Jeffrey Salazar
Dieter Dengler was a German-born United States Navy aviator who was shot down over Laos and captured during the Vietnam War. He spent six months in a Pathet Lao prison camp in Laos, where he endured torture and deprivation. After his capture, Dengler was marched from village to village and managed to escape once before being recaptured. He was imprisoned in a jungle-shrouded POW camp on February 14, 1966, along with six other prisoners. Dengler and his fellow POWs eventually escaped from the camp and spent 23 days on the run before being rescued. Dengler's story of survival in the jungles of Laos has been featured in a documentary, a book, and a movie.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time spent in POW camp | 6 months |
| Location of the camp | Laos |
| Escape plan | Meticulous preparation, targeting July 4 for their mass escape |
| Number of escapees | 7 prisoners of war |
| Survivors | Dieter Dengler and Phisit Intharathat |
| Escape date | July 20, 1966 |
| Post-escape | Dengler spent 23 days on the run |
| Post-rescue | Dengler was hospitalized and weighed 98 pounds |
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What You'll Learn
Dengler was imprisoned for six months
Dieter Dengler was imprisoned for six months in a Pathet Lao prison camp in Laos during the Vietnam War. Dengler was a German-born United States Navy aviator who was shot down over Laos and captured during the war. He endured months of torture and deprivation, as well as illness, hunger, and regular beatings at the hands of his captors.
Dengler was captured on February 1, 1966, and marched over several days from village to village before finally being imprisoned in a jungle-shrouded POW camp on February 14. He managed to escape once during this time but was recaptured. After his imprisonment, Dengler and the other prisoners decided to plan a mass escape, targeting July 4 as their date. However, they were forced to move up their plans when they overheard the guards planning to kill them due to food and water shortages.
Dengler and his fellow POW Duane Martin escaped into the jungle, where they faced harsh conditions, including torrential rain and a lack of food. They eventually signalled an SOS to a passing C-130 plane, which dropped flares but did not send a rescue team. Martin was killed soon after, and Dengler collapsed by a river. He was rescued by a helicopter sent to investigate and was free six months after crashing in Laos.
Dengler's story of survival in the Laotian jungle received widespread attention, and he became a national hero. He received the Navy Cross, one of America's highest military honours, and shared his story in various media appearances, including a documentary, a book, and a movie. Dengler passed away on February 7, 2001, after a long illness.
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He was tortured and malnourished
Dieter Dengler was imprisoned and tortured for six months in a jungle-shrouded POW camp in Laos during the Vietnam War. Dengler was a German-born United States Navy aviator who was shot down over Laos and captured. He was held in a camp with other American POWs, including 1Lt. Duane W. Martin, who had been aboard a helicopter that went down near the Laos border.
Dengler and the other POWs were subjected to regular beatings, torture, harassment, hunger, and illness at the hands of their captors. They were treated worse than dogs, with Dengler witnessing the beheading of an American Navy pilot and the execution of six wounded Marines. The prisoners were so hungry that they would scavenge leftovers from meals and boil wallpaper to scrape off the wheat paste for nutrients. Dengler himself was severely malnourished, weighing only 98 pounds (44 kg) at the time of his rescue. He was also suffering from two types of malaria, intestinal worms, fungus, jaundice, and hepatitis. Doctors said that if he had not been rescued when he was, he would have died within a day or two.
The prisoners eventually decided to escape due to a severe shortage of food and water, and because they had overheard the guards planning to kill them. Dengler and Martin escaped into the jungle, where they struggled to survive. They built a raft to escape down a river they believed fed into the Mekong, but they ended up going in circles. They set up camp in an abandoned village and tried to signal a passing C-130 plane with lit torches, but no rescue team came. Martin was killed by a villager, and Dengler collapsed in the river.
Finally, Dengler was rescued by a helicopter sent to investigate. He grabbed onto a hoist and was hauled into the helicopter, finally free after six months of captivity. Dengler became a national hero, with his story appearing in major newspapers and television broadcasts. He received the Navy Cross, one of America's highest military honors.
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He escaped and spent 23 days on the run
Dieter Dengler was a German-born United States Navy aviator who was shot down over Laos and captured during the Vietnam War. Dengler was imprisoned in a jungle-shrouded POW camp guarded by Pathet Lao. After six months of imprisonment and torture, he escaped and spent 23 days on the run.
Dengler and his fellow POW Duane Martin escaped into the jungle during the monsoon season. They built a raft and attempted to float down a fast-flowing river, believing it fed into the Mekong. However, they soon realised they had gone in a circle and were no closer to the Mekong. They set up camp in an abandoned village, struggling to start a fire to signal for help due to their malnourishment.
Dengler and Martin spotted several villages but remained undetected. They had brought some rice and were able to scavenge for food, but they were still starving. Dengler eventually located Martin's discarded carbine cartridges and used the powder to start a large fire. When a C-130 plane flew overhead, they waved lit torches to signal for help. The plane circled and dropped flares, but no rescue team arrived.
A few days later, Martin was killed by an Akha villager, leaving Dengler alone. He continued to evade his pursuers, following behind an enemy search party and eating their leftovers. He later collapsed in a river, where he was spotted by Lt. Col. Eugene Deatrick, who was flying a Spad biplane. Deatrick radioed in the information, and a helicopter was sent to investigate. Dengler was hauled into the helicopter and rescued.
Dengler became a national hero, with his story appearing in every major newspaper and television broadcast. He received the Navy Cross, one of America's highest military honours. He later worked as a test pilot for private aircraft and as a commercial airline pilot.
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He was rescued by a US helicopter
Dieter Dengler was a German-born United States Navy aviator who was shot down over Laos and captured during the Vietnam War. Dengler was imprisoned in a jungle-shrouded POW camp guarded by Pathet Lao. He was tortured and starved, and he witnessed the execution of several American prisoners. After six months of imprisonment, Dengler and six other prisoners escaped the camp. They headed into the jungle, where they hoped to be spotted by American aircraft.
Dengler and his fellow escapee Duane Martin were drenched by monsoon rains. After a few days, they spotted a US helicopter. They lit a large fire, and Lt. Col. Eugene Deatrick, flying a Spad, saw them and radioed for help. A helicopter piloted by US Air Force Captain William "Skip" Cowell was sent to investigate. Cowell lowered a hoist, which Dengler grabbed, and he was hauled into the helicopter.
Dengler was in poor health when he was rescued. He was found to have two types of malaria, intestinal worms, fungus, jaundice, and hepatitis. Doctors said he was so malnourished that he would have died within a day or two if he hadn't been rescued. After his rescue, Dengler was taken to a hospital in Da Nang. There, a conflict developed between the Air Force and Navy over who would control his debriefing and recovery, which escalated into a violent confrontation. Dengler was eventually airlifted to the US for medical treatment.
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Dengler became a national hero
Dieter Dengler, a German-born United States Navy aviator, was held captive in a Laotian POW camp for six months during the Vietnam War. After his escape, Dengler became a national hero. His story was featured in every major newspaper and television broadcast, and he received the Navy Cross, one of America's highest military honours. Dengler's extraordinary escape and evasion skills made him a Navy legend.
Dengler's story is one of heroism and courage. He not only endured months of torture and deprivation in the POW camp but also bravely escaped and survived in the oppressive Laotian jungle. During his escape, he even managed to evade a group of searchers and elude recapture. Dengler's survival skills, which he learned as a youth in wartime Germany, undoubtedly contributed to his successful escape and evasion.
Dengler's story is also unique because he was the only American officially listed as captured in Laos in 1964 who managed to escape. He was one of only two captured US airmen to escape during the Vietnam War. Dengler's capture and escape were also notable because they occurred in a region controlled by the Pathet Lao, who were not party to the agreements that ended American involvement in Southeast Asia. This meant that any negotiations for the release of prisoners held by the Pathet Lao would have to be conducted directly with them, which has not happened since.
Dengler's life after his escape from the POW camp is also remarkable. Despite a long period of recovery from his physical ailments, he went on to live a colourful life. Dengler worked as a test pilot for private aircraft and as a commercial airline pilot for TWA. He even returned to Laos after the war. Dengler's magnetic personality drew people to him, and he was known for his larger-than-life attitude towards life. He married three times and eventually passed away on February 7, 2001, after a long illness.
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Frequently asked questions
Dieter Dengler was imprisoned for six months.
Dengler spent 23 days on the run in the jungle before he was rescued.
Dengler was hospitalized and treated for two types of malaria, intestinal worms, fungus, jaundice, hepatitis, and severe malnourishment. He remained in the Navy for a year after his rescue and was promoted to Lieutenant.
Dengler became a test pilot for private aircraft and a commercial airline pilot. He also opened a German restaurant and married three times.
