Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War (39 page)

Dengler and, 68–69, 72, 93

Dengler’s rescue and, 240

flies under Golden Gate Bridge, 74

flight on day of Dengler’s crash, 106, 110–112, 116–119

on Hopps’s death, 154

last flights from
Ranger
, 183–186,
186

sent home early, 186–188, 261

Johnson, Lyndon, 59–62

Jolly Green Giant (HH-3E) helicopter, 122, 126, 130, 228–232, 236, 260

Jumbo (Pathet Lao guard), 167

jungle environment survival training (JEST), 84

Kitty Hawk
, 95, 99, 104, 112, 116–117, 249

Klusmann, Charles F., 243

“Kuddles McKudden,” 81–82,
82

Lackland Air Force Base, 19

landing signal officer (LSO), 38–40, 88, 90–91, 93, 107

LeMay, Curtis E., 19–20

Leonard, Mike, 231

Lessard, Norm “Lizard”

on bombing halt, 95

careers after service, 261–262

Dengler and, 64–65, 69–71, 261–262

Dengler’s disappearance and, 119

Dengler’s last flight and, 254

Dengler’s return and, 239

finds wreckage of Dengler’s plane, 120–122

missions over Laos, 107

missions over North Vietnam, 103–104

missions over South Vietnam, 94

reaction to Dengler’s crash, 152–154, 156

search for Dengler, 153

wedding of, 70

Lexington
, 39–40, 46

life insurance policy, on VA-145 pilots, 70–71, 259–260

Little Hitler (Pathet Lao guard), 167–168, 171, 179–180

loft bombing, 67

Loheed, Hubert “Iceman,” 119–120

Love, Donna, 28

Love, Jim, 28

Maddox
, 56, 58–59

Maples, David “Mapes”

on Dengler, 52

Golden Gate Bridge and, 74

life insurance policy, 71

Marksmanship School, of U.S. Air Force, 19–20

Martin, Cheryl and Christine, 173, 262

Martin, Dorcas

after Duane’s death, 262

Duane’s thoughts for, 173, 211, 219

Martin, Duane.
See also
Martin, Duane, escape from POW camp

crash and capture, 163–164

Dengler meets, 161–162

escape advice to Dengler, 162–163, 168

escape plans made with Dengler, 174–175, 195–198

family of, 173

goal in captivity, 171

routine in captivity, 171

shot by guard, 168–169

Martin, Duane, escape from POW camp

actual escape, 198–201

death of, 220, 234, 245

food and water, 204–206, 209–211, 214, 216

health, 207–211, 216, 218–219

hears C-130

transports overhead, 214–215, 217

wanderings in jungle, 204–220

McCuddin, Leo B.,
82

Hopps’s death and, 155

lists Dengler as MIA, 150

orders search for Dengler, 120

as
Ranger
’s skipper, 79–82, 84–85

McNamara, Robert, 59, 62

Metzger, L. W., 52

Midway
, 57, 68

Montgomery, Robert, 237–238

Moore, John, 81

Moorer, Thomas, 59

Moroccan Goumiers, 9–11

Moron (Pathet Lao guard), 194, 200

Naval Aviation Cadet (NAVCAD) program, 21, 29, 35, 43, 46–47, 54, 57

Nook (Pathet Lao guard), 169

nuclear strike response training, 65–67

Oklahoma City
, 95

Operation Pierce Arrow, 59–62

Operation Rolling Thunder, 63, 99

optical landing system (OLS), for carrier landings, 38–40

Pa Kung village, 160

Pathet Lao captors/guards, 262

Bastard, 137, 140, 145, 148, 158

character of, 170, 171–172, 176–179

Crazy Horse, 172, 179

fate during POWs’ escape, 200–201

Jumbo, 167

Little Hitler, 167–168, 171, 179–180

Moron, 194, 200

Nook, 169

prisoners’ debate about treatment upon escape, 174–175, 178–179

Thief, 137

Perrot (German blacksmith), 12–15, 252–253

Petersen, Lawrence, 88–91

Prince ton
, 42, 54

Promsuwan, Prasit

about, 164

Dengler handcuffed to, 169

Dengler’s interrogation and, 167–168

escape from POW camp, 195, 199, 261

move to second POW camp, 171

Pathet Lao guards and, 179, 194

RA-5C Vigilante, lost during
Ranger
night recovery, 85–92

radar intercept officer (RIO), 71, 150, 183

Ranger
, 74, 82–85,
238

about, 78–79

aviators lost by, 192–193

crew of, 83

Dengler returns to, 237–239

flight deck personnel lost by, 190
n

foundation to preserve, 262

heads back to Subic Bay, 155–156

loses Vigilante during night recovery, 85–92

morale aboard, 80–82

readied for departure, 82–84

rendezvoused with Task Force, 77, 95

unrep (underway replenishment), 83–84

Robinson, William A., 163

rules of engagement (ROEs), pilots’ thoughts on, 63

Russell, Richard B., Jr., 246–248

Ryan, Jeffrey “Scooter,” 29

Saint Elmo’s Fire, 59

Sather, Richard C., 61–62

Saufley Field, 35–36, 38–40

Schnuerle, Harold (uncle), 5

Schnuerle, Hermann (grandfather), 4–5, 8, 10, 179

Schnuerle, Theo (uncle), 5, 6, 8

Schoonover, Charles, 86–92

SERE training.
See
survival, evasion, resistance, and escape (SERE) course

Sharp, U. S. Grant, Jr., 59

Single Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP), 65–67

Spangenburg, Walter, 182–183

Sparks, Donald E.

Hopps’s death and, 154

testing the nuggets, 54–55

Stockdale, James, 58

Stovall, John “Smokey”

finds wreckage of Dengler’s plane, 120–122

searches for Dengler, 153

survival, evasion, resistance, and escape (SERE) course, 47–53

Code of Conduct for Armed Forces of the U.S., 48–49

Dengler’s evaluation after, 52–53

resistance and escape training, 50–52

sea survival training, 49

usefulness on initial flight and capture, 127–128, 141

wilderness survival training, 49–50

T-28, training in, 37–40

T-34 Mentor, training in, 35–36

tactical air navigation (TACAN) system, 37, 65

Tail End Charlies, 111–112, 118, 154

Thanee, Prasit

escape from POW camp, 198–199, 261

escape plans and, 180, 195–198

in POW camp, 164, 170

Thief (Pathet Lao guard), 137

Thigpin, James, 66

Thomas, Douglas, Jr., 190
n

Ticonderoga
, 56, 58–59

Topeka
, 95

TOPGUN, 72
n

Tossas, Frank, 20

Tunnell, John

death of, 188–191

Johns and, 184, 185, 187

life insurance policy, 71

Turner Air Force Base, 19

Turner Joy
, 56, 58

TWA, Dengler flies for, 252

VA-145 squadron (Swordsmen)

Gulf of Tonkin incidents, 56–62

history of, 55–56

lost pilots of, 192

missions over Laos, 106–107

missions over North Vietnam, 99–105

radio message to Dengler, 233

reunion in 2000, 253–254

search for Dengler, 130

training for Vietnam, 62–69

Van Vleet, George, 27–28

Wasp
, 78

Weisner, Maurice “Mickey”

background, 78

chain of command, 79

Hopps’s memorial service, 155

rotated to San Diego, 238

Whiting, Kenneth, 37

Whiting Field, 36–37

Wildberg, Germany, 1–3, 6–8

Williams, Ted, 57

Woloszyk, Donald J., 181–182

Woloszyk, Ken, 181–182

Yick Chiu, To (Y.C.), 164

escape from POW camp, 198, 201, 234

escape plans and, 175, 195–198

in POW camp, 173

probable death, 260

Jacket photograph Courtesy of the U.S. Navy

Jacket design by Jarrod Taylor

Map illustration in Chapter 11 by Susan Sugar