39 Facts About Dieter Dengler

Dieter Dengler was a German-born United States Navy aviator who was shot down over Laos and captured during the Vietnam War.

Dieter Dengler became a blacksmith's apprentice at age 14 and was regularly beaten by the blacksmith and the other apprentices.

Dieter Dengler later credited his grandfather's resolve as a major inspiration while he was imprisoned in Laos and a factor in his refusal to sign a document penned by North Vietnam condemning American aggression in Southeast Asia.

In 1956, upon turning 18 and completing his apprenticeship, Dieter Dengler hitchhiked to Hamburg and spent two weeks living on the street before leaving by ship to New York City.

Dieter Dengler enlisted in June 1957 and attended basic training at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas.

Dieter Dengler spent the next two years peeling potatoes, then working as a mechanic for a motor pool.

Dieter Dengler passed the test for aviation cadets but was told that only college graduates were selected to be pilots and his enlistment expired before he was selected for pilot training.

Dieter Dengler enrolled in San Francisco City College, then transferred to the College of San Mateo to study aeronautics.

Dieter Dengler joined the VA-145 squadron while they were on shore duty at the Naval Air Station in Alameda, California.

Dieter Dengler was initially stationed at Dixie Station in South Vietnam before moving north to Yankee Station.

Dieter Dengler reportedly set a record as the only student to gain weight during the course.

On February 1,1966, the day after the carrier began flying missions from Yankee Station, Lieutenant, Junior Grade Dieter Dengler left the Ranger with three other aircraft on an interdiction mission against a North Vietnamese truck convoy.

Immediately after being shot down, Dieter Dengler smashed his survival radio and hid most of his other survival equipment to keep Vietnamese and Lao search parties from finding it.

Dieter Dengler was apprehended the next day by Pathet Lao troops.

Dieter Dengler attempted to escape but was quickly recaptured while drinking from a spring.

Dieter Dengler was dragged through villages by a water buffalo.

Dieter Dengler was handed over to the Vietnamese and brought to a prison camp near the village of Par Kung.

Dieter Dengler loosened logs under the hut to allow enough room for them to squeeze through.

Dieter Dengler eventually managed to locate Martin's discarded carbine cartridges and used the powder to start the fire.

Dieter Dengler escaped when the villager called for backup and evaded capture despite hallucinating vividly due to starvation.

Dieter Dengler returned to the abandoned village where he and Martin had camped and set the huts on fire to get the attention of the nightly C-130.

On July 20,1966, after 23 days in the jungle, Dieter Dengler managed to catch the attention of a US Air Force pilot by using a parachute from one of the flares.

Dieter Dengler persisted and eventually managed to convince the command and control center to dispatch a rescue force.

Dieter Dengler was restrained by the helicopter crew as a precaution and strip searched to ensure he wasn't armed or in possession of a hand grenade.

Dieter Dengler remained in the Navy for a year after his rescue.

Dieter Dengler was promoted to Lieutenant and was trained to fly jets before his resignation from the military.

Dieter Dengler returned to Laos in 1977, where the Pathet Lao welcomed him and took him to visit the camp from which he had escaped.

Dieter Dengler retired as a commercial pilot sometime prior to 1985.

Dieter Dengler struggled with PTSD for the rest of his life.

Dieter Dengler was buried at Arlington National Cemetery and a Navy honor guard and a fly-over by Navy F-14 Tomcats were present at his burial.

Dieter Dengler was married three times: to Marina Adamich, to Irene Lam, and to Yukiko Dieter Dengler.

Dieter Dengler is survived by three sons, Rolf, Alexander, and Ryan, and three grandsons.

Dieter Dengler was a contestant on the January 30,1967 episode of I've Got a Secret, where his secret was that he escaped from a POW camp in Laos.

Dieter Dengler discussed issues pertaining to prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action in Christopher Olgiati's 1988 documentary We Can Keep You Forever.

Dengler was the subject of Werner Herzog's 1997 documentary Little Dieter Needs to Fly.

The film showed Dieter Dengler to be the primary mastermind behind the escape, meaning the roles of the rest of the prisoners were downplayed, despite the reality that Dieter Dengler was brought into the escape plans at least a month after his arrival in the prison camp.

Dieter Dengler documented his experiences in Escape From Laos, a book published with Presidio Press in 1979.

Dieter Dengler was the focus of Bruce Henderson's 2010 book Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War.

Dieter Dengler was the recipient of the following medals and decorations:.