Posted on 02/11/2010 1:30:36 PM PST by 444Flyer
There are moments in Jeremiah Denton's past that he wishes he could forget. One of the highest-ranking American officers to be captured during the Vietnam War, the retired rear admiral spent seven years and seven months as a POW, four of them in solitary confinement.
Denton, who went on to become a U.S. senator from Alabama, will revisit some of that history Saturday at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle with a lecture on his book "When Hell Was in Session." Recently re-released, the volume is a firsthand account of Denton's time in some of the most infamous prisons of North Vietnam.
"It's hard to go back and dwell upon . . . some things," Denton said last week in an interview. "It's taken a bit out of me."
Denton's lecture is open to the public and coincides with the anniversary of the first days of Operation Homecoming, which brought prisoners of war home from Vietnam. Thirty-seven years ago, Denton stepped off the first plane to land at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. As the senior officer on the flight, he was invited to say a few words.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
In Denton's view, the interview was most significant not for the hidden message that he blinked but for the words that he dared to say aloud.
"Well, I don't know what is happening," Denton told the questioner when asked about his opinion on the Vietnam War. "Well, whatever the position of my government is, I believe in it -- yes, sir. I'm a member of that government, and it is my job to support it, and I will as long as I live."
" 'As long as I live,' " Denton said last week, recalling that exchange, "which I didn't think was very long."
The tape's airing on American television was a significant moment in the war, Sherwood said.
"If we go back to that period, most of what the American public knew about the Vietnam War had to do with Americans doing bad things. . . . In this case, it was an example of . . . Americans suffering as well. . . . If you ask people who fought the war in the '70s, they'll tell you, 'I was fighting the war because I wanted to get our guys back.' "
In retaliation for his comments on camera, Denton's captors tortured him so severely that guards assigned to oversee the session cried..."
God Bless you Sir!
Ping
Found a great thread from 2004 on this American hero.
“Who Is Jeremiah Denton?”
bump
He gave a couple of speeches to my high school in the early 90’s. Great man!
Thank you for posting this.
There is a luncheon and lecture and it is open to the public. You need to make a reservation; see story for the directions and particulars.
Thank you Credo. Good to know.
All the contact info is at the end of the story on page 2.
BTTT
I love this man and I have his book.
God bless him. True American hero and patriot.
He is one of the most inspiring men and leaders to ever grace our nation and our military.
Oh yes. When they were released, I stayed glued to the TV just to watch POW Jeremiah Denton step off the plane.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.