My Decades Challenge

Ernest Wellington turns 50. Most of our second-gen are now Elders.
https://i.ibb.co/nkP9g84/1973-Ernest-Well50-Bday1.png
https://i.ibb.co/vVDzMcm/1973-Ernest-Well50-Bday2.png

Deborah King turns 18. She moves out and moves to the city with her best friend Penny Pizzaz. The Family is expecting news on her brother Charles soon as it is said soldiers will be returning home.
https://i.ibb.co/2hcL0w0/1973-Deb18-Bday1.png
https://i.ibb.co/pKNDbnM/1973-Deb18-Bday2.png
https://i.ibb.co/MfLwwhK/1973-Deb18-Bday3.png
https://i.ibb.co/qFsGVH5/1973-Deb18-Bday4.png
https://i.ibb.co/b3KPxCP/1973-Delores-Fam.png

Paris Peace Accords are signed and soldiers start to return home, claiming one more life in this family.
https://i.ibb.co/WFngpzV/1973-Vietnam1.png
Jude Fraser Lives
https://i.ibb.co/8XMYws2/1973-Vietnam2-Jude-Fraser-Lives.png
Michael Wellington doesn't make it.
https://i.ibb.co/n861816/1973-Vietnam3-Michael-Wellington-Dies.png
Steven Damme Lives and decides to stay to aid in any other war efforts.
https://i.ibb.co/gTYLnBH/1973-Vietnam4-Charles-King-Lives.png
https://i.ibb.co/q0q3t6b/1973-Vietnam-Charles-Stays.png

Jude returns and embraces his son. Arthur tells him he and Chris can stay as long as they want.
https://i.ibb.co/xzkq2CH/1973-Jude-Returns1.png
https://i.ibb.co/YX40yd0/1973-Jude-Returns2.png

Steven, while still helping out the war front visits the local lounge and meets Minh Lan. She helps him learn the language and navigate more around the lands.
https://i.ibb.co/0Q23kc3/1973-Stevenmeets-Minh-Lan1.png
https://i.ibb.co/TwhPc3m/1973-Stevenmeets-Minh-Lan2.png

Nancia McDermott turns 50.
https://i.ibb.co/X3PLznY/1973-Nancia50bday1.png
https://i.ibb.co/mXy86J2/1973-Nancia50bday2.png

Lisa Burns becomes a teenager.
https://i.ibb.co/mywRprK/1973-Lisa-Burns-Ages-Up1.png
https://i.ibb.co/0pNmZy2/1973-Lisa-Burns-Ages-Up2.png
https://i.ibb.co/kq0svyh/1973-Patricia-Family.png

Angela Kenny is born.
https://i.ibb.co/8KPszYF/1673-Angela-Kenny-Born1.png
https://i.ibb.co/TLvkp1T/1673-Angela-Kenny-Born2.png

Operation Homecoming. After the U.S. pulls out of Vietnam and soldiers return home, those captured during the war are released. Edward Damme, Richard Shelton, and Charles King all get to return home. Edward not knowing why their captures had departed the camp, sent his men to bed for the night. Later they were freed and Steven was among those who would help with their release and return.
https://i.ibb.co/VqWght8/1973-Vietnam-POW1.png
https://i.ibb.co/hgBdZ67/1973-Vietnam-POW2.png
Edward Damme had been captured early on. It was surprising he had lived, though he was nothing more than bones.
https://i.ibb.co/87gqfzz/1973-Vietnam-POW3-Edward.png
Richard SHelton had also been taken with Edward. He too was nothing but skin and bones.
https://i.ibb.co/mbdbFFr/1973-Vietnam-POW4-Richard.png
Charles hadn't been a prisoner long. He did lose some weight but not as much as the others. He was captured within his first week of Vietnam. Charles was glad to see Edward was still alive and wished he could tell his family. He didn't leave Edward's side from the moment he arrived in the camp.
https://i.ibb.co/bQ5T382/1973-Vietnam-POW5-Charles.png
Steven knew he had family captured and wanted to be a part of finding them. He was a familiar face for Charles and one they were all happy to see.
https://i.ibb.co/k5yxHXR/1973-Vietnam-POW6-Rescue-Release1.png
https://i.ibb.co/3BkzfrC/1973-Vietnam-POW6-Rescue-Release2.png

Richard's Return. Richard was very happy to see his wife. He then went and visited his mother Mary spending as much time with the family as possible.
https://i.ibb.co/1ddnN95/1973-Richard-Returns1.png
https://i.ibb.co/QF8Z4pc/1973-Richard-Returns2.png
https://i.ibb.co/y86hkr8/1973-Richard-Returns3.png

He learned everything about the family he had missed. While he felt the sting of the war, probably worse than some as a POW, he could understand why his brother Michael ran off and why James went crazy. He then went to visit James and invited him to live with him along with his children in hopes that it will help heal both of them and what they had lost in this war.
https://i.ibb.co/1qTHbCx/1973-Richard-Returns4-Invites-James1.png
https://i.ibb.co/1YV6GKX/1973-Richard-Returns4-Invites-James2.png
https://i.ibb.co/FqkW88v/1973-Richard-Returns4-Invites-James3.png
https://i.ibb.co/5hSgXmz/1973-Richard-James-Family.png

Edward returned and first embraced his family. He had learned of his daughter's death and how Chiyo hadn't even seen their grandchild. He didn't know what to feel, sad and hurt or anger. He scolded Chiyo and told her that they will have their grandson in their lives and that Jude was welcome. Their relationship felt distant after and Edward didn't know how to be with her anymore. He was very proud of his son for taking care of her and checking in on Christopher at his Uncle Art's home.
https://i.ibb.co/xfVC0F0/1973-edward-Returns1.png
https://i.ibb.co/3SJ9pyq/1973-edward-Returns2.png
https://i.ibb.co/HF1R3h7/1973-edward-Returns3.png
https://i.ibb.co/pf16TMM/1973-Edwardinvites-Jude1.png

He sought out Jude making his apologies for his wife's behavior and offered Jude and Christopher their home. Jude was reluctant but he had to do what he thought was best for his son and he knew Sayuri would approve. So Jude and Christopher moved in. Edward had a separate home built next door so he could be close to them.
https://i.ibb.co/F3q7CBm/1973-Edwardinvites-Jude2.png
https://i.ibb.co/PN45mVG/1973-Edwardinvites-Jude3.png
https://i.ibb.co/dtCYQr1/1973-Edwardinvites-Jude4.png
https://i.ibb.co/r66HNZQ/1973-Edwardinvites-Jude5.png
https://i.ibb.co/31btG5q/1973-Edward-Family.png

Jude let Chiyo know exactly how he felt. She could do nothing but tell him how sorry she was and try harder, better for the future.
https://i.ibb.co/PGvgw19/1973-Judeconfronts-Chiyo1.png
https://i.ibb.co/WyjzPCb/1973-Judeconfronts-Chiyo2.png

Edward also visited most of the family paying his respects to everyone who had served and everyone who had lost their lives. He attended Michael Wellington's funeral.
Ernest and Sophia were inconsolable. James Wellington was so upset he left early and went home to grieve on his own. Helena had gone to check on him but he kept to himself and wanted to be left alone most of the time after losing his kid brother.
https://i.ibb.co/3kgqS0G/1973-Michael-Wel-Funeral1.png
https://i.ibb.co/6nCdDhc/1973-Michael-Wel-Funeral2.png
https://i.ibb.co/GMcM5s7/1973-Michael-Wel-Funeral3.png

Twins Linda and Michael turn 30. Linda had to celebrate without her brother has he had dodged the draft and had to remain out of country.
https://i.ibb.co/BThbk0t/1973-Linda-Bertram30-Bday1.png

Teresa Damme turns 18.
https://i.ibb.co/mtWWsJ2/1973-Teresa18-Bday1.png
https://i.ibb.co/h1sqT9L/1973-Teresa18-Bday2.png
https://i.ibb.co/8XD4SvF/1973-Teresa18-Bday3.png

Brian Wellington ages up.
https://i.ibb.co/QbZJ30X/1973-Brian-Welagesup1.png
https://i.ibb.co/3zKLg8j/1973-Brian-Welagesup2.png
https://i.ibb.co/Xpy6jXN/1973-Brian-Welagesup3.png

Fae becomes an adult and Warren invites the family over for Thanksgiving. Steven came home for a short holiday but returned to Vietnam after. He felt he could help though everyone was against it and no one understood this war.
https://i.ibb.co/Trr6gxq/1973-Faeagesup1.png
https://i.ibb.co/GdHDvv6/1973-Faeagesup2.png
https://i.ibb.co/HDTkNGT/1973-Damme-Gathering1.png
https://i.ibb.co/rknJH7v/1973-Damme-Gathering2.png
https://i.ibb.co/vVJ6Q1s/1973-Damme-Gathering3.png
https://i.ibb.co/WyWhLFZ/1973-Damme-Gathering4.png

Triplets Amy, Melissa, and Jason Hughes are born.
https://i.ibb.co/xLtCnTx/1973-hughes-Tripletes1.png
https://i.ibb.co/hK0gH0Y/1973-hughes-Tripletes2.png

Edward turns 50. He was glad to be home for this birthday.
https://i.ibb.co/kmkc9QB/1973-Edward50bday1.png
https://i.ibb.co/L9cKrPP/1973-Edward50bday2.png

Frances turns 80 and has her Death Roll. This lucky lady gets to live another year. (In fact, I think I'll wait till she's 85 to have another DR).
https://i.ibb.co/ccBn5NJ/1973-Frances80-DRLives.png

And lastly, at the very end of the year, Matthew Wellington is born. James names him Matthew Michael Wellington.
https://i.ibb.co/6Rb68fg/1973-Matthew-Well-Born1.png
https://i.ibb.co/MkMVTkb/1973-Matthew-Well-Born2.png