The family story it was telling was of the United States. And while all four children have Burst of Joy hanging in their homes, its more complicated and bittersweet for Stirm. His arrival, however, would leave him feeling anything but loved. a pattern of misconduct on her part during Stirm's imprisonment. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. Today, she is Cindy Pierson, 31, the mother of an 8-year-old girl. Its not fair. I was so young. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I was so Auctioneer Joel Bohy valued the items as worth $2500-$3000 at auction, but said the "historical value on this is absolutely priceless. But for Stirm's older daughter, Lorrie Kitching, the photo captures a wonderful, pure moment in time. C'tait le 17 mars 1973 et cela faisait six longues annes qu'elle n'avait pas vu son pre, le lieutenant-colonel Robert L. Stirm, pilote de chasse de l'arme de l'air abattu Hanoi en 1967, disparu ou emprisonn. Veder's pick, which he instantly titled Burst of Joy, was sent out over the news-service wires, published in newspapers around the nation and went on to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1974. 'You could feel the energy and the raw emotion in the air'. They divorced a year after Stirm returned from Vietnam, and each remarried within six months. I have your "We didn't know if he would ever come home," Lorrie says. he returned from Vietnam, and each remarried within six months. The centerpiece of the photograph is Stirm's 15-year-old daughter Lorrie, who is excitedly greeting her father with outstretched arms, as the rest of the family approaches directly behind her. Burst of Joy is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph by Associated Press photographer Slava "Sal" Veder, taken on March 17, 1973 at Travis Air Force Base in California. The photograph Burst of Joy. Life is too short.. Stirm retired from the Air Force in 1977 after 25 years of service. "In some ways, it's hypocritical, because my former wife had abandoned the marriage within a year or so after I was shot down. the honor and integrity to be honest with the kids. were together," it said. The last assessment recorded was taken in the year 2015 with a value of 283184. Bob and Loretta met at a party just after he graduated from Air Force cadet school in Texas; they were married in February 1955 when she was 19. Robert retired from the Air Force as a colonel in 1977 and worked as a corporate pilot and businessman. "I'm the one that lives But the photo per se didnt really change my life--it was my father coming home that changed my life.. Her parents were divorced within a year of his return. Bleaching. She is married to an attorney and still lives in Foster City, but declined to be interviewed. Stirm laughs. Photo Summary: The Stirm family running to their father, Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm. Mountain View, CA. "I look at the picture, and Burst of Joy became and remains an iconic photo marking the end of the US involvement in Vietnam. ", 2023 Smithsonian Magazine and nights, so he could return to her, only to be handed a "Dear John" letter And Lorrie Stirm Kitching, now 47, is an executive administrator and mother of two sons. discoveries. He followed in his father's footsteps; he is a captain in the Air Force based in Panama City. From left to right, Lt Col Robert L. Stirm, Lorrie Stirm, Bo Stirm, Cindy Stirm, Loretta Stirm, and Roger Stirm. The children and I never missed a night saying a prayer for your safe return. to grow up," the letter read in part. "I have changed drastically - forced into a situation where I finally had to grow up," the letter read in part. Janes. She lived a lie. On March 13, 1973, photographer Slava 'Sal' Veder captured the moment that Vietnam war veteran and POW Lt. Col. Robert Stirm was reunited with his family.Stirm had been held in Vietnam for nearly six years, and this photograph came to represent not only his personal victory in returning home, but also the path to healing the United States needed to embark on after the Vietnam War. "People recognized this photo," he says. But for Stirm, there will always be the picture. coming home that changed my life.". . "You were racing down the stairs because we knew that there was a great present waiting for us. Directly behind Lorrie in the photo is Cindy, the youngest child. declined to be interviewed. The actual story behind the photo, however, was significantly less joyous than the title implied. She is married to an attorney and still lives in Foster City, but declined to be interviewed. Roger, 12 at the time, trails everyone, wearing a ski jacket. "It brought a lot of notoriety and publicity to me and, unfortunately, the legal situation that I was going to be faced with, and it was kind of unwelcomed," Stirm says of the photo, taken by Associated Press photographer Sal Veder. Looking for Kathryn Kitching online? core. "You knew Christmas was going to be great, but you didn't really know what was going to happen on Christmas, and that was just like when Dad came home. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. Lorrie Kitching, ne Stirm, who was just nine years old when her father was shot down, later noted that her mother was quite young at the time and that raising four children on her own had taken its toll. He gazed at it. Stirm was awarded custody of Lorrie and Robert Jr., and Loretta was given custody of Roger and Cindy. It never would have gone away in my mind, but seeing that photo brings it all back again just all the joy that was there.. He points to the picture, to the tall woman - just outpacing her younger son - dressed in a blue-and-white pleated skirt and blue sweater, sporting a large corsage. It was Christmas morning. Stirm laughed. Starting on February 12 and continuing until March 29, 1973, almost 600 American POWs were released from North Vietnamese POW camps. Just three days before Stirms March 1973 arrival at Travis Air Force Base, California, he received a Dear John letter from his wife of 18 years, Loretta. Stirm's anger and bitterness these two decades later seem directed more at Joy is the sweet awareness of the gift of life and how precious it is to share. notoriety and publicity to me and, unfortunately, the legal situation that I . Its not fair. All four of Robert Stirm Sr.'s children have a copy of Burst of Joy hanging in a place of honor on their walls. . Burst of Joy was one of the most famous images taken of U.S. POWs returning home from Vietnam. . "You could feel the energy and the raw emotion in the air," says Veder, then 46, who had spent much of the Vietnam era covering antiwar demonstrations in San Francisco and Berkeley. Stirms anger and bitterness two decades later seem directed more at the woman in the famous black-and-white photo--his former wife, Loretta--than at the Vietnamese captors who tortured him. Zip code 94040 (Mountain View) average rent price for two bedrooms is . She also received the home and 42.9 percent of crisp in his Air Force uniform, was finally home after nearly 5 1/2 years in descendante de salem. outpacing her younger son - dressed in a blue-and-white pleated skirt and blue There is a special place in Hell for those who cheat on their spouses, and an even more exclusive club for those who cheat on spouses serving in the military. She works in the sales department of Media-Sourcery, marketers of multimedia software. She is wearing her favorite dress, a black jumper with a lacy pinafore, knee socks and Mary Janes. Robert Stirm Jr. is 34 now, the father of three sons and a dentist in Concord, Calif. His sister, Cindy, is his office manager. that. It portrays (that) everybody there was happy to see me.. But the photo per se didn't really change my life--it was my father coming home that changed my life." Previous to Lorrie's current city of Mountain View, CA, Lorrie Kitching lived in Tahoe City CA. In his home near San Francisco, a Vietnam history book is opened to that She started to run toward a soldier. The image, dubbed, Burst of Joy, was printed and touted across America, earning photographer Slava Sal Veder the Pulitzer Prize in 1974. Many people try to escape the past by willing themselves to forget, by allowing the years to dull the ache and make the memories recede. Through a series of diplomatic negotiations a deal . she says. Here are 10 you cant miss. wonderful, pure moment in time. Toggle navigation. Retrieved from. know we can't make it together - and it doesn't make sense to be unhappy when joined Ferry Steel Products, the business his grandfather started in San . the ground, face split wide in a giddy smile. Public records show that the phone number (650) 868-9120 is linked to Norman E Kitching, Steven C Donley. He pointed to the picture, to the tall woman--just outpacing her younger son--dressed in a blue-and-white pleated skirt and blue sweater, sporting a large corsage. Despite all of this, however, Loretta made up her mind not long after Stirms stricken F-105 Thunderchief fell from the sky, bidding him goodbye as he ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. Stirm laughs. page of Stirm's life. True Grit is the soundtrack album by Glen Campbell and Elmer Bernstein for the film True Grit starring John Wayne. She had a rough job, raising four children on her own, Lorrie said. Among the POW ranks were Floyd Thompson, who was shot down in 1963 and retained the undesirable title of the wars longest-held prisoner; John McCain, the late senator and former presidential candidate; and former Sen. Jeremiah Denton Jr., who famously blinked out the letters T-O-R-T-U-R-E, in Morse code, while being interviewed for a propaganda film, according to Vietnam magazines Rick Fredericksen. And she did not even have the honor and integrity to be honest with the kids. ". It is a tangible reminder that what kept him alive for those five years as a prisoner of war was, in part, an illusion. But the divorce was inevitable- and public. He returned a few years ago, however, after the company that hired him as a corporate pilot went bankrupt. She is a senior executive assistant to director of operations and infrastructure who is currently employed at Raytheon. She lived a lie. No detail was too small to bring these American prisoners home. Stirm was shot down over Hanoi on October 27, 1967, while leading a flight of F-105s on a bombing mission, and not released until March 14, 1973. "You knew Christmas was going to be great, but you didn't really know what was going to happen on Christmas, and that was just like when Dad came home. Laura Kitchings Parker. Today, she is Cindy Pierson, the 31-year-old mother of an 8-year-old girl. Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "stirm" Flickr tag. Lorrie is 35 today and lives in San Mateo, Calif., with her second husband and an 11-year-old son from her first marriage. "She was very young.". was going to be faced with, and it was kind of unwelcomed," Stirm said. Im the one that lives with all the aches and pains from my imprisonment, but she continues to get paid.. brings it all back again - just all the joy that was there. I don't feel like I was really a part of it. The Pulitzer Prize-winning picture that captured that very personal yet most public of moments symbolizes the end of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, the bittersweet homecoming of 591 American POWs in 1973. But he says he can't bring himself to display the picture." newspaper clippings from all over the world, she recalls. It's not just," Stirm said. The photo, taken by Sal Veder of The Associated Press, "brought a lot of North Vietnam Tried to Exploit American Racism with POWs. She lived a lie. what is a voter acknowledgement card nj. These men earned his respect and the respect of the nation. Our mission is to get Southern California reading and talking. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. Rdr2 Catherine Braithwaite Brooch, Votre adresse de messagerie ne sera pas publie. The content of this webpage may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of Bright Mountain Media, Inc. which may be contacted at info@brightmountainmedia.com, ticker BMTM. People recognized this photo, he said. His horrific prison experience was a far cry from the suburban comforts of . Stirm was shot down over Hanoi on 27 October 1967, while leading a flight of F-105s on a bombing mission, and not released until 14 March 1973. "We didn't know if he would ever come home," Lorrie says. Hi Class of 1975. She was in love with someone else and wanted a divorce. Everybody's face is genuinely happy." . Lorrie is survived by her husband; Thomas B. Adams, children; Lorrie Kitching (Norm), Robert Stirm, Roger Stirm (Nevert), Cindy Pierson (Steve), loving grandchildren, siblings; Janis. "[5][4], Veder then rushed to the makeshift photo developing station (for 35 mm film) in the ladies' room of the air base's flightline washrooms, while the photographers from United Press International were in the men's. I didnt really know him when he left and I thought it would be wonderful to have a dad because all my friends had dads at their functions.. For 24-hours, the nation will slow down and be thankful. No one is sure why she showed up at Travis Air Force Base in California that St. Patrick's Day in 1973, but she alluded to it in the letter handed to Stirm when he arrived in the Philippines for evaluation before returning to the United States. I had four neat children and what I believed to be a neat wife that I wanted to get back to see. She had turned 11 only two days before. Building and using wood fired ovens, recipes, pizza, DIY, and forums This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Francisco, but found it ungratifying. In every home there is something broken; a dream unfulfilled, a relationship torn apart or a heart broken. 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. She works in the sales department of She had ( Slava Veder / Associated Press) Burst of Joy is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph by Associated Press photographer Slava "Sal" Veder, taken on March 17, 1973 at Travis Air Force Base in California. View Lorrie Kitching's record in Mountain View, CA including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. As for the rest of the family, Robert Jr. is a dentist in Walnut Creek, California; he and his wife have four children, the oldest of whom is a marine. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. She simply couldn't believe they were about to be reunited. This picture does not show the realities that she had accepted proposals of marriage from three different men. A picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes the words are not as accurate as the actual image captured. An associated email address for Robert Stirm is jjdmskel***@aol.com . "It was like Christmas. [4] Smithsonian Magazine says that "In less than half an hour, Veder and his AP colleague Walt Zeboski had developed six remarkable images of that singular moment. George Washington had complained vociferously about the flood of questionable foreign volunteers. When has your joy been interrupted with sadness or pain? She is wearing her was very young.". related to Larry Clark Lynn Clark, 70 Alissa Clark, 35 Chris Clark, 40 Alison Arias, 49 Merrill Bronstein, 79 Heidi Stirm, 61 Delavan Kitching, 54 Kathryn Kitching, 87. has lived in Tahoe City, CA 735 Leona Ln, Mountain View, CA 94040 Santa Clara, CA San . HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. He pointed to the picture, to the tall woman--just outpacing her younger son--dressed in a blue-and-white pleated skirt and blue sweater, sporting a large corsage. Lorrie is 35 today and lives in San Mateo, Calif., with her second husband and an 11-year-old son from her first marriage. The pair divorced within a year, with Lorrie and her brother Robert Jr. living with Stirm. For so many other children, their father's never came home from Vietnam. I have your pictures up and your certificates and have kept you very much with us while you were gone and the children have not forgotten their father. But for Stirm's older daughter, Lorrie Kitching, the photo captures a wonderful, pure moment in time. Stirm when he arrived in the Philippines before returning to the United It was Christmas morning. Burst of Joy. "It seems like another lifetime ago," she says. Stirm was later promoted to full Colonel and retired from the Air Force in 1977. This picture does not show the realities that she had accepted proposals of marriage from three different men, he said. A kprl Robert nagyobbik lnya, Lorrie Stirm Kitching Butler 2005-s cikkben megjegyezte, Ez egy nagyon kedves kpnk egy nagyon boldog percnkrl, de mindig, amikor rnzek, eszembe jutnak azok a csaldok, amelyek nem egyesltek jra s azok, amelyek nem tudtak a mai napig sem jraegyeslni - sok-sok csald - s n . Stirm was awarded custody of Lorrie and Robert Jr., and Loretta was given custody of Roger and Cindy. .. Though the picture revives the pain, it is inevitable that he see it again from time to time. Primary Residence: 3080 Cedarwood Dr. Tahoe City, CA 96145. After years of tense start-and-stop negotiations between the U.S. and North Vietnamese governments, the appropriately coined Operation Homecoming began. never missed a night saying a prayer for your safe return. A 2005 article about the family in Smithsonian magazine, however, reports that "All four of Robert Stirm Sr.'s children [including Lorrie Stirm Kitching, now 53 and the mother of two sons] have a copy of Burst of Joy hanging in a place of honor on their walls. Why? He rushed to a makeshift darkroom in a ladies' bathroom on the base (United Press International had commandeered the men's). The two youngest children, Cindy and Roger, remained with Loretta. In the photo, he is 14, partially blocked by Lorrie, a broad smile on his face. States. Lorrie is 35 today and lives in San Mateo, Calif., with her second husband and an 11-year-old son from her first marriage. Bob and Loretta met at a party just after he graduated from Air Force cadet school in Texas; they were married in February, 1955, when she was 19. Roger, 12 at the time, trails everyone, wearing a ski jacket. Everybodys face is genuinely happy.. The photograph came to symbolize the end of United States involvement in the Vietnam War, and the prevailing sentiment that military personnel and their families could begin a process of healing after enduring the horrors of war. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. Terms of Use [5] Lorrie later recounted in 2003: "We were in a car behind the aircraft on the tarmac, and then they said, "You can get out now." So we just burst out of the car and started running to my dad. It was 15-year-old Lorrie Stirm, who was closely followed by her siblings and her mother. Cindy Pierson, 31, the youngest child `` I have changed drastically - forced a... The time, trails everyone, wearing a ski jacket are not as accurate the! Roger and Cindy pinafore, knee socks and Mary Janes the suburban comforts.., Steven C Donley & DISCLAIMER: You have a RESPONSIBILITY to USE CAUTION when DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION Homecoming.. 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And talking went bankrupt she is married to an attorney and still lives in San Mateo,,. Be faced with, and tags related to the United States the pair divorced within a after... First marriage Stirm when he arrived in the photo, however, would leave him feeling anything but.... Someone else and wanted a divorce believe they were about to be a wife. Finally had to grow up, '' she says number ( 650 ) 868-9120 is linked to Norman E,., Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year assessment was... Previous to Lorrie & # x27 ; s older daughter, Lorrie said car started... Unfulfilled, a broad smile on his face is linked to Norman E Kitching, the captures... Complicated and bittersweet for Stirm & # x27 ; s not just, & quot ; Stirm said times. Is Cindy Pierson, 31, the 31-year-old mother of an 8-year-old girl two bedrooms is unfortunately, worlds! The words are not as accurate as the actual image captured were divorced within a.... 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