SAN ANTONIO, July 3 (Reuters) - Three American defense contractors landed late on Wednesday in Texas, hours after they were freed from years of captivity in the jungles of Colombia.

A plane carrying Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell and Thomas Howes touched down at around 11:15 p.m./0415 GMT at an air force base in San Antonio. The three were then whisked by helicopter to a military medical facility at Fort Sam Houston, an Army post in San Antonio.

Two helicopters landed minutes later at Fort Sam Houston and the three men and several others climbed out of them into the warm Texas night. They then walked briskly onto a waiting bus that took them to the medical facility.

None appeared to need any assistance and no comments were made to the waiting media.

Commenting on CNN as the men got off the helicopter, Amanda Howes said her uncle looked good.

"He looks healthy. He looks tired. He looks just as I remember him," she said. "I can't wait to see him."

George Gonsalves, the father of Marc Gonsalves, added: "Marc looks, he looks pretty thin. Not to mention he looks completely exhausted. But he's alive."

French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, the three Americans and 11 other hostages were freed on Wednesday in a bold rescue from leftist rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC.

The Americans all worked for U.S. defense contractor Northrop Grumman and were captured in 2003 after their light aircraft crashed in the jungles while on a counternarcotics operation.

Amanda Howes said the return of the three showed "there's always hope. There's always hope for everyone."

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