Jeremiah Denton

US Navy Commander Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr (1965)

Captain Denton giving a speech after returning from Vietnamese captivity

Jeremiah Andrew Denton Jr. (2009)

Jeremiah Andrew Denton Jr. (Born July 15, 1924 in Mobile , Alabama - † March 28, 2014 in Virginia Beach , Virginia ) was an American politician ( Republican ) and admiral in the US Navy . He spent eight years of his life in Vietnamese captivity, about which he also wrote a book.

Career

Military career

Denton attended the McGill Institute Catholic High School and Spring Hill College before studying at the United States Naval Academy from 1946 . In the 34 years of his career he performed naval service on numerous ships and on many aircraft such as zeppelins . He worked mostly on Navy operations, but he also served as a flight instructor, test pilot, and squadron commander.

In 1957 he played a key role in the Haystack Concept , which revolutionized the tactics and use of nuclear weapons in the Navy. During this time he had achieved the rank of commander . Denton finished his studies at the Armed Forces Staff College and the Naval War College , where his work on international affairs , such as International Affairs received the highest recognition by for the President's Award was given. In 1964 he received a Master of Arts degree in international affairs from George Washington University .

During the Vietnam War , Denton was involved in the bombing of Thanh Hóa , where he was captured. He remained in captivity for eight years, four of which he spent in solitary confinement. Denton became famous in 1966 with a television interview he was forced to give as a prisoner and in which he managed to send hidden messages. So he blinked his eyes in Morse code with the word TORTURE , which he used to describe being tortured. He was also asked whether he supported the Vietnam War. He evaded cleverly, but emphasized that he would always stand by his government on this issue. For his continued resistance against the Vietnamese, he was later awarded the Navy Cross .

He was released from captivity in 1973 and, after reaching American soil, gave the following short speech:

“We are honored to have had the opportunity to serve our country under difficult circumstances. We are deeply grateful to our Commander-in-Chief and our nation for this day. God bless America."

He later retired from the Navy with the rank of rear admiral . His book about captivity, When Hell Was In Session , was filmed in 1979 with Hal Holbrook in the lead role.

Political career

Denton with US President Ronald Reagan (1986)

From 1978 to 1980 Denton was the advisor to his friend and CBN founder, Pat Robertson . During this time both spoke out several times in favor of supporting the Contras in El Salvador . In 1980, the former Republican admiral ran for the US Senate and won a seat for his home state of Alabama . He became the first and so far only resigned admiral to be elected to the US Senate. Politically, he represented a conservative and national direction. In 1986 he was narrowly defeated by the conservative Democrat Richard Shelby in re-election .

Denton was critical of presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004 .

literature

• Jeremiah A. Denton, Ed Brandt: When hell was in session . Reader's Digest Press, distributed by Crowell, New York NY 1976, ISBN 0-88349-112-5 (New edition: WorldNetDaily et al., Los Angeles CA et al. 2009, ISBN 978-1-935071-15-0 ).

Web links

Commons : Jeremiah Denton  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

1. ^ Jeremiah A. Denton Jr., Vietnam POW and US senator, dies , Washington Post , March 28, 2014
2. ^ Opinion: Who's Kerry?