Paul Whelan, other captives, back on US soil

Paul Whelan is pictured, second from right, with several other freed American hostages in a tweet from President Joe Biden.

by Marsha Chartrand

For five years, seven months, five days, a couple of leap days, and a smattering of hours here and there, Paul Whelan labored and languished in captivity in a remote prison colony in northern Russia. And at the same time, his family and friends here in Michigan waited, hoped, prayed, raised money and awareness, and tied thousands of yellow ribbons — all for the cause of bringing Paul back home.

And Paul waited, accused of crimes he hadn’t committed, in what had to be deplorable conditions, surrounded by people who didn’t care about what he was going through, doing what he could to keep his own spirits up. Writing letters. Reading books. Helping others through their own difficult times. Occasionally being allowed to speak to his parents by telephone, unless that privilege was inexplicably revoked for a period of time. This went on for five and a half years. Two thousand, forty-three days.

Sometime in the last week Paul’s life changed. Since August 1 we’ve seen a plane carrying Paul and several other wrongfully detained Americans landing on US soil; we’ve seen him hugged and feted by world leaders; his parents have had reporters’ microphones and journalists’ cameras invading their home space; and although Paul was not even living in Manchester at the time he was detained in Russia, in the eyes of the media, Manchester has become his de facto hometown, and over the weekend, many Manchester residents were interviewed and featured on the nightly news.

Downtown Manchester was featured on many news programs and in multiple articles covering Paul Whelan’s release. Screenshots of a few of the news broadcasts.

A local television journalist team sets up for a shoot at the Farmers Market on Thursday, Aug. 1. Courtesy Manchester Farmers Market.

Facebook posts are rejoicing that he’s “home,” but where is home? The home and job he once had are no more. Now people can say things will get “back to normal.” But what’s normal for Paul in the coming days, weeks, and months? Once again, his life has turned on a dime. Nothing that he sees — either looking out the window of an airplane, the faces of those who greeted him on the tarmac, the telephones, televisions, or other sights of today’s society — is familiar to him.

In an update made August 1 on the Free Paul Whelan GoFundMe account, Paul’s sister, Elizabeth Whelan, shared, “Hi all, I am sharing with you the great news that Paul Whelan is finally FREE! And he is on his way back to the US. You can see him on the right hand side of this photo (above) in the blue polo shirt.

“Anyone wanting to write him a personal email can send it to freepaulwhelan@gmail.com. Friends should know his old email and phone numbers may not work for some time. Please use this email to reach out to him in the meantime. I am sure Paul will want to reach out to you all; it might take some time for him to get through all the messages he is getting. He’ll be glad to hear from you as he recovers from this ordeal, though!”

“Ordeal” is probably an understatement.

Over the years the GoFundMe page, which Elizabeth coordinated and has now closed, has received more than $90,000 in donations from around the world; most of them small, personal, out-of-pocket donations. This funding has provided crucial support for Paul, which was so necessary and vital to keeping him going.

David Whelan, Paul’s twin brother, has coordinated the Free Paul Whelan campaign from the beginning. He acknowledged the many, many personal and professional contributions and support provided by friends, family, government staff, and agencies. “While we did our best, as amateurs with limited resources, we do not believe Paul would be free today without the expert help we received behind the scenes,” he wrote in a family statement.

The family statement concludes, “Paul Whelan is not in a Russian labor colony any longer, but he is not home. While Paul was wrongfully imprisoned in Russia, he lost his home. He lost his job. We are unsure how someone overcomes these losses and rejoins society after being a hostage. We are grateful for everyone’s efforts to help Paul while he was away. We hope you will continue to help him by providing Paul the space and privacy he needs as he rebuilds his life. It is Paul’s story to tell and he will tell it when he is able.”

Meanwhile, Manchester, what can we do? Our most important job remains supporting Ed and Rosemary Whelan, Paul’s parents, who have stood steadfastly at home waiting for their son’s return. Paul’s dear companion dog, Flora, lived with them for several years but succumbed to old age last year. That was a difficult transition for the family and yet another tangible reminder of Paul’s long absence. And due to potential counseling and debriefing, that absence may be extended longer. So our support is essential. Whether it takes the form of prayer, meals, cards, letters, visits (as appropriate), a smile at the diner, the grocery store, or the Farmers Market (which is creating a special gift basket for them), or your own personal way of reaching out, know that the Whelans need and appreciate the community of Manchester that surrounds and loves them.

And they thank you.

Paul Whelan hugs his sister, Elizabeth, on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after greeting President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.