Armed Forces Day 2011 - A Tribute to Admiral Jeremiah Denton

Birthdays Today : Jeremiah Andrew Denton, Jr. (July 15, 1924 – March 28, 2014) was a Rear Admiral and Naval Aviator in the United States Navy and U.S. Senator representing Alabama. As a Naval pilot during the Vietnam War, Denton is widely known for having been shot down over enemy territory — and for enduring almost eight years under grueling conditions as a prisoner of war (POW) in North Vietnam.

Ten months into his confinement (1965-1973) as one of the highest-ranking officers to be taken prisoner in Vietnam, Denton was forced by his captors to participate in a 1966 televised propaganda interview, broadcast in the United States. While answering questions and feigning trouble with the blinding television lights, Denton blinked his eyes in Morse code, spelling the word "TORTURE" — and confirming for the first time to U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence that American POWs were in fact being tortured. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Denton http://nypost.com/2014/03/31/jeremiah-denton-grade-a-hero/