Captain Held by Pirates Flying Home to Vermont

UNDERHILL, Vt. Five days after being rescued from the clutches of Somali pirates, cargo ship captain Richard Phillips is headed home. And the "Welcome Home" balloons and signs are already up.The 53-year-old sea captain, who was held hostage for five days after the aborted hijacking of his ship, was expected to fly to Vermont in a chartered airplane, arriving Friday afternoon at Burlington International Airport before being taken to Underhill."He's our hero," said resident David Villeneuve, who put up signs in his yard to welcome Phillips. "He's the best thing to happen to the U.S. in a while."The crew members of Phillips' ship, the Maersk Alabama, flew into Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, D.C., early Thursday.Phillips, who was originally supposed to fly with them, was delayed when the USS Bainbridge, which was carrying him after his rescue by Navy SEALs, diverted to help another pirated ship. He left Kenya on an executive jet, the first step of the long-awaited journey home.