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The Future U.S. Senator Who Exposed Vietnam War Atrocities By Blinking
As a POW, Jeremiah Denton became a war hero by many actions, including getting an important message home by blinking
The Vietnam War was both deadly and costly, also spreading authoritarian wariness throughout the United States. It was a conflict that dragged on during American involvement and by the end it was difficult to identify winners. Many soldiers fought, suffered and died, becoming heroes because of their actions and sacrifices. One of the most unique was Jeremiah Denton, a future Senator, who was held in Vietnam as a POW for more than seven years, but during his time in captivity was able to alert the world to horrible atrocities being committed just by blinking.
Denton was born in Alabama in 1924. He entered the Naval Academy in 1943, graduating as part of the Class of 1947 — with one of his classmates being future U.S. President Jimmy Carter. He served for the next 34 years in the Navy, serving in a number of roles, ultimately attaining the rank of Rear Admiral.
During the Vietnam War, Denton served as an aviator before becoming the Prospective Commanding Officer of Attack Squadron Seventy-Five in February, 1965.
