Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War
    Unavailable
    Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War
    Unavailable
    Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War
    Ebook452 pages7 hours

    Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War

    By Bruce Henderson

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    Listen to the audiobook instead

    About this ebook

    From the New York Times bestselling author of Sons and Soldiers comes the incredible but true story of Dieter Dengler, the only pilot to escape captivity from a POW camp in the Laotian jungle during the Vietnam War.

    In February 1966, Dieter Dengler was shot down over "neutral" Laos in jungle territory controlled by Pathet Lao guerrillas and North Vietnamese regulars, who captured and held him in a fortified prisoner-of-war camp. Already a legend in the navy for his unique escape skills, the German-born Dengler proved to be no ordinary prisoner. Caught in a desperate situation, imprisoned by the enemy and by the jungle itself, Dengler set out to free not only himself but also other POWs—American, Thai, and Chinese—some of whom had been held for years.

    This amazing story of triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds has been filmed by Werner Herzog as both a documentary (Little Dieter Needs to Fly) and a motion picture (Rescue Dawn, starring Christian Bale). Now Bruce Henderson, who served with Dengler aboard USS Ranger, tells the complete story of Dengler's captivity and remarkable escape—based on in-depth personal interviews as well as military archival materials, some never before made public—in this riveting account of unending optimism, courage, loyalty, and survival against overwhelming odds.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJun 29, 2010
    ISBN9780061989896
    Author

    Bruce Henderson

    <p></p><p>Bruce Henderson has written more than twenty books, including the national bestseller <em>Hero Found</em> and <em>Rescue at Los Baños</em>. Henderson served aboard the aircraft carrier USS <em>Ranger</em> (CVA-61) during the Vietnam War. He lives in Menlo Park, California.</p>

    Read more from Bruce Henderson

    Related to Hero Found

    Related ebooks

    Wars & Military For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Shooting Star

      Nov 23, 2021

      Shooting Star
      11 min read

    • Article

      Leave No Man Behind

      Feb 16, 2021

      Leave No Man Behind
      11 min read

    • Article

      Earning My Gold Wings

      Apr 13, 2021

      Earning My Gold Wings
      7 min read

    • Article

      BAILOUT At 70,000 Feet

      Aug 18, 2020

      BAILOUT At 70,000 Feet
      8 min read

    • Article

      Narrow Escape At An Loc

      May 3, 2022

      Narrow Escape At An Loc
      12 min read

    • Article

      A Brush With Death

      Jul 6, 2021

      A Brush With Death
      12 min read

    • Article

      The Perfect Trap

      Jan 7, 2020

      The Perfect Trap
      10 min read

    • Article

      MiG-17/19 Aces of the Vietnam War

      Oct 1, 2019

      By István Toperczer, Osprey Publishing, 2016 From the time they sent their first contingent to the Soviet Union for training in 1956, the North Vietnamese understood what their newly forming Vietnamese People’s Air Force was likely to face. Their air

      2 min read

    • Article

      Topgun Turns 50

      Jan 1, 2019

      Topgun Turns 50
      11 min read

    • Article

      Forgotten Ultra Sabre

      Apr 13, 2021

      Forgotten Ultra Sabre
      3 min read

    • Article

      A Hard And Cruel Truth

      Aug 9, 2022

      A Hard And Cruel Truth
      12 min read

    • Article

      Tiger vs T-34

      Jul 12, 2018

      Tiger vs T-34
      9 min read

    • Article

      Long Live The Buff

      Oct 21, 2021

      Long Live The Buff
      9 min read

    • Article

      The Night Stuff

      Dec 16, 2021

      The Night Stuff
      8 min read

    • Article

      Shot Heard Round the World

      Nov 23, 2021

      Shot Heard Round the World
      3 min read

    • Article

      Topgun Goes Commercial

      Apr 13, 2021

      The next air-to-air fighter training involving American pilots is likely to pit Topgun against “hired gun,” as a Canadian commercial operator, Top Aces Corporation, will be leasing General Dynamics F-16 fighters from its base in Mesa, Ariz., to the U

      1 min read

    • Article

      Tomcatting

      Feb 16, 2021

      Tomcatting
      10 min read

    • Article

      Thud

      Oct 29, 2019

      Thud
      10 min read

    • Article

      “Give ’em Hell, Cap!”

      Jun 8, 2021

      “Give ’em Hell, Cap!”
      11 min read

    Reviews for Hero Found

    4/5

    20 ratings4 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Dieter's story of survival in the jungles of Laos was a gripping tale to say the least. As a former Army Vietnam veteran myself, I was intrigued by all the goings-on of an aircraft carrier and have to admit that while reading Bruce Henderson's story of Dieter Dengler, I found the book to be an enjoyable learning experience for me. I was especially taken back when there was mention about a fellow pilot of Dieter's, Donald Woloczak, from Alpena, Michigan and how he became MIA during the war. You see, I have been wearing a bronze POW bracelet of Donald Woloczak for the last thirty years, and the information shared by the author was new and seemed to fill in the gaps.I, too, was born in Germany, but six years after the end of WWII. However, I've seen the destruction of war and have heard similar war survival stories from my family in the old country - the experience matures you quickly.As for the living conditions and treatment of Dieter and others during their captivity is beyond anything human. But one must do whatever is necessary in order to survive. The chase left me on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen next. The scene of Dieter and his fellow POW running into the villager took my breath away. It was great that his escape from Laos was successful, but it appears that he could not escape from the tormenting in his head. Great job Bruce, and thank you for the education! Five Stars for Hero Found.John Podlaski, authorCherries - A Vietnam War Novel
    • 4/5
      This is an extraordinary story, with tons of vignettes that many servicemen can relate to. The writing is tight, and direct making the story very interesting and easy to follow.The author, Bruce Henderson, has done a remarkable job providing us insight into this hero's life. And I'm very grateful to learn about this man's life, and his background leading up to the main part of the book.
    • 4/5
      Dude... where's my review?!? It's gone! Stupid software . I'll try to recreate a little bit of it:I do recommend this book. It's been sorta verified. I suspect there's been quite a bit of exaggeration in the book but even if only half true it was an amazing story or true. I can't imagine ever being a Vietnam POW - oh man, you gotta read it if you're at all interested in the Vietnam war.
    • 4/5
      At first, the exposition seems overwhelmingly lengthy (Who expects a Vietnam War story to begin in Germany during World War II?), but the more I read the more I understood how important it is to the story and to understanding Dieter's character and motivations. Well told, and well read. A gripping piece of non-fiction.