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| Jeremiah Andrew Denton Jr. | |
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| In office January 2, 1981 – January 3, 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Donald W. Stewart |
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| Succeeded by | Richard Shelby |
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| Born | July 15, 1924 Mobile, Alabama |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | United States Naval Academy Armed Forces Staff College Naval War College George Washington University |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | Navy Cross Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal Purple Heart Prisoner of War Medal |
Jeremiah Andrew Denton Jr. (born July 15, 1924 in Mobile, Alabama) is a retired United States Navy rear admiral, naval aviator and a former U.S. senator, of the Republican party, for the state of Alabama. He spent almost eight years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and later wrote a book about his experiences.
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Military career
Denton attended McGill Institute and Spring Hill College and graduated from the United States Naval Academy, class of 1947. His 34-year naval career included service on a variety of ships, in many types of aircraft, including airships (blimps). His principal field of endeavor was naval operations. He also served as a test pilot, flight instructor, and commanding officer of an attack squadron flying the A-6 Intruder.
In 1957, he was credited with revolutionizing naval strategy and tactics for nuclear war as architect of the "Haystack Concept," while serving on the staff of Commander, Sixth Fleet, as Fleet Air Defense Officer. Denton graduated from the Armed Forces Staff College and the Naval War College, where his thesis on international affairs received top honors by earning the prestigious President's Award. In 1964, he received the degree of Master of Arts in International Affairs from George Washington University.
While serving as Naval Aviator during the Vietnam War, Denton was Commanding Officer (CO) of Attack Squadron SEVENTY-FIVE (VA-75) aboard the aircraft carrier USS INDEPENDENCE (CVA 62). On 18 July 1965, then-Commander Denton was flying an A-6A Intruder, Bureau Number 151577, from the INDEPENDENCE with his bombardier/navigator, Lieutenant, junior grade Bill Tschudy, to participate in a bombing mission over the Vietnamese city of Thanh Hoa. Their plane was shot down and the two men were captured by hostile forces.
Denton and Tschudy were both held as prisoners of war for almost eight years, four of which were spent in solitary confinement. Denton is best known for the 1966 North Vietnamese television interview he was forced to give as a prisoner, in which he ingeniously used the opportunity to communicate to American Intelligence. During the interview Denton blinked his eyes in morse code to spell out the word "T-O-R-T-U-R-E" to communicate that his captors were torturing him and his fellow POWs. He was also questioned about his support for the U.S. war in Vietnam, to which he replied: "I don't know what is happening now in Vietnam, because the only news sources I have are Vietnamese. But whatever the position of my government is, I believe in it, I support it, and I will support it as long as I live."[1] For his continuous resistance and leadership, even in the face of torture and inhumane conditions, he would be awarded the Navy Cross. While imprisoned, Denton was promoted to the rank of Captain.
Finally, on 12 February 1973, both Denton and Tschudy were released from prison along with numerous other POWs. Stepping off the plane as a free man back in his home country, Denton 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."
Denton's next assignment, beginning in January 1974, was as commandant of the Armed Forces Staff College (now known as the Joint Forces Staff College). He stepped down as commandant in April 1975 but continued to work at the college until he left the military in June 1977.[2]
He retired from the Navy with the rank of Rear Admiral, and would later go on to write the book When Hell was in Session detailing his detention as a POW in Vietnam. The book was later turned into a movie of the same name starring Hal Holbrook.
Political career
Following his retirement from the Navy, Denton accepted a position with the Christian Broadcasting Network as consultant to his friend, CBN founder Pat Robertson, a position Denton held until 1980. During this time, both Denton and Robertson repeatedly expressed military support for the Contra forces in El Salvador.
In 1980, Denton ran as a Republican for a U.S. Senate seat from his home state of Alabama and achieved a surprise victory over Democrat Jim E. Folsom, Jr., who had defeated the incumbent in the primary. In doing so, he became the only retired admiral to be elected to the United States Senate, as well as the first Republican in modern times to represent Alabama in the Senate. In the Senate, he compiled a solidly conservative voting record. He was featured in a 1981 article in Time Magazine called "The Admiral from Alabama".
While serving in the Senate he proposed that men accused of sexually assaulting their wives not be charged with rape, saying in 1982 "dammit, when you get married, you kind of expect you're going to get a little sex."[1]
In 1986, he narrowly lost his bid for reelection to 7th District Congressman Richard Shelby, who later became a Republican in 1994.
External links
- Jeremiah Denton at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Admiral Jeremiah Denton Foundation
- Video of Denton's POW interview from U.S. National Archives — To find this segment specifically, choose Contents > Scenes From Hell > Denton.
References
1. http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/denton.asp
| United States Senate | ||
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| Preceded by Donald W. Stewart |
United States Senator (Class 3) from Alabama 1981–1987 Served alongside: Howell T. Heflin |
Succeeded by Richard C. Shelby |
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