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The dark truth of the Pulitzer-winning ‘Burst of Joy’ photo

In 1973, the photo “Burst of Joy” captured a jubilant family rushing toward a returning POW, a moment so powerful it won a Pulitzer Prize. The image, full of euphoria, symbolized hope and reunion after the Vietnam War.

But the true story behind the photo? It’s a heartbreaking twist you won’t expect.

The Vietnam War was still raging in 1973, leaving deep scars on the American soul. But on March 17 of that year, a single photograph captured a rare moment of unfiltered joy. Taken at Travis Air Force Base in California, the image showed a returning prisoner of war, Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm, being embraced by his whole family in an emotional homecoming.

Leading the charge was his 15-year-old daughter, Lorrie, her arms outstretched as she ran toward her father, followed closely by her brother Robert, sister Cynthia, mother Loretta, and youngest brother Roger, 12.

It was a picture-perfect moment — the kind that seemed to sum up everything Americans wanted to feel about the war’s end.

Sprinted across the runway

Lt. Col. Stirm, an Air Force fighter pilot, had been shot down over Hanoi in 1967 and spent nearly six grueling years as a prisoner of war. His family had long feared the worst, and when they finally received word that he was alive, they could hardly believe it. For Lorrie, the day felt surreal.

”I just wanted to get to Dad as fast as I could,” she told Smithsonian Magazine.

Sitting in the back seat of a station wagon on the tarmac, she had carefully chosen her favorite fuchsia miniskirt for the occasion. After six long years without him, she wanted everything to feel special.

Slava ”Sal” Veder / Public Domain

But before they could embrace, there was another moment of waiting. Her dad was required to stand before a jubilant crowd and deliver a speech on behalf of those who had been freed as part of Operation Homecoming — the mission that brought 591 American POWs back after the Paris Peace Accords.

For the family, the wait felt endless. But when the speech was finally over, the door opened, and Lorrie took off running. Her sheer joy and eagerness earned her the nickname The Jumper or The Leaper in the years that followed.

As she sprinted across the runway, photographer Slava “Val” Veder, covering the event for The Associated Press, instinctively lifted his camera.

”You could feel the energy and the raw emotion in the air,” he recalled.

Won the Pulitzer Prize in 1974

He snapped a rapid series of shots just as the overcast sky provided perfect, shadow-free lighting.

”I had to back up 10 or 15 feet to shoot the picture over the back of another photographer. I was lucky”, said Sal Vader, a native of Berkeley, California.

The resulting image, which he titled Burst of Joy, was so powerful that he rushed to a makeshift darkroom — a repurposed women’s restroom on the base — to develop it. Within 30 minutes, the photograph was ready, and it was quickly sent out over the news wires.

It became an instant sensation, dominating newspaper front pages across the country. The following year, it won the Pulitzer Prize.

Why it became a symbol

What made this photograph so powerful that it resonated with so many people and even won the Pulitzer Prize in 1974? For one, it became the ultimate symbol of homecoming from the Vietnam War.

Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm, then 39 years old, had endured 1,966 days in captivity —years filled with hardship. He had suffered gunshot wounds, endured torture, mock executions, and lived in constant fear.

Yet in the photograph, he appears in a crisp, new uniform, his face turned away from the camera. This anonymity made him more than just one man — it allowed him to represent all returning POWs and, in a broader sense, every soldier who had come home to waiting mothers, fathers, wives, daughters, and sons.

But despite the overwhelming joy captured in the image, there was a painful truth behind the moment — one that the photo didn’t reveal.

A hidden heartache

As with so many iconic images, there was more to the story than what the Burst of Joy photo captured.

Just three days before his return to American soil, Lt. Col. Stirm had received a devastating blow. A military chaplain delivered a letter from his wife, Loretta — a Dear John letter informing him that their marriage was over.

”I have changed drastically—forced into a situation where I finally had to grow up,” Loretta wrote. ”Bob, I feel sure that in your heart you know we can’t make it together—and it doesn’t make sense to be unhappy when you can do something about it. Life is too short.”

The U.S. National Archives

During his years in captivity, Loretta had been involved with other men, and by the time he returned, three of them had proposed to her. For Stirm, the news was an unbearable betrayal. The photo of his homecoming, which had come to symbolize national healing, was for him a reminder of personal loss.

”I can’t help but feel ambivalent about it,” he admitted in 2005. ”I was very pleased to see my children—I loved them and still do, and I know they had a difficult time—but there was a lot to deal with.”

”In some ways, it’s hypocritical”

Within a year, Robert and Loretta divorced. She remarried almost immediately and moved to Texas with her new husband. Stirm, meanwhile, continued his military career and was promoted to colonel before retiring in 1977.

Despite her infidelity, a judge ordered him to give Loretta 43% of his military retirement pay.

”It was kind of ironic,” Stirm later reflected. ”In some ways, it’s hypocritical, because my former wife had abandoned the marriage within a year or so after I was shot down. And she did not even have the honor and integrity to be honest with the kids. She lived a lie.”

The photo that had touched millions had, in his mind, always been a false image.

A divided family

After the divorce, custody of the children was split — Lorrie and Robert Jr. stayed with their father, while Roger and Cindy went with their mother.

”There was so much that my dad missed out on,” Lorrie later shared. ”And it took a while to let him back into our lives and accept his authority.”

For years, Stirm refused to display Burst of Joy in his home. But for his children, the image remained deeply meaningful. Decades after it was taken, all four of them had a copy hanging in their homes.

 Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm, USAF on 17 March 1973 / Public Domain

”It’s a wonderful piece of history that we just happened to stumble into,” Lorrie told AP in 1993. ”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.”

Her younger sister, Cindy, standing just behind her in the photograph, had a more distant connection to the moment.

”It seems like another lifetime ago,” she said. ”I look at the picture, and I don’t see me. . . . I don’t feel like I was really a part of it. I was so young. I didn’t 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.”

Why was Loretta there?

Though Loretta’s presence in the photo puzzled some — given that she had already decided to leave the marriage — her daughter Lorrie remained sympathetic to the challenges she faced.

”She had a rough job, raising four children on her own,” she said. ”She was very young.”

Loretta and Robert had met at a party just after he graduated from Air Force cadet school. They married in 1955 when she was just 19.Years later, after everything that had happened, Stirm found love again — but married and divorced once more.

Loretta passed away from cancer on August 13, 2010.

Though Burst of Joy continues to be celebrated as a symbol of resilience and reunion, for those in the photo, it remains a reminder of a far more complicated reality.

As we reflect on the iconic Burst of Joy photo, it’s clear that while the image captured a moment of triumph, it also held within it untold stories of betrayal, heartbreak, and the emotional toll of the Vietnam War.

For Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm, the joy of the moment was intertwined with a painful reality—the collapse of a marriage, the scars of war, and the complexity of rebuilding a life after such an ordeal.

The Burst of Joy photo is more than just a snapshot of a homecoming; it’s a window into the emotional complexity of a generation that carried both the pride of survival and the weight of their personal battles. Behind every smile, every embrace, there are stories that remain untold, shaping the legacies of those who served and the families who waited.

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Whiten Your Teeth – Home Remedy with Ginger & Salt

Want instantly brighter teeth? This quick and natural ginger and salt remedy lifts stains, eliminates bacteria, and enhances your smile

Why Ginger & Salt Work for Whitening Teeth

✔ Removes Yellow Stains – Salt works as a natural exfoliant to cleanse and polish the enamel.
✔ K-ills Bacteria & Plaque – Ginger is packed with antibacterial properties to fight bad breath
✔ Strengthens Gums – Helps to reduce gum inflammation and sensitivity
✔ Fast & Effective – Works in just one use for a brighter smile

How to Make & Use the Ginger & Salt Whitening Treatment

Ingredients:

½ teaspoon fresh ginger (grated or powdered)
¼ teaspoon salt (fine sea salt or Himalayan salt)
A few drops of water (to form a paste)

Instructions:

– Step 1: Grate fresh ginger or use powdered ginger.
– Step 2: Mix it with salt in a small bowl.
– Step 3: Add a few drops of water to create a thick paste.
– Step 4; Apply the paste to your toothbrush and gently brush for 2 minutes.
– Step 5: Rinse well with warm water and enjoy your whiter teeth!

💡 Use this method only 2-3 times a week to avoid enamel damage.

Extra Tips for Brighter Teeth

✔ for extra whitening power, Brush with baking soda once a week
✔ Rinse with coconut oil (oil pulling) for deep cleaning and freshness
✔ Eat crunchy fruits like apples and carrots to naturally clean enamel
✔ Avoid tea, coffee, and smoking, which stain teeth over time

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Inside the hectic life of Australia’s biggest family

When Jeni first met her husband Ray, she was certain of one thing — she never wanted children.

“Ray wanted at least four kids. I thought that was crazy. Like, who has that many children?” Jeni told Mamamia.

Now, over three decades later, they are the proud parents of 16 children.

$600 every week on groceries

If you’re from Australia, you might have heard of them, but for me, it was a real shock when I first started reading about The Bonell Family.

Life for the Bonell family, who are raising 16 kids in Australia, is anything but ordinary. From feeding their large brood to coordinating the chaos of daily life, Jeni and Ray Bonell have mastered the art of juggling it all — and with a healthy dose of humor, too.

The Bonell family, from Queensland’s Toowoomba, is made up of nine boys and seven girls – Jesse, 35, Brooke, 34, Claire, 31, Natalie, 30, Karl, 28, Samuel, 26, Cameron, 25, Sabrina, 24, Tim, 22, Brandon, 20, Eve, 19, Nate, 17, Rachel, 16, Eric, 15, Damian, 14 and Katelyn, 10.

Comedian Jim Gaffigan once joked, “You know what it’s like having a fourth kid? Imagine you’re drowning, then someone hands you a baby.” So what’s it like to have sixteen kids?

Jeni, the mother at the helm, spends a staggering $600 every week on groceries just to keep their pantry stocked. With inflation hitting hard, that budget has crept up by $50. For a family of 18 (with 8 kids still living at home), it takes a lot to keep everyone well-fed.

The weekly grocery list is nothing short of impressive: 17 three-litre bottles of milk, 14 boxes of cereal, 45 tubs of yogurt, and a whopping four dozen eggs.

“We go through 50 litres of milk each week and one to two loaves of bread every day,” says Jeni.

Getting a good family photo is difficult

It’s a logistical nightmare for anyone, but for the Bonells, it’s all part of the rhythm of life. The Bonell family’s home life is a carefully choreographed routine.

“Getting a good family photo is difficult,” says Jeni, laughing. “You need an extra-wide lens, and there’s always someone looking away, pulling a funny face, or with their eyes closed. But we enjoy those little quirks in the photos. They’re not picture perfect, but that’s part of the fun.”

With 16 kids, it’s not just about taking photos — it’s about keeping up with the whirlwind of daily life.

Imagine having 16 kids, a full-time job, part-time jobs, and a household to run. That’s the reality for Jeni and Ray.

“I used to think life was busy with little kids,” says Jeni, “but I’m certainly busier these days with older children.” Between coordinating three different schools, sporting activities, part-time jobs, and the older kids’ studies, it’s a juggling act. And yet, Jeni wouldn’t have it any other way. “Life is very hectic – but it’s good.”

The evening routine in their home is a perfect reflection of the Bonell family dynamic. “Take an average-sized family and multiply it by eight, and that’s what our evening routine is like,” Jeni laughs.

Stretching every dollar

Some nights it’s total chaos; other nights, everything falls into place like a well-oiled machine. But regardless of how the evening unfolds, one thing is always consistent: dinner time. “Dinner is always great,” Jeni explains. “Some nights we have eight people at the table, other nights we have more than 20!”

The Bonells are pros at stretching every dollar. Jeni is known for her budget-friendly meals that cost between $2 and $10. She often shares her grocery trips on YouTube to help others manage their food costs.

“It’s a struggle for everyone at the moment,” says Jeni, “We’re all feeling that pinch with the budget.” To stay organized, Jeni uses a chore chart to divide household responsibilities, making sure everyone from age eight upwards pitches in. The kids are also taught to cook from a young age. “Our 12-year-old can put a roast dinner on for 20 people with almost no supervision,” Jeni says with pride.

The laundry load in a house like theirs is equally immense. Jeni does three full loads of laundry every day, which amounts to about six average-sized loads. And when it comes to grocery shopping, Jeni fills up two trolleys each week. “I always need one of the kids to help with the load,” she says.

The Bonell Family religion

When it comes to their finances, the Bonells have learned to make sacrifices. While they pay off their home mortgage, the financial pressures are still real. “It’s expensive and you definitely have to make sacrifices with your budget,” says Jeni. “But we all work, and our family doesn’t live off the taxpayer. However, we do get a lot of criticism for having so many kids.”

Although the Bonells are deeply religious and regularly attend church, Jeni insists that their large family isn’t solely the result of their strong faith.

“God has a funny sense of humour,” says Jeni. They have no regrets, though. ”It just feels right for us,” says Ray, who works as an electrician. ”People have to do what’s right for them. Having 16 kids is not for everyone, but it’s what works for us.”

Despite their busy lives, Jeni and Ray find moments for themselves. “Do I get alone time with my wife? Of course, I do. We make time for each other,” says Ray with a smile. “It’s important to look after each other.”

Their two older children have now left home and are married, adding to the family dynamic as Jeni and Ray become grandparents to two grandchildren. It’s proof that the Bonell family just keeps growing. But with each addition, the love, laughter, and sense of togetherness only deepen.

Inside their roster system

In a family where organization is key, the Bonells have developed a solid routine. From prepping school uniforms and lunches the night before to creating a rotation system for chores, the Bonells make it work.

“We have a roster system, so when a kid turns eight, they get put on the roster,” says Jeni. “They rotate through chores like sweeping, mopping the floor, packing up the table, and helping with meal prep.”

When it comes to snacks, Jeni has a few favorites she shares with fans on YouTube, including air fryer egg cups and air fryer pizza bites. Both snacks are simple to prepare, freeze well, and are perfect for school lunches.

For the Bonells, it’s all about creating a system that allows everyone to pitch in and contribute. And despite the chaos of managing a household of 16, it’s clear that love, teamwork, and humor keep the Bonell family thriving.

Whether it’s feeding the kids, running a household, or finding time for a quick coffee date, the Bonells make it all work — and they do it with a smile.

At the end of the day, the Bonell family proves that with a little creativity, a lot of organization, and plenty of love, you can make just about anything work. Sure, raising 16 kids isn’t easy, but for Jeni and Ray, it’s all part of the adventure.

Whether it’s sharing tips on how to feed a crowd on a budget, keeping up with the endless laundry, or just enjoying the chaos of family life, the Bonells know how to make it happen. And through it all, they’re creating a home full of memories, laughter, and endless love. If there’s one thing we can all take away from this, it’s that family, no matter how big, is always worth it.

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Tiger Woods posts an emotional message on social media announcing the death of his mother, Kultida, saying, “My Mom Was Force Of Nature

In a heartfelt social media statement, Tiger Woods revealed that his mother, Kultida Woods, has passed away at the age of 78. She is his “biggest fan” and a “force of nature,” according to the 15-time major champion.

“I want to share with you my deepest sorrow that my beloved mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning,” Tiger wrote in his touching letter. My mother’s spirit was just indisputable; she was a force of nature all her own.

She laughed and used the needle quickly. “She was my biggest supporter and fan, and without her, none of my personal accomplishments would have been possible,” he continued. Her two grandsons, Sam and Charlie, adored her more than anyone else. I appreciate everyone’s prayers, support, and privacy at this trying time for my family and myself. I adore you, Mom.

Kultida, who is originally from Thailand, met Tiger’s father, Earl Woods, in the late 1960s when he was serving with the US military in Bangkok, according to Fox News. After being married in 1969, the pair moved to Brooklyn, New York, and finally settled in Cypress, California, where their only child, Tiger-born Eldrick Woods, was born.

Eldrick was given his parents’ names, K for Kultida and E for Earl. Tiger Phong, his father’s lost companion in Vietnam, inspired the golf champion’s nickname. At the age of 74, Earl passed away in 2006.

During one of the golfer’s darkest moments, Kultida supported her son. In a widely reported news appearance in 2010, he admitted to having several extramarital affairs. Tiger’s mother, who was seated in the front row of the public confession, acknowledged that he had “stopped living by the core values” that his parents had taught him and that his behaviour was unacceptable.

penultimate year, Tiger Woods said on The Tonight Show that his mother was the reason he was able to don the now-famous red and black ensemble that he donned on the penultimate day of golf competitions. Published at 10:45 AM IST on Wednesday, February 5, 2025

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