From the S&S archives: Family finds Jenco 'fragile'

WIESBADEN, Germany — Family members of the Rev. Lawrence M. Jenco said Monday the former hostage is "fragile" and "emotional" following his release after nearly 19 months as the captive of Moslem extremists in Lebanon.

"He's going through a period of adjustment right now," nephew Andy Mihelich said following a two-hour visit with the priest at the Air Force Regional Medical Center in Wiesbaden. "He is a very fragile man, very emotional. He seems to be in good condition considering he's been held captive for 19 months. But that does not mean he is a well man."

The 51-year-old Roman Catholic priest was released Saturday in the Syrian-controlled Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon. He was flown to Germany Sunday and will undergo medical and psychological testing for at least the next two days.

Military doctors said Jenco is in satisfactory condition, but he is suffering from fatigue and heart disease.

Ten Jenco family members — three brothers, three sisters, a nephew and three spouses — were flown to Rhein-Main AB early Monday and were then driven by convoy to the hospital and a long-awaited family reunion.

"We're keeping our visits short for now. We don't want to put extra strain on him," Mihelich said. "He's a very tired, fragile man. But he's responding quite well considering his ordeal."

Mihelich and other family members said they were not shocked by Jenco's appearance. "We had seen him on television, so we were pretty well prepared," he said. "The biggest surprise was when he entered the room. We were all watching the main door, expecting a grand entrance, and he came in the side door, he just sort of appeared. He was right there next to us before we realized it."

John Jenco said he was generally pleased with his brother's condition, and he said the first sight of the priest Monday morning was "a sweet moment."

"We were imagining he was dead. We were imagining him coming back a frail, broken man. He was not."

Another brother, Joseph, said: "Seeing him today was like seeing him get on the train in New York to get ordained. He looks the same."

Mihelich said most of the visit was spent updating Jenco on the lives of friends and relations.

"He wanted to know about relatives and his friends, how they're doing. He had us laughing, and we had him laughing."

The family would not discuss details of Jenco's captivity, saying that the priest was worried about others still held in Beirut.

"He's concerned with the other hostages," Mihelich said. "We don't want to do anything to wreck his peace of mind."

Jenco did tell family members that his daily menu consisted of a breakfast of rice and cheese, beans and rice for lunch and bread and jam for dinner.

"They (his captors) would ask him, 'Is there anything you need, Father, anything we can get you?' and Father Martin would say, 'Yes, a taxicab out of here,' " Mihelich said.

Asked whether the family thought the U.S. government had done enough to win Jenco's release, Mihelich said, "One thing we would say is he was brought home alive, so at least we can give them one 'A.'

"We always had faith. We always knew this day would be here. All we had was hope to cling to, although 564 days (of captivity) is a lot of hope."

Mihelich said the family already could see improvement in Jenco's condition. "His spirits are really improving. On the second day (of freedom) you could see a little bounce in his step and he was waving the flag and the bouquet of roses at the airport," Mihelich said. "Today his spirits have picked up even more. There was a little laughter. We were quite pleased with that."

Jenco's relatives arrived at Rhein-Main aboard a C141 Starlifter aircraft provided by the U.S. government. Ambassador-at-large Robert Oakley, an anti-terrorist expert, and Church of England envoy Terry Waite were among those who met the plane. Col. Bruce L. Fister, commander of the 435th Tac Airlift Wing, was also on hand to greet Jenco's relatives.

Asked whether he would continue his efforts to free those still held in Beirut, Waite said: "No, I prefer to step back and let things flow for a while. I think we need to wait for a bit and see whether other things will now take place."

Jenco's sister, Sue Franceschini, said after landing, "I can't believe I'm here. I've got to keep pinching myself. It was a great flight, a lot of fun and a lot of giggles. We didn't need any bubbly."

Franceschini carried a bag of popcorn — Jenco's favorite snack — while another sister, Mae Mihelich, brought along a duffel bag of possessions sent home when Jenco was kidnapped in January 1985.

At least three Americans are still being held in Beirut by members of the radical Moslem group Islamic Jihad.

After his reunion with his family, Jenco appeared on the balcony of his hospital room and told reporters gathered below, "I pray to God that the other three men will have the same joy I have today."

He also said: "I'm not really sure I'm here. It's a dream come true."

Jenco called for the release of the other hostages and specifically mentioned Terry Anderson, 38, an Associated Press Middle East correspondent; Thomas Sutherland, 55, acting dean of agriculture at the American University of Beirut; and David P. Jacobson, 55, director of the American University Hospital in Beirut.

William Buckley, 58, a political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, was abducted in March 1984, but the kidnappers have said he was killed last year.

Jenco carried a videotaped message from Jacobson saying Buckley was dead. The embassy officer's body has never been found.