The Last of the Big Three: Fellow POW and Rear Admiral, Jeremiah Denton, Passes Away, Remembered
Another brave and courageous man, Rear Admiral Jeremiah Denton USN (Ret), passed away on March 28, 2014. He was 89 years old.
To his fellow POWs, he was the last of the “Big Three” to pass away (the other senior leaders being Vice Admiral, James Stockdale USN (Ret) and Brig. Gen. Robbie Risner USAF (Ret)). Including another noted senior leader in the camp, Col. Bud Day USAF (Ret), three of them died in the last 12 months at either 88 or 89 years old.
In addition to his military accomplishments, he also served as a U.S. Senator from the state of Alabama.
In this tribute to Admiral Denton’s memory, we’ll share his heroic acts from Lee Ellis’ perspective as a fellow POW. Admiral Denton plays a major leadership role in Lee’s personal POW experience as told in his latest book, Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton; and Denton is a critical figure in Lee’s speeches and writing on the topic of leadership and honor.
Here’s an excerpt from Lee’s book on one of the most courageous acts during the Vietnam War –
“Facing similar propaganda exploitation, CDR Jeremiah Denton endured excruciating torture before finally agreeing to go before the propaganda cameras. Prior to filming, his captors prepped him for several days on what he was supposed to say about America’s ‘cruel and oppressive war.’
Here is his surprising response after their prep work:
At risk of his life, Denton departed from the party-line script and said, ‘… whatever my government is doing, I agree with it, and I will support it as long as I live.’ The V were stunned. Not wanting to lose face with the reporters, however, they allowed Denton to continue answering questions about the daily camp routine. They were unaware that as the cameras rolled, he was blinking his eyes in Morse code: T – O – R – T – U – R – E. The payoff was huge. When the video of the interview went public, it was the first time the U.S. government had accurate information about the treatment of POWs.
Angered by Denton’s departure from the script, but still unaware of his encoded communication, the V displayed their trophy at another staged press conference two weeks later. This time Denton stood up while on camera and walked out. The consequences were severe. The V put Denton in the rope torture and then beat him until he was unconscious.
Denton’s courage is all the more exemplary when one considers that he knew that this type of torture awaited him if he defied his captors. During his seven and a half years in captivity, he never hesitated to provide leadership when he was the SRO of a cellblock or camp. Although that made him a prime target for abuse and exploitation by the enemy, he steadfastly pushed himself and the enemy to the limit. He deliberately kept the torture team occupied, so they would have less time to harass his fellow POWs. Denton’s will to win was motivated by his strong sense of personal and professional commitment, undergirded by his deep faith in God.
On February 12, 1973, Denton was the senior ranking officer (SRO) on the first aircraft to land at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, and he spoke the first public words of the North Vietnam POWs. He stepped to the tarmac and said ‘We are honored to have had the opportunity to serve our country under difficult circumstances. We are profoundly grateful to our Commander-in-Chief and to our nation for this day. God bless America.’“
He represented Lee and the other POWs well in freedom just as he had done so courageously in captivity. We formally salute Admiral Denton and will never forget his commitment to truth, freedom, and authentic leadership to his nation, family, and friends.
Below are a few key articles from other news outlets sharing the life and accomplishments on this great man. Please share his life and courage with others.
Article Links:
C-Span Interview from the G. Gordon Liddy Show
C-Span Interview from the Washington Journal. This includes Denton’s take on “terrorism” in 1985 and was decades ahead of others
