Sunday, November 6, 2011

Welcomed Back By Mother, Girlfriend Baltimore Journalist Mathew #VanDyke Captured In Libya Returns Home #followback

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Baltimore Journalist Mathew  Captured In Returns Home - Baltimore: via 

Baltimore Journalist Captured In Libya Returns Home

VanDyke Welcomed Back By Mother, Girlfriend

POSTED: 1:43 am EDT November 6, 2011
UPDATED: 5:52 pm EST November 6, 2011

BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore journalist who took up arms and the Libyan rebel's cause returned home to a group of thankful family and friends.

Matthew VanDyke, who was captured and imprisoned by Gaddafi forces, arrived at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall airport wearing fatigues and carrying the Libyan flag.
"It's good to be home," VanDyke said Saturday. "It was a long eight months."

VanDyke's mother, Sharon, was jubilant.

"He looks just like himself," she said. "I think he looks good. He's obviously gained some of the weight back."

VanDyke's girlfriend, Lauren Fisher, said he looked just like she thought he would. "But it was so much better to see him in person than in my head," Fisher said.

When VanDyke left in February, he told his mother and friends he was going to Libya to write. At BWI, he admitted he went to fight in the revolution. "My family did not know that when I left," said VanDyke. "You don't tell your mother you're going to go fight in a war."

VanDyke's experience included five months in prison.

"I was supporting the revolution when I was captured," he said. "I was captured in a truck with weapons with three other fighters." He escaped in August and decided to stay and help his Libyan friends.
But while VanDyke was in solitary confinement, U.S. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger and others worked to get him home. He said he kept his sanity by singing Guns N' Roses songs and trying to name all the "Star Trek" characters he knew.
Now that he is back home, VanDyke said his next steps may include training for the next Arab revolution. "There's a lot more to be done," he said.
The VanDyke family had a welcome home dinner planned for Saturday that would feature all his favorite foods. The family also wanted to thank everyone who worked to get VanDyke home.


Read more: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/29695096/detail.html#ixzz1cygxUB3V
Posted by Robby Ball at 5:16 PM