BY Caitlin Millat DAILY NEWS WRITER — Capt. Richard Phillips, held at sea by pirates for five days, was given a hero’s welcome as hundreds packed a Vermont picnic honoring him.

“Thank you!” the crowd shouted as the Maersk Alabama skipper arrived at the Jericho, Vt., ceremony near his hometown of Underhill.

The captain – who says he never expected to survive his ordeal – said he was overwhelmed by the public’s support.

“This is a true American community, and a true caring for each other,” he said.

Phillips, 53, wore a cap bearing the name of the Bainbridge, the Navy ship that rescued him from buccaneers who stormed the Maersk and took him hostage on a lifeboat.

Vermont’s governor declared it “Capt. Richard Phillips Day.” Strangers drove for hours to attend the potluck in the park.

“He’s a hero,” said Livy Strong, who organized the event.

In a “Today” show interview that airs Tuesday, Phillips downplays his heroism, saying it was the Navy SEALs who killed his captors that truly saved the day.

“They did an impossible job,” Phillips says.

Only one pirate survived the Navy sharpshooters’ attack, and he has been brought to New York for prosecution on piracy charges.

The failed Maersk takeover has not deterred other Somali pirates, who are still wreaking havoc in the Gulf of Aden.

Another band of sea bandits seized a German ship early Saturday, The Patriot, which reportedly has 17 crew members on board.

Pirates also released a Greek vessel, MV Saldanha, after they were paid $1.9 million in ransom, a pirate source said.

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