Thanks so much, orion.
Char :)
> hadn't seen it before, if indeed it was ever published anywhere.
Oh, it's been published... won the Pulitzer in '74. The story on it: the soldier you see was a Vietnam war POW, had been for some years. He had just landed on American soil, was asked to go to the microphone and say a few words, and he apparently scanned the audience of well-wishers desperately looking for his family. They weren't there. He was understandably crushed, he thought they had forgetten him.
They were behind the plane, waiting for him to finish speaking, so they could have him to themselves. They had not forgetten him, as you can tell.
Photographer was Sal Veder... and he for *damned* sure deserved the Pulitzer for that one.
To find a decent quality version of the photo you'll need to look in a book... the online versions all seem to be pretty small. Copyright issue, I suppose.