Doug Hegdahl
Encyclopedia
Seaman Apprentice Douglas B. Hegdahl is a former United States Navy
sailor who was a prisoner of war
(POW) during the Vietnam War
. After his early release by North Vietnam
, upon returning to the United States
, he was able to provide the names and personal information about 256 other POWs as well as revealing the conditions in the prison camp.
in the Gulf of Tonkin
, three miles off the coast. He swam until he was picked up several hours later by North Vietnam
ese fishermen who treated him well. Trying to cover for him, his shipmates did not report him missing for two days, so the commanding officer did not know to look for him. Hegdahl was turned over to Vietnamese militia
men who treated him less hospitably, clubbing him repeatedly with their rifles before moving him to the infamous "Hanoi Hilton
" prison.
The interrogators first insisted that Hegdahl was a commando or an agent. His story of being blown overboard seemed unbelievable to the interrogators. Hegdahl quickly realized he'd be much better off if he pretended to be a lowly fool. Hegdahl was slapped around for a few days before convincing his captors that he was of little value to them. His bumpkin demeanor, youthful appearance, and country accent aided in his ability to convince them that he was no threat to them. He was given almost complete run of "the Plantation", a satellite POW camp near the "Hilton".
When asked to write statements against the United States, he agreed, but pretended to be unable to read or write, which was believable to the Vietnamese captors. Thinking they had someone who would be easily turned to their cause, they assigned someone to teach Hegdahl to read. After Hedgahl appeared to be incapable of learning to read and write, his captors gave up on him. Later, he came to be known to the Vietnamese as "The Incredibly Stupid One". Because they thought he was so stupid, the Vietnamese gave him nearly free rein of the camp.
With the help of Joe Crecca, an U.S. Air Force officer and fellow prisoner, Hegdahl memorized names, capture dates, method of capture, and personal information of about 256 other prisoners — to the tune of a nursery rhyme "Old McDonald had a Farm". Hegdahl is still able to repeat the information to this day. According to his senior officer and cellmate, Lieutenant Commander Richard A. Stratton
, Hegdahl also convinced his captors that he needed new glasses and memorized the route from the prison into the city of Hanoi, where he was taken to be fitted.
During his prison stay, Hegdahl sabotaged five trucks by putting small amounts of dirt in their gas tanks. After he was through with them, each of the vehicles had to be towed from the compound.
Hegdahl was one of three POWs who were released from Hanoi on August 5, 1969 as a propaganda move for the North Vietnamese. Although the POWs had agreed that none would accept early release — that they would all be released together — the POWs agreed that Hegdahl's release should be an exception. He was ordered by LtCmdr Stratton to accept an early release so that he could provide names of POWs being held by the North Vietnamese and reveal the conditions to which the prisoners were being subjected.
After his discharge, Hegdahl was sent to the Paris Peace Talks in 1970 — and confronted the North Vietnamese with his first-hand information about the mistreatment of prisoners.
(Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) school based in NAS North Island, San Diego, California
.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
sailor who was a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
(POW) during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. After his early release by North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
, upon returning to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he was able to provide the names and personal information about 256 other POWs as well as revealing the conditions in the prison camp.
Prisoner of War
On April 6, 1967, 19 year old Doug Hegdahl was knocked overboard by the blast from a 5-inch gun mount from the USS CanberraUSS Canberra (CA-70)
USS Canberra was a Baltimore class cruiser and later a Boston class guided missile cruiser of the United States Navy. Originally to be named USS Pittsburgh, the ship was renamed Canberra before launch, for the Royal Australian Navy's County class cruiser, , which was sunk during the Battle of Savo...
in the Gulf of Tonkin
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is an arm of the South China Sea, lying off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.-Etymology:The name Tonkin, written "東京" in Hán tự and Đông Kinh in romanised Vietnamese, means "Eastern Capital", and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam...
, three miles off the coast. He swam until he was picked up several hours later by North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
ese fishermen who treated him well. Trying to cover for him, his shipmates did not report him missing for two days, so the commanding officer did not know to look for him. Hegdahl was turned over to Vietnamese militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
men who treated him less hospitably, clubbing him repeatedly with their rifles before moving him to the infamous "Hanoi Hilton
Hanoi Hilton
Hỏa Lò Prison, later sarcastically known to American prisoners of war as the "Hanoi Hilton", was a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners and later by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War....
" prison.
The interrogators first insisted that Hegdahl was a commando or an agent. His story of being blown overboard seemed unbelievable to the interrogators. Hegdahl quickly realized he'd be much better off if he pretended to be a lowly fool. Hegdahl was slapped around for a few days before convincing his captors that he was of little value to them. His bumpkin demeanor, youthful appearance, and country accent aided in his ability to convince them that he was no threat to them. He was given almost complete run of "the Plantation", a satellite POW camp near the "Hilton".
When asked to write statements against the United States, he agreed, but pretended to be unable to read or write, which was believable to the Vietnamese captors. Thinking they had someone who would be easily turned to their cause, they assigned someone to teach Hegdahl to read. After Hedgahl appeared to be incapable of learning to read and write, his captors gave up on him. Later, he came to be known to the Vietnamese as "The Incredibly Stupid One". Because they thought he was so stupid, the Vietnamese gave him nearly free rein of the camp.
With the help of Joe Crecca, an U.S. Air Force officer and fellow prisoner, Hegdahl memorized names, capture dates, method of capture, and personal information of about 256 other prisoners — to the tune of a nursery rhyme "Old McDonald had a Farm". Hegdahl is still able to repeat the information to this day. According to his senior officer and cellmate, Lieutenant Commander Richard A. Stratton
Richard A. Stratton
Lieutenant Commander Richard Allen "Dick" Stratton was a United States Navy pilot who was shot down over North Vietnam in January 1967 and detained as a prisoner of war. During his captivity, Stratton read a five-page statement criticizing American involvement in Southeast Asia, which led to...
, Hegdahl also convinced his captors that he needed new glasses and memorized the route from the prison into the city of Hanoi, where he was taken to be fitted.
During his prison stay, Hegdahl sabotaged five trucks by putting small amounts of dirt in their gas tanks. After he was through with them, each of the vehicles had to be towed from the compound.
Hegdahl was one of three POWs who were released from Hanoi on August 5, 1969 as a propaganda move for the North Vietnamese. Although the POWs had agreed that none would accept early release — that they would all be released together — the POWs agreed that Hegdahl's release should be an exception. He was ordered by LtCmdr Stratton to accept an early release so that he could provide names of POWs being held by the North Vietnamese and reveal the conditions to which the prisoners were being subjected.
After his discharge, Hegdahl was sent to the Paris Peace Talks in 1970 — and confronted the North Vietnamese with his first-hand information about the mistreatment of prisoners.
Post-Vietnam
After returning to the U.S, Hegdahl used his experiences as an instructor at the United States Navy's SERESERE
SERE is a military acronym for Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape, a program that provides military personnel, Department of Defense civilians and private military contractors with training in evading capture, survival skills and the military code of conduct...
(Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) school based in NAS North Island, San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
.