Dieter dengler was born on 22 may 1938 in badenwurttemberg, germany. The battle behind bars naval history and heritage command. Dieter dengler, a pow who escaped a laotian torture camp during the vietnam war and chronicled his experience in the book escape from. Dieter dengler s a1 skyraider was shot down over laos during a secret bombing mission. Dengler documented his experience in the book escape from laos. I asked henderson to describe dieters state of mind during this period. Eugene debruin, who escaped from a pow camp in southern laos along with u.
Dieter denglers a1 skyraider was shot down over laos during a secret bombing mission. Navy lieutenant dieter dengler christian bale is shot down over the thick laotian. Dieter dengler may 22, 1938 february 7, 2001 was a germanborn united states navy aviator during the vietnam war and later a private aircraft test pilot and commercial airline pilot. Bruce hendersons quest to tell dieter denglers life story. My editions one map shed no further geopgrapical light on the situation. Dengler escapes his surprisingly undisciplined guards easily enough. The story behind one pows incredible escape from vietnam by zoe brennan. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the persons given name s to the link. Excerpt from dieter denglers book, escape from laos arlington national cemetery website page for dieter dengler little. The film stars christian bale, and is based on the true story of germanamerican pilot dieter dengler, who was shot down and captured by villagers. When questioned, dengler told leonard that he was a navy lieutenant jg. Herzogs film is starkly at odds with dieter denglers own book escape from laos, and denglers statements in the documentary little dieter needs to fly 1997, when it comes to the character of gene debruin. Bruce henderson knew dieter dengler and interviewed him for his wellwritten and heavily researched book hero found. Dieter dengler may 22, 1938 february 7, 2001 was a germanborn united states navy.
An american pilot shot down over laos in 1966 tells of his inhumane treatment and torture at the hands of the communist pathet lao and his daring escape from a prison. But there was no reason to devalue and defame debruin to tell denglers story. Six months later he escaped from the hell of the prison camp. What happened to gene debruin how hollywood robbed an. Humble host reminds that the lieutenant who escaped captivity and was rescued was lt dieter dengler, a va145 spad driver, operating from uss ranger, who was shot down and captured by the pathet la0 in laos on 1 february 1966. Six months later he escaped from the hell of the prison camp, along with six other men. Lieutenant jg dengler, keenly aware of the hazardous nature of the escape attempt, boldly initiated the operation and contributed in large measure to its success. Rescue dawn tells true story of vietnam pow rescue u. Lieutenant dengler, played by actor christian bale, was captured and subjected to brutal torture. I recently picked it up and read it again to see if it was just. Dieter dengler and duane martin arrived at the prison about two and a half years after gene and the others were shot down. Dieter denglers great escape from laotian pow camp historynet. Buy escape from laos reprint by dengler, dieter isbn.
He described debruin as a strong leader and peacemaker when differences threatened their. Dieter dengler biography facts, childhood, family life. Dieter dengler interview the truth about rescue dawn youtube. Dieter, a recurring character on saturday night live played by mike myers and host of a fictional german television show skit called sprockets other edit dieter. He was rescued after 23 days on the run following six. After months of imprisonment and torture he escapes. He later chronicled his experience in the book escape from laos. Dieter dengler, shipmate and friend bruce henderson. Accepted into the flight training program, he was eventually assigned to fly douglas ad skyraiders. Bruce hendersons book about dieter dengler, hero found.
Dieter dengler, who was shot down in 1966 during a topsecret mission to destroy viet cong. Dengler was a navy pilot when his reconnaissance plane was shot down in. Twenty days later, alone, racked by hallucinations and disease, he was rescued. He escaped on 29 june and evaded recapture until rescued by chance 23 days later. Dieter dengler interview the truth about rescue dawn.
He was one of two survivors, the other being phisit intharathat, out of seven prisoners of war pows who escaped from a pathet lao prison camp in laos. He was rescued after 23 days on the run 1 following six. A day later, while attempting to signal rescuers flying above heavy jungle territory controlled by the pathet lao and north vietnamese army regulars, dengler was captured. Dieter dengler, shipmate and friend may 17, 2010 by bruce henderson 2 comments in early 1966, on the aircraft carrier ranger in the gulf of tonkin off the steamy coast of north vietnam, i was a 19yearold aerographers mate, taking weather observations, plotting weather maps, and launching weather balloons.
Prisoner escapes harrowing torture during vietnam war. However, the movie takes liberties that are offensive to anyone who is. Martin and navy pilot lieutenant dieter dengler joined the pows in. By february 1966 us air force pilot 1st lieutenant duane w. He grew up in the small town of wildberg in the black forest region of germany. Despite being the new man on the scene, dieter dengler manages to formulate the plans for escape and lead the group out of the prison. Dengler was shot down over laos, and held captive until his.
Steven dengler born 1968, canadian entrepreneur and investor this page lists people with the surname dengler. The movie is vaguely based on the book, escape from laos written by dieter dengler. He also told me many stories that are not in the book. September 16, 1966 represents a specific, individual, material embodiment of a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in biddle law library university of pennsylvania law school. When he grew up, he saw an ad in an american magazine looking for pilots to join the air force. The greatest pow escape of the vietnam war, published by. The film stars christian bale, and is based on the true story of germanamerican pilot dieter dengler, who was shot down and captured by villagers sympathetic to the pathet lao during an american military. Dengler did not know his father, who was killed while serving in the wehrmacht during world war ii. If herzog was so intent on twisting events and characters for dramatic purposes, he could have used fake names for fake personas. Dieter never, ever described gene debruinwho sacrificed himself to help his friend y. In 1965 his squadron was flying missions off the deck of. Tortured with razorsharp bamboo and fed alive to ants.
In february, 1966, navy lieutenant dieter dengler was shot down over laos and captured by the pathet lao. When an unplanned situation developed while the escape operation was being executed, he reacted with the highest. The movie is about lieutenant denglers capture and escape. Lieutenant junior grade dieter dengler, united states naval reserve navy cross the president of the united states takes pleasure in presenting the navy cross to lieutenant, junior grade dieter dengler, united states naval reserve, for extraordinary heroism during an extremely daring escape from a prisoner of war stockade in laos on 30. A movie version of denglers life, little dieter needs to fly, was made by german filmmaker werner herzog and screened at the mill valley film festival in 1997. Johannes stark, novel prizewinning german physicist. I read it in part because i just finished john mccains faith of my fathers, which covers his five years as a pow in vietnam. Bruce hendersons latest book recounts navy pilot lieutenant dieter denglers personal journey from preworld war ii germany, through his experience as the only u. When his military obligation was satisfied, he resigned from the navy and applied for a position as.
To orientate ourselves, efl is the tale of a navy pilot, dieter dengler and his escape from a pathet lao pow camp in eastern laos. Rescue dawn, eugene debruin and dieter dengler bruce. After his capture, indradat and the other prisoners were moved from camp to camp. The hollywood version of this extraordinary and emotional documentary is released on july 24th in 2007 and the role of dieter dengler was played by christian bale. Dieter dengler was a germanborn united states navy aviator who was the first captured u. The real gene debruin played in the movie by jeremy davies was spoken of highly by dengler. He was one of two survivors, the other being phisit intharathat, out of seven prisoners of war who escaped from a pathet lao prison camp in laos.
The ranger and its warplanes, including the skyraiders of va145, had just repositioned from dixie to yankee station following a short workup off the waters of south vietnam in the south china sea. Dieter dengler is the subject of the book, hero found by bruce henderson. He was tortured with razorsharp bamboo, fed alive to jungle ants and halfdrowned in a freezing well. Lieutenant, junior grade dengler nas pensacola, 29 july 1944, where many pilots were trained. Rescue dawn is a 2006 american epic war drama film written and directed by werner herzog, based on an adapted screenplay written from his 1997 documentary film little dieter needs to fly. Immigrant pilot dieter dengler made a harrowing escape from a pow. On february 2nd of 1966, us navy lieutenant dieter dengler was flying his first combat mission over north vietnam from the carrier u.
Dieter dengler was an american citizen who was born in germany in 1938. Dieter dengler, a pow during the vietnam war, chats with steve zahn, who plays air force 1st lt. In may 1964, they managed to escape for three days, but were caught at a watering hole. Dieter denglers escape from the pow camp and survival in the laotian jungle is certainly still heroic. Forbes reports that as a boy, dieter dengler had witnessed the allied bombings of his village in germany. A day later, while attempting to signal rescuers flying above heavy jungle territory controlled by the pathet lao. The real dieter dengler story not mooseshits bullshit. Henderson, who was serving on the same ship as dengler at the time he was shot down, tells denglers life story in a 2010 nonfiction book, hero found.
Denglers experience as a pow during the viet nam war. The story behind one pows incredible escape from vietnam. Flying low over the dangerous and impenetrable laotian jungle on a bombing mission against the viet cong, u. Having been diverted from his primary target over north vietnam due to heavy cloud cover, u. Escape from laos is dieter denglers account of the time he spent as a pow in laos, including his escape. Dieter dengler, who was shot down in 1966 during a topsecret mission to destroy viet cong strongholds in laos. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life and achievements. After being shot down over laos, pow dieter dengler organizes an escape and. Lieutenant dieter dengler christian bale who is shot down in 1966 while flying a combat mission during the vietnam war.
Now a new film tells the story of the vietnam wars most incredible escape. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Air force colonel eugene deatrick saw a lone figure waving to him from a clearing below. The tail section of the crashed aircraft in the rice paddy is most likely that of a north american at6 which has rounded vertical and horizontal tail profiles. Dieter dengler was born in wildberg, germany, on may 22, 1938. German born pilot dieter dengler was shot down in laos. His lifelong dream to be a pilot led him to first join the air force, and then the navy. The goal of herzog is to try and record, as accurately as possible, the life and the ordeals of dengler. Dieter dengler, a pow who escaped a laotian torture camp during the vietnam war and chronicled his experience in the book escape from laos, has died. Dengler returned to california, and has written a book, escape from laos. Hollywood has long taken liberties when it comes to telling true stories and depicting real lives, but in werner herzogs film, rescue dawn, his overthetop depiction of a wisconsinbred american pow held captive in laos was egregious.
Sense of history drives writer to tell pow tale sfgate. Discover book depositorys huge selection of dieter dengler books online. Dengler wrote about his captivity and flight in the book escape from laos, which was published in 1979 by presidio press. Dieter dengler in a 2000 interview on the real gene debruin.
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