Born in Germany, Dieter Dengler was a U.S. Naval Aviator who was shot down over Laos and captured during the Vietnam War. After six months of torture, imprisonment, and 23 days on the run, he became only the second captured US airman to escape during the war. But Dengler was on the move his entire life.

Early Life in Germany

Life started for Dengler in a small village in Germany's Black Forest region. Dieter Dengler's parents were Ernst Dieter Dengler and Barbara Wagner. His father, Ernest, a bookbinder by trade, was drafted into the German Wehrmacht in 1939 which was the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany. Little is known of his death in combat operations between Germany and the Soviet Union in the Balkans. Earnest was killed on the Eastern Front during the winter of 1943/1944. His Mom, Barbara Wagner, born in 1930, was a German housewife who raised Dieter and his brothers after her husband's death.

Dengler's village was bombed and the family home was destroyed during World War II. Barbara kept the boys together moving to Calw, Germany, where other family lived. Calw was 20 miles west of Stuttgart and the largest town in the district. Dengler said that his mother was his greatest inspiration. She was a strong and resourceful woman who taught him the importance of perseverance and determination.

Dieter's childhood was marked by poverty and hardship. The family lived in a small apartment and struggled to find food. Dieter and his brothers (Klaus and Martin) would often scavenge for scraps and leftovers. They also pulled down wallpaper adhered with wheat paste from bombed-out buildings so their mother could boil it for nutrients. Dieter learned skills growing up such as scavenging and scrapping.

At the age of 14, Dieter became a blacksmith's apprentice. The work was hard and dangerous; the blacksmith and other apprentices would often beat Dieter. However, Dieter later credited the blacksmith with teaching him valuable lessons about discipline, self-reliance, and toughness. The life of a widower and her sons after the war did not look like it would improve. At age 16, after the war, an American bookmobile came to Calw and Dieter saw a magazine seeking American pilots for the military. That became his big dream.

The area of Wilberg, Germany, was a small world for Dieter who had big dreams. Even today its population is only about 10,000 people. It is located about 12 miles southwest of Stuttgart and within 100 miles of the French border. In the years leading up to the war, Wildberg was a popular tourist destination. In the 1940s, the town was bombed by the Allies several times, and many of its residents were forced to evacuate.

Many of Wilberg's residents were involved in the war effort. Some served in the German military, while others worked in factories that produced war materials. The town also housed a number of refugees from other parts of Germany that had been bombed. Dieter's grandfather is reported to be the only person in that small village to vote against Adolf Hitler.

To better understand Dengler's need to leave Wilberg, you need to understand life in Calw around the 1940s and 1950s. It was a town of 6-7,000 people. During the war, food and other essential goods were rationed; and there was a small concentration camp of Jewish women that assembled parts for the war effort. In Calw during the 1950s, its main industries were textiles, metalworking, and wood processing.

It was a close-knit community. They knew their neighbors and had a strong sense of civic pride. The town's location in the Black Forest made it a popular destination for hiking, camping, and skiing. This town also had the closest airport, which was important for this boy who wanted to fly to Stuttgart.

The Dream - America

Despite the challenges, Dieter was a determined and resourceful young man. He dreamed of becoming a pilot. He decided he needed to come to America to fulfill that dream. In 1957, an Aunt from America visited her German side of the family and took a liking to Dieter. She offered to sponsor him to America, suggested he improve his English, and encouraged him to save the $520 needed for steerage passage on a ship. He worked on his English and employed his scavenging skills to obtain metal to sell on the black market.

According to biographer Bruce Henderson in "Hero Found - The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War", this included tossing wheels from the blacksmith shop where he was employed into the river for later retrieval and sale. This "whatever it takes" spirit never left him. Dengler obtained a visa from the US Embassy in Germany and booked passage on a ship to New York City for the two-week voyage. He emigrated to the U.S. in May 1957 with little money and no job. Landing in New York City, like thousands of other immigrants, he had to be startled and excited.

When Dengler arrived in New York City, he was processed by immigration officials. He was asked about his background and reasons for immigrating to the United States. Dengler was admitted to the United States as a permanent resident. This meant he could live and work in the United States permanently. Dengler stated about his dream to come to America:

"I always dreamed of coming to America. I knew it was the land of opportunity, and I wanted to have a better life for myself. I came here with nothing but a dream, but I was determined to succeed."

Dengler's dream to come to America was a dream of freedom, opportunity, and a better life. He achieved his dream, and he inspired others to do the same.

Jumping In

Just 26 days after landing in the States, Dieter joined the U.S. Air Force. He had walked into a recruiting station and asked if he could fly. The recruiter must have laughed saying to this youngster in halting English, "Sure son", and got his signature on the four-year enlistment contract. During basic, he must have realized he was conned, but he would use those four years well; getting his GED, starting community college and after passing the citizenship test, becoming a US citizen. His mechanical skills were put to good use in the motor pool, and he also became a gunsmith and expert marksman. He did not sour on his foal of flying but was determined to find another way to reach that goal. He retained his grab-life-by-the-horns style when departing the Air Force in 1961.

"I had become a United States citizen but my four years ran out before I was assigned to a flying class," wrote Dieter in his autobiographical book, "Escape from Laos". "By then I had a new goal: to pass the entrance test to the navy flight course at Pensacola. This I did, and after extensive training I received orders to Vietnam."

Dieter continued college courses at multiple California community colleges. Girls, partying, surfing, skiing, and lack of funds often got in the way of completing his objective. His brother, Martin, was in California giving him a built-in roommate and mischief maker. The San Mateo Junior College provided grounds school for free, just the price Dengler needed. San Mateo College launched its aeronautics program during the Depression to supply engineers and technicians to the new San Francisco International Airport.

The long-term goal was to be a pilot. The short-term goal was the Naval Aviation Cadet (NAVCAD) program that only required an associate degree. He finally completed his associate degree and got accepted to NAVCAD. It was still a long way to a Navy commission with pilot status. However, the "wildman" was not deterred by military structure and was convinced he would graduate from the program and be a Naval aviator.

Joining the United States Air Navy

In 1963, six years after arriving in America, Dengler joined the Navy, graduated from NAVCAD, and fulfilled his dream of becoming a pilot. In the summer of 1965, he was assigned to Attack Squadron 145 (VA-145). He was flying the single prop attack plane off the USS Ranger. Before the Ranger left for Vietnam, Dengler picked up valuable training at Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training and a fiancé, Marina Adamich. She was a San Mateo College classmate. It was an eventful year for the ladies' man, boozer, wild man, and daredevil. His hardscrabble upbringing in Germany post-war gave him the mentality to seize every day.

Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) Training

In mid-January 1965, Dengler attended SERE training in San Diego. SERE is a training program designed to prepare personnel for survival in hostile environments, evasion from capture, resistance to interrogation and exploitation, and escape from confinement. The goal was to teach officer pilots - many university boys - how to survive in the field. This training was how to avoid capture, live off the land and what to expect if captured.

SERE training includes instruction on finding food, water, and other essential resources in a variety of environments, including forests, deserts, mountains, and arctic regions. Trainees learn how to build shelters, purify water, identify edible plants and animals, and navigate using natural landmarks.

SERE training teaches aviators how to evade capture by enemy forces. This includes skills such as blending in with the local population, avoiding detection, and signaling for help. Trainees also learned how to use camouflage or disguises, and how to create cover and concealment.

If captured, SERE training taught men how to resist interrogation and exploitation. This includes resisting physical coercion, psychological pressure, and deceptive techniques. Trainees are also taught how to protect information, how to minimize revealing sensitive information, and how to maintain mental and emotional resilience.

Personnel are also taught how to escape from captivity. This includes skills such as lockpicking, scaling walls, and evading guards. Learning how to create diversions, and how to use improvised tools and weapons. SERE training for someone like Dengler was not a strenuous ordeal. He was a natural hustler, scrapper, and salvage. Those skills, polished by SERE, would serve him well in Vietnam.

USS Ranger (CV-61)

The USS Ranger that Dengler was assigned to was the second carrier to be named the Ranger. It was commissioned in 1961 and decommissioned in 1993.

The USS Ranger (CV-61) could carry up to 85 aircraft and a crew of approximately 3,000 sailors. This made it one of the largest and most powerful aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy at the time. The USS Ranger's large capacity for aircraft and crew made it a valuable asset to the Navy. It was used extensively in the Vietnam War, and it played a key role in many important operations, including Operation Frequent Wind. Flying off the Ranger were F-4 Phantoms, A-7 Corsairs, EA-6B Prowlers, E-2 Hawkeye; SH-3 Sea King, UH-1 Iroquois and other platforms including the Skyraider attack planes.

Skyraider

Dengler flew the single prop VA-145 Skyraider. Maybe not as glamorous as F4s jets and legendary Corsairs, but a Vietnam workhorse. Attack Squadron 145 (VA-145), was nicknamed the Swordsmen during Vietnam. VA-145 was one of the first squadrons to deploy to Vietnam, arriving in August 1964. The squadron flew a variety of missions, including combat air patrols, interdiction strikes, and close air support. VA-145 was also involved in the rescue of downed aviators, and the squadron earned a number of unit citations for its heroism.

The Skyraider was a rugged and versatile aircraft that was well-suited to the battlefield conditions in Vietnam. It was capable of carrying a heavy payload of bombs and rockets, and it was also able to provide close air support to ground troops. This Douglas Aircraft Company attack aircraft was used by the Navy and Marine Corps. Its wingspan was: 50 ft 9 in (15.47 m) and its length was 38 ft 10 in (11.84 m). Its maximum speed was 320 mph (515 km/h) with a cruising speed of 200 mph (322 km/h). Its range was 900 miles and had armament including guns: 4 x 20 mm (0.79 in) M3 Hispano cannons; rockets: Up to 10 x 5 in (127 mm) HVAR rockets and up to 10,000 lbs (4,545 kg) of bombs.

VA-145 was deactivated in 1993, but its legacy lives on. The squadron's history is a testament to the courage and dedication of its pilots and crews, who served with distinction in Vietnam and other conflicts. The squadron was awarded 13 unit citations for its heroism in Vietnam. VA-145 pilots flew over 9,000 combat missions in Vietnam. The squadron lost 33 pilots and crewmen in Vietnam.

Captivity in Hostile Territory

The US was bombing Laos from 1964 to 1973 as part of a covert attempt by the CIA to force regime change from the communist Pathet Lao, which was allied with North Vietnam and the Soviet Union. Over two million tons of cluster bombs were dropped on Laos.

The Ranger had arrived at Yankee Station in Vietnam on January 31st. On February 1, 1966, during a bombing run near the Laos-Vietnam border, Dieter Dengler's plane was shot down. He was captured and for 7 days was interrogated by a local provincial chief. At first the talk was civil. But things took a violent turn after Dieter repeatedly refused to sign a statement attacking America and its "murderous" policies. Since it was clear he was not willingly going to sign a confession, he was moved and things got even worse.

Dieter's captors tried various forms of torture against him. "The province chief stood up", writes biographer Bruce Henderson.

"He went over to the guards, spoke to them quietly... Finally unleashed, the guards came for Dieter with vengeance. They grabbed him, tied his hands behind his band, took him outside, threw him to the ground under a big tree, and started kicking him... They tied his ankles together, threw the end of the rope over a limb and hauled him up until he was swinging headfirst off the ground... They beat him again until he passed out, and again brought him back for more punishment."

Dengler was held by the Pathet Lao. In the 1960s and early 70s, the Pathet Lao fought a civil war against the U.S.-backed Vientiane regime for roughly six months, winning effective control in the north and east. In the spring of '75, Pathet Lao forces consolidated their power throughout the country. The Vientiane government fell in May 1975, and Pathet Lao leaders formed a new government.

Pathet Lao soldiers brought Dieter to a small camp where he was held with two other American prisoners of war, Duane Martin and Gene DeBruin, and three Thai prisoners, Prasit Thanee, Prasit Promsuwan, and Phisit Intharathat. The prisoners' feet were locked in blocks each night, though they learned how to open the locks with keys they made by melting down toothpaste tubes.

Dengler was a POW from February 1, 1966, to June 29, 1966, when he evaded recapture for 23 days before his rescue on July 20, 1966. As the weeks and months passed, food became increasingly scarce. The prisoners ate rats to supplement their meager portions of rice. "The prisoners felt 'dizzy all the time' at the slightest exertion," notes Henderson. "Besides suffering from malaria and untold other tropical diseases and parasites, they had bouts of dysentery, which left them acutely dehydrated." They also overheard the guards say they would kill the prisoners to avoid having to feed them.

The prisoners decided to escape before they became so weak it would be impossible. They made a scale model of the camp and when enough guards were out of camp to improve the odds of success, they made their move. "In Dieter's mind, there was no contingency for failure," writes Henderson. "If they tried to escape and failed, he expected either to be killed in the attempt - his preference - or executed soon thereafter." Dengler told many people after the war, "We would rather die free in the bushes than die at the communists' hands."

Dengler's Escape

The escape was planned for July 29, 1966. One of the American prisoners, Gene DeBruin, decided to stay behind near the camp with a sick prisoner who had been part of his captured flight crew. He and Dieter said goodbye. DeBruin was never seen again.

Dengler escaped from the Pathet Lao prison camp with seven other prisoners of war. Most of the men were separated after a daring escape from the prison camp that involved grabbing the guards' weapons during lunch and shooting their way out of camp. Dengler stayed with fellow escapee Lt. Duane Martin, a 26-year-old helicopter pilot from Denver, CO. Martin had been captured on December 3, 1965. Only Dengler and a Thai citizen prisoner, Phisit Intharathat, survived the trek to safety.

Duane W. Martin piloted "Dutchy 41", a rescue helicopter participating in the SAR for ESSEX 04. Captain Willis E. Forby piloted an F-105D, after his aircraft was hit and crashed, he was captured on December 3, 1965. Captain Thomas Curtis (Pilot), Airman First Class William Robinson (Flight Mechanic), and Airman Third Class Arthur Black (Pararescueman) were captured after the crash and held in North Vietnam until they were repatriated on February 27, 1973, after seven years in captivity.

All four "Dutchy 41" crew members were awarded the Air Force Cross.

On the appointed day, after receiving the word that the guards were together in the kitchen and without weapons, Dieter gave the signal. They squeezed out of their hut and Dieter made it to the porch. He grabbed two Chinese rifles and a U.S. M-1 carbine, as well as extra ammunition. Dieter felt bullets fly past his head and fired back, shooting a guard who was still armed. Another guard came at him with a machete and he shot him, too. Then it was a sprint into the jungle.

The weather seasons in Laos are monsoon or dry. The monsoon rains, which normally start in May, did not come on time. The escape plan was to attempt the rains. The prisoners decided to finally go, even though the rains were six weeks late and the jungle extremely dry. Dieter and fellow American POW Duane Martin ran into the jungle and became drenches as the monsoon season finally started. After a few days, they saw a helicopter, but the U.S. pilot had not seen them. The days passed and malnutrition became bone-weary hunger. They ate bugs, snakes, and jungle plants, and drank foul jungle water. Weary and famished, Duane took a chance on finding food in a local village. Dieter went along with him.

A boy saw them and shouted, "Americali!" A villager ran to them brandishing a machete. By now weak and unarmed, Duane and Dieter fell to their knees. The villager slashed the machete at Duane's leg and then neck. "A stunned Dieter watched as his friend's dismembered head fell onto the trail, and blood spurted from his neck," wrote Henderson. Duane Martins' remains have never been recovered.

Dieter, seeing his friend Duane Martin beheaded, evaded the next machete blow and ran back into the jungle, where he managed to elude a group of village searchers. He made it back to a makeshift camp and lit a large fire when he saw a C-130 fly over.

The next day, Dieter followed behind an enemy search party looking for him and ate some of their leftovers. Exhausted, he later collapsed in a river. The sound of an engine woke him. He was spotted and U.S. Air Force Captain William "Skip" Cowell piloted the helicopter sent in to investigate. "One thing that struck Cowell as unusual was that they did not have any idea who they were picking up, since no aircraft were reported down in southern Laos that day," notes Henderson. He was 100 miles from where his plane went down.

A hoist was sent down, which Dieter grabbed onto, and he was hauled into the helicopter. Six months after crashing in Laos, Dieter Dengler was free. He sent a message to his future wife: "I escaped from prison. Alive in Hospital. Will be home soon. Love you. Dieter." They would elop to Reno shortly after he returned home.

But Dieter was info a long period of recovery. "When he was admitted to the hospital, Dieter weighed 98 pounds," writes Henderson. "He was found to have two types of malaria, intestinal worms, fungus, jaundice, and hepatitis. Doctors said he was so malnourished that if he hadn't been picked up when he was, he would have 'died that day or the next.'"

Dieter Dengler became a national hero. His story was in every major newspaper and television broadcast. Dengler's escape was a remarkable feat of courage and endurance. It was also a major propaganda victory for the United States. Dengler was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions on February 18, 1966, when he was shot down over Laos, held as a POW, and then spent 23 days in the jungle evading capture.

He was awarded the Navy Cross in July 1967, after he had already been held in captivity for a year. Dieter Dengler's Navy Cross citation states:

Citation:

For extraordinary heroism and fearlessness in action as a pilot in action against enemy forces during a combat mission over Laos on 18 February 1966. Lieutenant (j.g.) Dengler, while leading a flight of two A-1 Skyraider aircraft on a mission in support of ground forces, was attacked by a numerically superior force of enemy aircraft. Despite the overwhelming odds, he aggressively engaged the enemy, shooting down four hostile aircraft and forcing the others to withdraw.

When his aircraft was severely damaged by enemy fire, Lieutenant (j.g.) Dengler was forced to abandon his aircraft and parachute into the jungle. Despite serious injuries sustained during the ejection, he evaded capture for 23 days, living off the land and maintaining his will to survive.

Lieutenant (j.g.) Dengler's extraordinary courage, exceptional airmanship, and indomitable spirit were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Life After Service

Later, Dengler was promoted to full Lieutenant in the Navy before being discharged in 1968. He spent 11 years in the Navy and was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal, and Navy Unit Commendation. For the next 17 years, he went about trying to live a professional life and find a purpose. The effect of the war and POW status was never far behind.

"Dieter was a larger-than-life guy who was always great fun to be around," Henderson explained. "He grabbed life by the throat and ran with it. His magnetic personality was a draw to men, women and children alike; everyone loved being around him. In a real sense, I think he realized he never should have made it out of the jungle, and any years he had now were a bonus and he was determined not to waste them."

True to form, Dengler lived a colorful life post-military service, opening a German restaurant, becoming a pilot for TWA, hoarding a year's worth of emergency food in a cellar, and marrying three times to Marina Adamich (1966-1970), Irene Lam (1980-1984), and Yukiko Dengler (1998-2001). Dengler was survived by two sons, Rolf and Alexander, and three grandsons.

He even traveled back to Laos after the war in 1977, where he was welcomed as a celebrity by the Pathet Lao. He was taken to visit the prison camp from which he had escaped. He wrote a biography and participated in making, "Little Dieter Needs to Fly" (1997) and having a drama film made, "Rescue Down" (2006).

He retired as a commercial pilot before 1985. There can be no doubt that his captivity, torture, and malnutrition in Vietnam impacted his physical and mental health. Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs acknowledges presumptive medical conditions caused by captivity and Agent Orange exposure. The list of POW illnesses is long and reminds one of the cost of service and its toll on prisoners of war:

• Psychosis
• Anxiety states
• Dysthymic disorder (or depressive neurosis)
• Organic residuals of frostbite
• Post-traumatic osteoarthritis
• Heart disease or hypertensive vascular disease
• Stroke and the residual effects
• Osteoporosis
• Beriberi (including the beriberi heart disease)
• Chronic dysentery
• Helminthiasis
• Malnutrition (including optic atrophy)
• Pellagra
• Other nutritional deficiencies
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Peptic ulcer disease
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Avitaminosis
• Osteoporosis

Dengler struggled with at the very least post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after his time as a POW. The nation did not fully understand the impacts of PTSD from 1960-2000. The multiple marriages, the wanderlust, and the looking for an adrenaline rush are all hallmarks of running from the demons. His other medical conditions were simply something he had to live with.

Also unknown at the time was the prevalence of contracting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) which is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Lou Gehrig was a major league baseball player for the New York Yankees who contracted ALS. It causes the death of motor neurons in the spinal cord and muscles. As a result, the body experiences an eventual weakening of the muscles, respiratory failure, and death.

Dieter Dengler was diagnosed in 1999 with ALS. This progressive disease has no cure. Veterans experience ALS at twice the rate of the general population for some unknown reason, irrespective of the era of service. According to biographer Bruce Henderson "Dieter lost the ability to eat or speak coherently. He feared ending up a 'vegetable.'" He decided to end life on his terms on February 7, 2001." His third wife, Yukiko Ichihashi, a former United Airlines flight attendant, helped him dress. He said his goodbyes and his electric wheelchair transported him to a nearby fire station. He could still hold a revolver.

Dieter Dangler was buried in March 2001 at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. The Navy flyover to recognize his service to his adopted country was the final touch for a boy who just wanted to fly. The boy who grew up in Germany hoping to fly planes died an American hero.