In february, 1966, navy lieutenant dieter dengler was shot down over laos and captured by the pathet lao. Buy escape from laos by dengler, dieter 1997 paperback by dieter dengler isbn. New york times bestselling author bruce henderson, who was serving on the. Twenty days later, alone, racked by hallucinations and disease, he was rescued. The book, escape from laos, is denglers account of the events of that day, and of the seemingly endless days and nights following his shootdown. Rescue dawn tells true story of vietnam pow rescue u. Landing in san francisco, he worked odd jobs until he was. German born pilot dieter dengler was shot down in laos. What happened to gene debruin how hollywood robbed an. After months of imprisonment and torture he escapes.
Find all the books, read about the author, and more. He also told me many stories that are not in the book. If thats true, then the only reason for this book is that dengler was the first prisoner to escape from southeast asia. An american pilot shot down over laos in 1966 tells of his inhuman. Escape from laos by dengler, dieter 1997 paperback. He was one of two survivors the other being pisidhi indradat, out of seven prisoners of war pows, to escape from a pathet lao prison camp in laos. Dieter dengler project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. We spoke about the making of the new film, as well as denglers sometimes.
This book should be mandatory reading for all high school. The reader is thrust into the steaming jungle flora, tortured by sadistic guards, menaced by hordes of insects and subject to unimaginable physical suffering. I read it in part because i just finished john mccains faith of my fathers, which covers his five years as a pow in vietnam. Dieter dengler may 22, 1938 february 7, 2001 was a germanborn united states navy aviator during the vietnam war and later a private aircraft test pilot and commercial airline pilot. But soon, he was taken prisoner by the pathet lao and was marched for two weeks through the jungle enroute to what turned out to be a prisoner camp where he was interned along with five other prisoners. Aug 14, 2007 little dieter needs to fly is the title of the documentary by werner herzog.
Escape from laos by dieter dengler, 9780891412939, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The film stars christian bale, and is based on the true story of germanamerican pilot dieter dengler, who was shot down and captured by villagers sympathetic to the pathet lao during an american military. Dieters story of survival in the jungles of laos was a gripping tale to say the least. If herzog was so intent on twisting events and characters for dramatic purposes, he could have used fake names for fake personas. Learning to fly, dieter dengler speaks about werner herzogs. Little dieter needs to fly is the title of the documentary by werner herzog. Dieter dengler interview the truth about rescue dawn. There is a hollywood version of dieters pow and escape experience.
Sense of history drives writer to tell pow tale sfgate. Dieter dengler biography facts, childhood, family life. Lieutenant dengler, played by actor christian bale, was captured and subjected to brutal torture. Rescue dawn little dieter needs to fly denglers version. Six months later he escaped from the hell of the prison camp, along with six other men. Jan 01, 1979 escape from laos is dieter dengler s account of the time he spent as a pow in laos, including his escape.
I met dieter dengler when i was 14 and he was a guest in our home. Discover book depositorys huge selection of dieter dengler books online. Hes resourceful when it comes to creating tools and originally worked as a toolmaker with the specific intent to learn something useful. Dengler was shot down over laos, and held captive until his. Learning to fly, dieter dengler speaks about werner herzog. Bruce henderson knew dieter dengler and interviewed him for his wellwritten and heavily researched book hero found. A few months after being captured in 1966, dengler and other pows who were being held captive targeted july 4 for their mass escape. Dieter dengler in a 2000 interview on the real gene debruin. Dieter dengler and duane martin arrived at the prison about two and a half years after gene and the others were shot down. An american pilot shot down over laos in 1966 tells of his inhumane treatment and torture at the hands of the communist pathet lao and his daring escape from a prison.
He died on february 7, 2001 in mill valley, california, usa. He was one of two survivors, the other being phisit intharathat, out of seven prisoners of war who escaped from a pathet lao prison camp in laos. Navy pilot dieter dengler and five others in 1966, elected to stay in the vicinity of the camp with a fellow air america crewmen and pow. Hero found is a biography of vietnam war hero dieter dengler. Dieter dengler was born and raised in the small town of wildberg, in the black forest region of the german state of badenwurttemberg. Dieter denglers journey through the jungle, battling starvation and the killing of his friend duane, is engagingly retold. Rescue dawn is a 2006 american epic war drama film written and directed by werner herzog, based on an adapted screenplay written from his 1997 documentary film little dieter needs to fly. Jun 03, 2010 eugene debruin, who escaped from a pow camp in southern laos along with u. He grew up not knowing his father, who had been drafted into the german army in 1939 and was killed during world war ii on the eastern front during the winter of 194344. Jun 20, 2007 rescue dawn is based on the true story of navy lt. Bruce hendersons quest to tell dieter denglers life story.
Dieter never, ever described gene debruinwho sacrificed himself to help his friend y. Denglers experience as a pow during the viet nam war. Hollywood has long taken liberties when it comes to telling true stories and depicting real lives, but in werner herzogs film, rescue dawn, his overthetop depiction of a wisconsinbred american pow held captive in laos was egregious. The greatest pow escape of the vietnam war, published by. It is sad now that he is gone, having passed away earlier this year, but his book at least lives on and keeps him with us. Log in or sign up for facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Escape from laos by dieter dengler 1982, paperback for sale. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Jul 30, 2010 sense of history drives writer to tell pow tale books. He was rescued after 23 days on the run 1 following six. Dieter dengler, shipmate and friend may 17, 2010 by bruce henderson 2 comments in early 1966, on the aircraft carrier ranger in the gulf of tonkin off the steamy coast of north vietnam, i was a 19yearold aerographers mate, taking weather observations, plotting weather maps, and launching weather balloons.
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. Dieter denglers escape from the pow camp and survival in the laotian jungle is certainly still heroic. Dieter dengler, shipmate and friend bruce henderson. The real dieter dengler story not mooseshits bullshit. I asked henderson to describe dieters state of mind during this period. Join facebook to connect with barbara dengler and others you may know. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Bruce hendersons book about dieter dengler, hero found. To orientate ourselves, efl is the tale of a navy pilot, dieter dengler and his escape from a pathet lao pow camp in eastern laos. Escape from laos is dieter denglers account of the time he spent as a pow in laos, including his escape. My editions one map shed no further geopgrapical light on the situation.
If it isnt, then the more interesting story got away. The truth addresses inaccuracies in the movie rescue dawn persondata. Dieter dengler is the subject of the book, hero found by bruce henderson. The book, escape from laos, is denglers account of the events of that day, and of the seemingly endless days and nights following his shootdown, imprisonment, and ultimately, his rescue from the remote jungles of laos. Despite being the new man on the scene, dieter dengler manages to formulate the plans for escape and lead the group out of the prison. The documentary about dieter dengler is really good, too. Dengler, however, adopts a lighthearted perspective on these events, leaving the impression that his laotian travails did not fundamentally change his life. This excerpt tells of this first and last abbreviated mission in the a1 skyraider. On february 1, 1966 the american pilot dieter dengler 19382001 took enemy fire and crashlanded his plane in laos while on a.
Jul 15, 2007 dieter dengler in a 2000 interview on the real gene debruin. Escape from laos by dieter dengler 1982, paperback for. Rescue dawn is based on the true story of dieter dengler, a charismatic pilot who was shot down in laos while on a covert attack mission for the united states navy during the vietnam war. Eugene debruin, who escaped from a pow camp in southern laos along with u. Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone. Our son, rolf, and others in dieters family were in arlington to bury him and rolfs words stay with me, dad would have been proud. Little dieter needs to fly by dieter dengler 1520699. Dengler documented his experience in the book escape from laos. Rescue dawn, eugene debruin and dieter dengler bruce. Buy escape from laos book club bcebomc by dengler, dieter isbn. It is sad now that he is gone, having passed away earlier this year.
Dieter dengler, who was shot down in 1966 during a topsecret mission to destroy viet cong strongholds in laos. Listening to dieter retelling his remarkable escape, no matter how often, was never boring. A movie version of denglers life, little dieter needs to fly, was made by german filmmaker werner herzog and screened at the mill valley film festival in 1997. He was married to yukiko ichihashi, irene lam and marina adamich. Dengler wrote about his captivity and flight in the book escape from laos, which was published by presidio press. At age 18, he left his country with only a few cents to his name and emigrated to the u. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Dieter cares especially about functionality and specifically asks for his equipment to be customised in order to improve the efficiency. Online shopping from a great selection at books store.
Jun 17, 2010 dieters story of survival in the jungles of laos was a gripping tale to say the least. Join facebook to connect with dieter dengler and others you may know. Dieter dengler at the internet movie database excerpt from dieter denglers book, escape from laos arlington national cemetery website page for dieter dengler little dieter needs to fly at the internet movie database rescue dawn at the internet movie database rescue dawn. Dieter dengler was born on may 22, 1938 in wildberg, badenwurttemberg, germany. Dieter dengler, a pow who escaped a laotian torture camp during the vietnam war and chronicled his experience in the book escape from laos, has died. May 17, 2010 dieter dengler, shipmate and friend may 17, 2010 by bruce henderson 2 comments in early 1966, on the aircraft carrier ranger in the gulf of tonkin off the steamy coast of north vietnam, i was a 19yearold aerographers mate, taking weather observations, plotting weather maps, and launching weather balloons. More than a tribute to a naval hero, little dieter needs to fly is an existential biography about one mans dream to become a pilot and how that leads to the unfathomably horrific trial he endures after being shot down and escaping a pow camp in vietnam. Dieter dengler, a pow who escaped a laotian torture camp during the vietnam war and chronicled his experience in the book escape from. As a former army vietnam veteran myself, i was intrigued by all the goingson of an aircraft carrier and have to admit that while reading bruce hendersons story of dieter dengler, i found the book to be an enjoyable learning experience for me. Dieter dengler may 22, 1938 february 7, 2001 was a germanborn united states navy. Escape from laos by dieter dengler, paperback barnes. Duane martin, air america crewman eugene gene debruin and four thai civilian air america crewmen escaped from ban hoeui het pow camp, depicted above, located deep in the laotian jungle. Dieter dengler, born in germany, he only wanted to fly.