Jeremiah Andrew Denton Jr.
Senator, Alabama
In office January 1981–January 1987
Preceded by	Donald W. Stewart
Succeeded by	Richard Shelby
Born	July 15, 1923 Mobile, Alabama
Political party	Republican

Jeremiah Andrew Denton Jr. (born July 15, 1924 in Mobile, Alabama) is a retired U.S. Navy admiral and U.S. senator of the Republican party. He spent almost eight years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and later wrote a book about his experiences. Image File history File links Jdenton. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ... January is the first month of the year and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January is the first month of the year and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Donald Wilbur Stewart (born February 8, 1940) was a U.S. senator from the state of Alabama. ... Richard Craig Dick Shelby (born May 6, 1934) is an American politician. ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Nickname: The Azalea City Coordinates: Country US State Alabama County Mobile Founded 1702 Incorporated 1814 Mayor Sam Jones Area    - City 412. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Democratic Party. ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... Year 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Nickname: The Azalea City Coordinates: Country US State Alabama County Mobile Founded 1702 Incorporated 1814 Mayor Sam Jones Area    - City 412. ... Seal of the U.S. Senate Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      Senate composition following 2006 elections The United States Senate is... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ...

Military career

Denton attended McGill Institute and Spring Hill College and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1946. 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 squadron commander. 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, South 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. McGill-Toolen Catholic High School   McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, located in Mobile, Alabama, is a private co-educational high school operated by the educational system of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile. ... Spring Hill College is a private, co-educational Roman Catholic Jesuit college in the United States. ... The United States Naval Academy (USNA) is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps and is in Annapolis, Maryland, near Washington D.C. The Academy often is referred to simply as Annapolis although naval officers normally refer to it in conversation... The Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC) located in Norfolk, Virginia, was established as the Armed Forces Staff College in 1946 and incorporated into the National Defense University in August 1981. ... The Naval War College. ...   See Washington University (disambiguation) for institutions with similar names. ...

While serving as Naval aviator during the Vietnam War, Denton was shot down and captured on July 18, 1965. He was held as a prisoner 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 gave, as a prisoner, in Hanoi. During the interview he blinked his eyes in morse code to spell out the word "torture" to communicate that his captors were torturing him. 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." For this act of resistance, he would be awarded the Navy Cross. Naval Aviator Insignia A United States Naval Aviator is a pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 166 days remaining. ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN), or less commonly, Vietnamese Democratic Republic (Vietnamese: Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cá»™ng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was proclaimed by Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, September 2nd1945 and was recognized by the Peoples Republic of China and the... Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Ná»™i)  , estimated population 3,058,000(2004), is the capital of Vietnam. ... 1922 Chart of the Morse Code Letters and Numerals Morse code is a method for transmitting information by using standardized sequences of variously spaced short and long elements for the characters and words in a message. ... Torture is defined by the United Nations Convention Against Torture as any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he... The Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the second highest medal that can be awarded by the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. ...

Capt. Denton at Clark Air Base, Philippines, after his release as a POW.

Finally in 1973, he was released from prison and on stepping off the plane, as a free man back in his home country, he 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." Image File history File links J_Denton_speech. ... Image File history File links J_Denton_speech. ... Clark Air Base is a former U.S. Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, now known as the Clark Special Economic Zone. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ...

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. The term Rear Admiral originated from the days of Naval Sailing Squadrons, and can trace its origins to the British Royal Navy. ... When Hell was in Session is a book written by American POW Jeremiah Denton. ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... Holbrook as Twain, 1957. ...

Political career

In 1980, Denton ran as a Republican for a U.S. Senate seat from his home state of Alabama and achieved a victory over Democrat James E. Folsom Jr. (who had defeated the incumbent in the primary) aided by Reagan's coattails. In doing so, he became the first and only retired admiral to be elected to the Senate. In the Senate, he compiled a solidly conservative, pro-life and pro-national security voting record. In 1986, he narrowly lost his bid for reelection to Richard C. Shelby, who was then a Democrat. 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ... James Elisha Folsom, Jr. ... When Ronald Reagan was elected president of the United States in the 1980 election, his victory was accompanied by the change of 12 seats in the U.S. Senate from Democratic to Republican hands. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Office: Senior Senator, Alabama Political party: Republican Term of office: January, 1987–Present Preceded by: Jeremiah Denton Succeeded by: Incumbent (2011) Date of birth: May 6, 1934 Place of birth: Birmingham, Alabama Marriage: Annette Nevin Shelby Richard Craig Dick Shelby (born May 6, 1934) is an American politician. ...

In 2004, Denton became a vocal critic of Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), a fellow Vietnam War naval veteran. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... Al Gore (born December 11, 1943) is a Vietnam Veteran and the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ...

Navy Cross Citation

Navy Cross

"The Navy Cross is presented to Jeremiah A. Denton, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy, for extraordinary heroism while serving as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from February 1966 to May 1966. Under constant pressure from North Vietnamese interrogators and guards, Rear Admiral Denton (then Commander) experienced harassment, intimidation and ruthless treatment in their attempt to gain military information and cooperative participation for propaganda purposes. During this prolonged period of physical and mental agony, he heroically resisted cruelties and continued to promulgate resistance policy and detailed instructions. Forced to attend a press conference with a Japanese correspondent, he blinked out a distress message in Morse Code at the television camera and was understood by United States Naval Intelligence. Displaying extraordinary skill, fearless dedication to duty, and resourcefulness, he reflected great credit upon himself, and upheld the highest traditions of the Naval Service and the United States Armed Forces." Image File history File links Navycross1. ... Image File history File links Navycross1. ... The Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the second highest medal that can be awarded by the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. ...

External links

• Admiral Jeremiah Denton Foundation