BURNS -- Harney County ranchers Dwight Hammond Jr. and Steven Hammond, fresh from federal prison following a pardon by President Donald Trump, stepped off a private jet Wednesday morning at Burns Municipal Airport to a crush of well-wishers and family.

"There's no way we can thank everybody enough," Dwight Hammond said with his arm around his wife, Susie.

The crowd clapped and let out a chorus of "welcome home" and "we love you."

People started congregating at the airport several hours earlier with American flags, signs and stickers handed out and slapped on cars reading: "Trump freed the Hammonds! He is our president!"

'We supported them from the beginning and today's a big day," said resident Talia Ward, who joined the crowd with daughter Dakota, 9, and son Tyson, 6.

We are live with Steven and Dwight Hammond Jr. at the airport in Burns, Oregon. President Donald Trump on Tuesday pardoned the two eastern Oregon ranchers serving time in federal prison for setting fire to public land in a case that inflamed their supporters and gave rise to the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Posted by The Oregonian on Wednesday, July 11, 2018

The father and son's return to Burns came two and a half years after protesters marched through the city in the middle of southeastern Oregon's high desert to denounce their impending court-ordered return to prison in January 2016. The Hammonds were leaving then to serve out mandatory minimum sentences of five years for setting fires to public land.

The case incited right-wing militias and inspired the 41-day armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

"The whole world knows the name Hammond because of the refuge takeover," said Jason Patrick, who served time on a federal conspiracy charge in the occupation. He was among those waiting at the airport.

Dwight Hammond, 76, and Steven Hammond, 49, were convicted in 2012 of arson on Harney County land where they had grazing rights for their cattle. Both were convicted of setting a fire in 2001, and the son was convicted of setting a second fire in 2006.

Dwight and Steven Hammond are on their way home! #TheHammondsAreFree pic.twitter.com/VSHnNGQYVf — Lucas Cattle Co. (@LucasCattleCo) July 11, 2018

The Hammonds accepted the Pendleton jury verdicts and agreed to waive their right to an appeal. A federal judge initially sentenced the father to three months in prison and the son to one year, ruling that the mandatory minimum set under an expansive federal law punishing terrorism was "grossly disproportionate to the severity of the offenses here.''

They served the time and were out of prison when federal prosecutors challenged the shorter terms. Another federal judge in 2015 sent the ranchers back to complete the sentences.

The nonprofit group Protect the Harvest, founded by oil executive Forrest Lucas to support American farmers, ranchers, outdoor enthusiasts and animal owners, worked behind the scenes with U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, to get the ear of the White House in considering the clemency petitions filed by each Hammond.

"We brought it to the attention of the vice president,'' said David Duquette, a Hermiston resident who serves as national strategic planner for the advocacy group. "Mike Pence and Forrest Lucas are good friends.''

Lucas, the multimillionaire oil magnate and backer of the Indianapolis Colts, and Pence, an Indiana native, have known each other for a long time. Lucas said he spoke to Pence after he was put into contact with Dwight Hammond Jr.

Duquette was so confident something was afoot that he got a hotel room Tuesday in Long Beach, California, near the Terminal Island federal prison where the Hammonds have been held. They walked out of the prison around 2 p.m. Tuesday, about 6 1/2 hours after Trump pardoned them.

Lucas flew to California early Wednesday to bring the Hammonds to Burns in his eight-seater Cessna Citation Bravo. The plane circled the airport and landed about 10:35 a.m. Susie Hammond, with another son and grandson on either side of her, walked slowly to the plane.

When the door of the plane opened, there was a marked, sudden silence among the more than 50 people gathered and watching.

Dwight Hammond Jr. emerged first to his wife's embrace, followed by Steven Hammond.

After hugging their close family members, the two men briefly spoke to reporters and supporters.

As of this month, Dwight Hammond served two years and nine months in prison and 31 months of supervised release. His son served three years and four months in prison and two years of supervised release.

"We're doing a lot of decompressing,'' said Steven Hammond. With a Lucas Oil cap on his head, his hands in the front pockets of his blue jeans and wearing a blue-and-gray plaid shirt, he said he just wanted to hug his family.

"We're still working through it,'' his father said, clasping his wife's hand as he spoke.

Both men thanked the Trump administration and those who lobbied on their behalf and sent thousands of letters they received in prison.

"There's a time when you get to that point where a letter means a lot,'' Steven Hammond said, his voice choking with emotion.

Asked how they did behind bars, Steven Hammond talked of his faith. "You go in survival mode,'' he said. "If God ... if he takes you to it, he'll bring you through it.''

Steven Hammond said he believed those involved in the takeover of the federal wildlife refuge "had good intentions. I don't know how it was received. I was out of the picture at that point,'' noting he was preparing for his return to prison in early 2016.

Dwight Hammond said work still needs to be done to buttress ranchers -- "we're used up, burnt up, gived up.'' Someone in the crowd yelled, "We gotcha!'' followed by applause.

"I hope we can work with the federal government. Maybe start here in Oregon. Without that we are off the trolley,'' the elder Hammond said. "It's not about us two guys standing up here. It's about America.''

Steven's older brother, Lyle Hammond, 52, said his father and brother stayed the night with cousins in California before flying to Oregon.

It's "wonderful" to have them back in the fold, Lyle Hammond said.

The family ranch has been "going as good as normal, but we can use them home. ... We just want to get on with raising cows,'' he said.

With three horses leading the way, the family got into a caravan of cars and returned to the Hammond home in downtown Burns.

Outside the house on Court Avenue, an American flag flew by the front door and a huge banner sat on the front lawn that read, "Thank you President Trump You Freed the Hammonds.''

Another banner hung over the front window that read, "Thank You President Donald Trump! Thank You Greg Walden for all your hard work for the people of Oregon! Thank you Forest (sic) Lucas For Protecting the Harvest! Patriots, March On!''

Later Wednesday, the Hammonds had planned a news conference but canceled it when they got somewhat "spooked" by an unexplained traffic tie-up on a rural highway leading to the venue, their lawyer said. It turned out a contractor had blocked the road for a wide-load truck that came by.

While occupiers of the Malheur refuge celebrated the presidential pardon, public land advocates and federal land management officials expressed concern that it will embolden activists and put park rangers, public land managers and wildland firefighters at risk.

Convicted refuge occupier Jon Ritzheimer, serving a federal sentence of one year and a day for his role in the takeover, wrote in a letter to his wife that she posted on Facebook: "I have said from the very start of all this that if it got the Hammonds out even one day sooner then it was all worth it.''

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said the pardons subvert justice.



"The fed court covering a large swath of the West & Oregon, followed the Rule of Law in overturning the Hammonds' reduced sentences for committing arson on Oregon fed lands," she tweeted. "POTUS, who has not set foot here since being elected, has pardoned them. We can only wonder why."

J. Morgan Philpot, a Utah lawyer who represented Ammon Bundy at trials in Portland and Nevada, is now representing the Hammond family. He said the family is focusing on regaining its grazing permit and considering what legal steps to take that might hasten the process.

The Hammonds also hope to restart a dialogue with policymakers, he said, to protect Western ranchers.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian