Eugene DeBruin
Encyclopedia
Eugene Henry DeBruin was a US Air Force staff sergeant, and a member of Air America serving in Laos
during the Second Indochina War
. "Gene" DeBruin was working as a "kicker" for Air America in 1963 when his C-46 was shot down. He was a POW at a Pathet Lao
prison camp in Laos
until he and other prisoners attempted to escape. After this, there is little known about DeBruin's whereabouts.
farm. While growing up, DeBruin became interested in outdoor activities like hunting
, fishing
, skiing
, and others.
After graduating from high school
, DeBruin joined the US Air Force in 1952. He served four years, mostly in Japan
, as an aircraft
mechanic
reaching the rank of staff sergeant. During that time, he also obtained a private pilot
license. He also practiced judo
during his time in Japan.
After being discharged from the Air Force, DeBruin enrolled at the University of Montana at Missoula, Montana
obtaining a degree in forestry
. He then worked as a "Smokejumper
" for three years in Alaska
. DeBruin then moved to Mexico
to learn Spanish
with the intent of becoming a writer.
After declining to join the Peace Corps
, DeBruin volunteered as a "kicker" with Air America. His job was to kick the pallets of rice
and food down the plane to aid the refugees. According to his brother, he had plans of joining the Peace Corps
after he finished his stint with Air America.
, Joseph C. Cheney
and Charles Herrick
, Thai
Pisidhi Indradat
, Prasit Promsuwan and Prasit Thanee, and Chinese
Y.C. To. During a flight over Laos
, his C-46 aircraft was hit by ground fire and crashed about 2 kilometers from Tchepone on the Savannakhet Province. DeBruin, Y.C. To, and the three Thai
nationals parachute
d to safety, but were immediately captured by the Pathet Lao
. Cheney and Herrick were killed in the crash.
After his capture, DeBruin was moved to four different prisons, together with the other four prisoners. In May 1964, they managed to escape for three days, but were caught at a watering hole.
Dengler was the last to arrive at the POW camp, and initially, distrusted by the other prisoners as they thought he might be an informant. Eventually the prisoners advised Dengler of their past escape attempts.
On June 29, 1966, while the guards were eating, the group slipped out of their hand and foot restraints and grabbed the guard's unattended submachine guns. The Pathet Lao guards spotted some of the other prisoners trying to escape. A shootout between the two sides ensued and Dengler and Indradat ended up killing five guards so the others could escape. Two others ran off, presumably to get help. The seven prisoners split into three groups. Indradat, and the other Thai prisoners; DeBruin stayed with To, who had been too ill to continue with the escape; and Dengler and Martin headed for the Mekong River to escape to Thailand. Martin was killed by a Laotian villager, while Dengler was rescued after 23 days in the jungle. Indradat was also rescued later.
DeBruin's family has found reports that confirm that he was alive as late as January 1968. First, US Intelligence confirmed that DeBruin was recaptured and returned to the Muong Phine prison in late June 1966. According to intelligence reports, he was later moved to a POW camp at Muong Nong with 8 other American POWs. According to reports, in January 1968, DeBruin and the other Americans were moved out of the complex by the North Vietnamese Army
. Their destination was never known.
DeBruin's brother, Jerome DeBruin, traveled to Laos
in 1972 in search of information. Although the Pathet Lao openly admitted holding American prisoners of war, they insisted that the United States
negotiate directly with them to ensure their release, but this never happened. Since the end of the Vietnam War
, live reports have continued to surface indicating Gene DeBruin remained alive well into the early 1990s.
This scenario, however, should be viewed as being more of an improbability than a possibility. The hundreds of missing U.S. personnel from the Vietnam War should be seen in the context of the tens of thousands of missing personnel from North Vietnamese Armed forces. Furthermore, few if any of the many thousands of missing U.S. military personnel resulting from the Second World War are believed to have remained alive in captivity beyond 1945. That stated, there is confirmation via interviews of an undetermined number of former Soviet soldiers living out their lives in Afghanistan
long after Soviet forces withdrew.
in Werner Herzog
's 2007 film Rescue Dawn
. The film focuses mostly on Dieter Dengler
's life as told to Herzog by Dengler himself, but has been severely criticized by members of the family of DeBruin, Dengler, and Pisidhi Indradat
, the other survivor of the group, for portraying DeBruin as a selfish and unstable prisoner who threatened to betray his fellow prisoners at any time, and who, at the time of their escape, did not know what to do.
Herzog acknowledged that DeBruin acted heroically during his imprisonment, refusing to leave while some sick prisoners remained, but Herzog was unaware of this fact until after the film had been completed. Herzog states that this narrative aspect probably would have been included had he learned it earlier.
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
during the Second Indochina 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...
. "Gene" DeBruin was working as a "kicker" for Air America in 1963 when his C-46 was shot down. He was a POW at a Pathet Lao
Pathet Lao
The Pathet Lao was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group was ultimately successful in assuming political power after the Laotian Civil War. The Pathet Lao were always closely associated with Vietnamese communists...
prison camp in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
until he and other prisoners attempted to escape. After this, there is little known about DeBruin's whereabouts.
Early life and military career
Eugene DeBruin was the second eldest of ten children that grew up in a WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
farm. While growing up, DeBruin became interested in outdoor activities like hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, and others.
After graduating from high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, DeBruin joined the US Air Force in 1952. He served four years, mostly in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, as an aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
reaching the rank of staff sergeant. During that time, he also obtained a private pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
license. He also practiced judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
during his time in Japan.
After being discharged from the Air Force, DeBruin enrolled at the University of Montana at Missoula, Montana
Missoula, Montana
Missoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
obtaining a degree in forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
. He then worked as a "Smokejumper
Smokejumper
A smokejumper is a wildland firefighter who parachutes into a remote area to combat wildfires.Smokejumpers are most often deployed to fires that are extremely remote. The risks associated with this method of personnel deployment are mitigated by an extremely well developed training program that has...
" for three years in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. DeBruin then moved to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to learn Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
with the intent of becoming a writer.
After declining to join the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
, DeBruin volunteered as a "kicker" with Air America. His job was to kick the pallets of rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
and food down the plane to aid the refugees. According to his brother, he had plans of joining the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
after he finished his stint with Air America.
Capture and first escape attempt
On September 5, 1963, DeBruin took off on a mission with fellow AmericansUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Joseph C. Cheney
Joseph C. Cheney
Joseph Curtis Cheney, II was a pilot for Air America during the Vietnam War.On September 5, 1963, Cheney took off on a mission with fellow Americans, Eugene DeBruin and Charles Herrick, Thai Pisidhi Indradat, Prasit Promsuwan and Prasit Thanee, and Chinese Y.C. To...
and Charles Herrick
Charles Herrick
Charles Grant Herrick was a co-pilot for Air America during the Vietnam War.On September 5, 1963, Herrick took off on a mission with fellow Americans, Eugene DeBruin and Joseph C. Cheney, Thai Pisidhi Indradat, Prasit Promsuwan and Prasit Thanee, and Chinese Y.C. To...
, Thai
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
Pisidhi Indradat
Pisidhi Indradat
Pisidhi Indradat is a Thai civilian who worked as a "kicker" with Air America during the Vietnam War. His job was to kick the pallets of food and supplies down the plane to aid the refugees of the war....
, Prasit Promsuwan and Prasit Thanee, and Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
Y.C. To. During a flight over Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, his C-46 aircraft was hit by ground fire and crashed about 2 kilometers from Tchepone on the Savannakhet Province. DeBruin, Y.C. To, and the three Thai
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
nationals parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
d to safety, but were immediately captured by the Pathet Lao
Pathet Lao
The Pathet Lao was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group was ultimately successful in assuming political power after the Laotian Civil War. The Pathet Lao were always closely associated with Vietnamese communists...
. Cheney and Herrick were killed in the crash.
After his capture, DeBruin was moved to four different prisons, together with the other four prisoners. In May 1964, they managed to escape for three days, but were caught at a watering hole.
Second escape attempt
After that failed attempt, DeBruin attempted a second escape. The seven prisoners that worked together for this second attempt were:- Pisidhi IndradatPisidhi IndradatPisidhi Indradat is a Thai civilian who worked as a "kicker" with Air America during the Vietnam War. His job was to kick the pallets of food and supplies down the plane to aid the refugees of the war....
(ThaiThai peopleThe Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
) - Prasit Promsuwan (Thai)
- Prasit Thanee (Thai)
- Y.C. To (ChineseChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
) - Duane W. MartinDuane W. MartinDuane Whitney Martin was an American Air Force officer and prisoner of war during the Vietnam War.Martin was assigned to Detachment 1 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron , based at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. On September 20, 1965, Captain Thomas J. Curtis, Martin,...
(AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) - Dieter DenglerDieter DenglerDieter Dengler was a United States Navy Naval aviator during the Vietnam War. He was one of the two survivors , out of seven, to escape from a Pathet Lao prison camp in Laos. He was rescued after 23 days on the run, and was the first captured U.S...
(AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
)
Dengler was the last to arrive at the POW camp, and initially, distrusted by the other prisoners as they thought he might be an informant. Eventually the prisoners advised Dengler of their past escape attempts.
On June 29, 1966, while the guards were eating, the group slipped out of their hand and foot restraints and grabbed the guard's unattended submachine guns. The Pathet Lao guards spotted some of the other prisoners trying to escape. A shootout between the two sides ensued and Dengler and Indradat ended up killing five guards so the others could escape. Two others ran off, presumably to get help. The seven prisoners split into three groups. Indradat, and the other Thai prisoners; DeBruin stayed with To, who had been too ill to continue with the escape; and Dengler and Martin headed for the Mekong River to escape to Thailand. Martin was killed by a Laotian villager, while Dengler was rescued after 23 days in the jungle. Indradat was also rescued later.
Later life
Of the seven prisoners that attempted to escape, only two reached safety (Dengler and Indradat). One report stated that DeBruin was killed in the escape attempt, but Indradat originally reported that he last saw DeBruin attempting to "reach high ground in a classified location".DeBruin's family has found reports that confirm that he was alive as late as January 1968. First, US Intelligence confirmed that DeBruin was recaptured and returned to the Muong Phine prison in late June 1966. According to intelligence reports, he was later moved to a POW camp at Muong Nong with 8 other American POWs. According to reports, in January 1968, DeBruin and the other Americans were moved out of the complex by the North Vietnamese Army
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...
. Their destination was never known.
DeBruin's brother, Jerome DeBruin, traveled to Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
in 1972 in search of information. Although the Pathet Lao openly admitted holding American prisoners of war, they insisted that the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
negotiate directly with them to ensure their release, but this never happened. Since the end of 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...
, live reports have continued to surface indicating Gene DeBruin remained alive well into the early 1990s.
This scenario, however, should be viewed as being more of an improbability than a possibility. The hundreds of missing U.S. personnel from the Vietnam War should be seen in the context of the tens of thousands of missing personnel from North Vietnamese Armed forces. Furthermore, few if any of the many thousands of missing U.S. military personnel resulting from the Second World War are believed to have remained alive in captivity beyond 1945. That stated, there is confirmation via interviews of an undetermined number of former Soviet soldiers living out their lives in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
long after Soviet forces withdrew.
Eugene DeBruin in film
Eugene DeBruin was portrayed by Jeremy DaviesJeremy Davies (actor)
Jeremy Davies is an American film and television actor. He is known for portraying the interpreter Cpl. Timothy E. Upham in the film Saving Private Ryan and the physicist Daniel Faraday on the television series Lost. He most recently appeared in the FX series, Justified, as Dickie Bennett.-Early...
in Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog Stipetić , known as Werner Herzog, is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.He is often considered as one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner...
's 2007 film Rescue Dawn
Rescue Dawn
Rescue Dawn is a 2007 war drama film directed by Werner Herzog, based on an adapted screenplay written from his acclaimed 1997 documentary, Little Dieter Needs to Fly...
. The film focuses mostly on Dieter Dengler
Dieter Dengler
Dieter Dengler was a United States Navy Naval aviator during the Vietnam War. He was one of the two survivors , out of seven, to escape from a Pathet Lao prison camp in Laos. He was rescued after 23 days on the run, and was the first captured U.S...
's life as told to Herzog by Dengler himself, but has been severely criticized by members of the family of DeBruin, Dengler, and Pisidhi Indradat
Pisidhi Indradat
Pisidhi Indradat is a Thai civilian who worked as a "kicker" with Air America during the Vietnam War. His job was to kick the pallets of food and supplies down the plane to aid the refugees of the war....
, the other survivor of the group, for portraying DeBruin as a selfish and unstable prisoner who threatened to betray his fellow prisoners at any time, and who, at the time of their escape, did not know what to do.
Herzog acknowledged that DeBruin acted heroically during his imprisonment, refusing to leave while some sick prisoners remained, but Herzog was unaware of this fact until after the film had been completed. Herzog states that this narrative aspect probably would have been included had he learned it earlier.
See also
- Dieter DenglerDieter DenglerDieter Dengler was a United States Navy Naval aviator during the Vietnam War. He was one of the two survivors , out of seven, to escape from a Pathet Lao prison camp in Laos. He was rescued after 23 days on the run, and was the first captured U.S...
- Richard G. DesautelsRichard G. DesautelsSergeant Richard G. Desautels was a United States Army corporal who was captured on December 1, 1950 at Sonchu by communist forces and not returned by North Korea at the end of the fighting of the Korean War. More than half a century later, the People's Republic of China admitted that Sgt...
- Duane W. MartinDuane W. MartinDuane Whitney Martin was an American Air Force officer and prisoner of war during the Vietnam War.Martin was assigned to Detachment 1 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron , based at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. On September 20, 1965, Captain Thomas J. Curtis, Martin,...
- Pisidhi IndradatPisidhi IndradatPisidhi Indradat is a Thai civilian who worked as a "kicker" with Air America during the Vietnam War. His job was to kick the pallets of food and supplies down the plane to aid the refugees of the war....
- Rescue DawnRescue DawnRescue Dawn is a 2007 war drama film directed by Werner Herzog, based on an adapted screenplay written from his acclaimed 1997 documentary, Little Dieter Needs to Fly...
- Air America (airline)
- Air America (film)Air America (film)Air America is a 1990 American action comedy film directed by Roger Spottiswoode, starring Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. as Air America pilots, during the Vietnam War, flying missions in Laos...
Further reading
- Air America by Christopher Robbins
- The Ravens, Pilots of the Secret War in Laos by Christopher Robbins
External links
- Air America Association web site
- Online Archive Materials about Air America in the Vietnam Archive at Texas Tech
- Air America - Roll of honour and images.