here Monday were joined by five who were released and were flown to Rome earlier.

Nixon was presented with a souvenir copy of a telegram written by one of the passengers, who had tried to smuggle the original telegram out during captivity. The telegram was addressed to the President. A White House spokesman said there was no record of the telegram ever having been received. The telegram pointed out the plight of the passengers and asked for humanitarian assistance.

The President congratulated the crew of the hijacked TWA jet on "a great job well done." The passengers all thanked Nixon for coming to the airport to see them. Some of them were quite emotional and near tears.

Nixon arrived at the airport by helicopter with Italian Premier Emilio Colombo, with whom he had been conferring at Colombo's official residence, the Villa Madama in Rome.

Also accompanying the President were Secretary of State William P. Rogers and Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe.

Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Benjamin O. Davis, now in Rome on an official European hijacking investigation for the President, also was at the plane.

The jet stopped here for 90 minutes en route to New York. The stop, originally scheduled to last an hour, was extended 30 minutes by the President's surprise visit.

Among the passengers too ill to disembark were two U.S. Army sergeants. Both had been aboard the hijacked plane en route to the United States for discharge.

They were identified here as Sgt. Len Cain, assigned in Athens, who celebrated his 28th birthday with a "party" in captivity, and Sgt. Darryl Suttles, an MP who had been stationed with the 3rd Inf Div in Germany.

(A third GI among the hostages was Spec. 4 Kenneth Hubler, from the 34th Signal Bn at Stuttgart.)

Other passengers said Cain and Suttles had been of tremendous help in maintaining the discipline necessary for their survival. An Italian doctor went aboard the plane to treat the two men and other ill passengers while the plane was stopped here. They were reported to be suffering from fatigue and upset stomachs.

Passengers told newsmen here that all medical supplies given them by the guerrillas came from Communist China and all the clothing they received came from Poland and the Soviet Union. One bearded passenger displayed a package of Russian razor blades. .

George Freda, 42, of Belpre, Ohio, explained that he and all the other men held by the guerrillas had grown beards because the Russian blades were "so terrible." Freda is the same passenger who attempted to send the telegram to Nixon.

He said that one of the places of. captivity, a schoolhouse, had large pictures of Lenin displayed on the walls. He also mentioned "psychological terror" exerted on the Americans.

In contrast, younger passengers told of forming friendships with their Arab captors and embracing them when they parted.