A Thanksgiving thank you to the people of Manchester from the Whelans

Paul N. Whelan states, “I refer to the Labor Camp as ‘Camp Lost In the Woods,’ because it is located in a remote area of Russia, surrounded by forest. If one was to escape from the Camp, they would be lost in a forest and have nowhere to go.” A friend sent the T-shirt to the Whelans for Paul.

submitted by Ed and Rosemary Whelan

Our family has always looked forward to the Thanksgiving holiday. While enjoying the pumpkin and cornstalks decorations and preparing the recipes and seeing who is going to visit us, we remember to be thankful for what we have, big or small.

This year we have a huge reason to be thankful and joyful as our son, Paul, has been returned to us after five years, seven months, and five days of being wrongfully detained in a gulag in Russia. His sentence was 16 years, and there had been many attempts by the U.S. government to bring him home. Russia denied every attempt.

In 2024, a huge, complicated, secret plan by many countries and the U.S. government, of which he and we knew nothing, successfully brought Paul and two other Americans home. The plan included a total of 26 prisoners, freed by Russia, going back to their own countries. The many planes waiting for all of these folk at Ankara airport were a sight to behold. Of course, our eyes were on the U.S. government’s plane, as once the wheels were off the ground, we knew that Paul was safely homebound. I shall never forget that moment when Paul appeared at the open door to the plane on arrival at Joint Base Andrews and saluted President Biden.

Ed and I would like to give heartfelt thanks to the people of Manchester and the surrounding areas for everything you have done. I hesitate to start listing items, because every thought, prayer, letter, kindness, big and small, over these last six years, has meant so much to us. I remember one morning going into the Village and seeing lots of yellow ribbons, thinking how lovely and what was the occasion. Then I realized that they were to remind folk of Paul’s plight. That was the only time that I really “lost it.” Manchester is a real “community” and we are so fortunate to belong here. We felt enfolded in your kindness to us, spoken and unspoken. Paul has been very touched by the care you took of us.  The Russian FSB reduced his mail in the last two years, so he never received the 2003 and 2004 birthday cards from us or many notes from you. This was the reason that many of you did not receive replies as you had in the past.

Please accept the wholehearted thanks of our family.

Ed, Rosemary, and Paul.

And Elizabeth, Andrew, and David — we five (Rosemary, Ed, Elizabeth, Andrew, and David) comprised “The Team,” starting  in January 2019 through August 1, 2024, working together to bring Paul home.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.