Biography of Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr.
President, Admiral Jeremiah Denton Foundation
Former U.S. Senator from Alabama (R)

Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr. was born on July 15, 1924 in Mobile, Alabama. He attended McGill Institute, Spring Hill College, and the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1946.

His 34-year naval career included service on a variety of ships, in many types of aircraft. His principal field of endeavor was naval operations. He also served as a test pilot, flight instructor, and squadron commander. In 1957, he was credited with revolutionizing naval strategy and tactics for nuclear war as architect of the "Haystack Concept", while serving on the staff of Commander, South Fleet, as Fleet Air Defense Officer.

Denton graduated from the Armed Forces Staff College and the senior course at the Naval War College, where his thesis on international affairs received top honors by earning the prestigious President 's Award. In 1964, he received the degree of Master of Arts in International Affairs from George Washington University.

In June 1965, he began a combat tour in Vietnam as prospective Commanding Officer of Attack Squadron Seventy-Five. On July 18, 1965, Denton was leading a group of twenty-eight aircraft from the USS lNDEPENDENCE in an attack on enemy installations near Thanh Hoa, when he was shot down and captured by local North Vietnamese troops.

He spent the next seven years and seven months as a prisoner of war, suffering severe mistreatment and becoming the first U.S. military captive to be subjected to four years of solitary confinement.

A Commander when he was shot down, Denton was recommended for and promoted to the rank of Captain while a prisoner. He was confined at several prison camps in and around Hanoi, frequently acting as the senior American military officer of all American POW’s.

Denton's name first came to the attention of the American public in 1966, during a television interview arranged by the North Vietnamese in Hanoi. Prior to the interview, torture and threats of more torture were applied to intimidate him to "respond properly and politely." His captors thought he was softened up sufficiently to give the North Vietnamese their propaganda line at the interview attended by important Communist officials from several countries and by Wilfred Birchett, an internationally known Communist author. During the interview, after the Japanese interviewer’s recitation of alleged U.S. "war atrocities," Denton was asked about his support of U.S. policy concerning the war. He replied: "I don't know what is happening now in Vietnam, because the only news sources I have are North Vietnamese, but whatever the position of my government is, I believe in it, I support it, and I will support it as long as I live." The audience was aghast at his unexpected answer and the room went dead silent.

Without comment, the Vietnamese then renewed the rest of the interview which consisted of a free-flowing debate between Birchett and Denton..

Throughout the interview, while responding to questions and feigning sensitivity to harsh lighting, Denton blinked his eyes in Morse Code, repeatedly spelling out a covert message: "T-O-R-T-U-R-E". The interview, which the Japanese journalist clandestinely took from Hanoi to Tokyo and sold to ABC was broadcast on American television on May 17, 1966, was the first confirmation that American POWs in Vietnam were being tortured.

Denton did not learn until his release that the interview had been shown in the U.S. And the Vietnamese had waited a week or so to punish him for his “misbehavior” at the interview. It was the worst torture session Denton endured during his time there, the guards assigned to two hour shifts watching the all-night torture each shed tears they could not hide.

Denton's POW experience is featured in a current travelling exhibit of the National Archives (June 2006-January 2009). The exhibit is called "Eyewitness, American Originals from the National Archives, Gripping Eyewitness Accounts of Moments in U.S. History,"

Denton was released on February 12, 1973, when he again received international attention as the spokesman for the first group of POWs returning from Hanoi to Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. Denton was advised that as the senior POW onboard, he might be expected to say something on behalf of the group upon arrival. As he stepped from the plane, Denton turned to the microphones and said: "We are honored to have had the opportunity to serve our country under difficult circumstances. We are profoundly grateful to our Commander-in-Chief and to our nation for this day. God bless America."

In April 1973, he was promoted to Rear Admiral. In his last tour of duty, Admiral Denton served as Commandant of the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia, for three and a half years. During his tour, he was credited with reinforcing NATO solidarity and hosted a highly successful NATO symposium of top national and NATO commanders, as well as academic, journalistic and corporate leaders.

Major Military Decorations:

Navy Cross
Dept. of Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Three Silver Stars
Distinguished Flying Cross
Five Bronze Stars
Two Air Medals
Two Purple Hearts
Combat Action Ribbon
Numerous combat theatre, campaign,
and occupation awards.

The Denton and Ed Brandt collaboration, When Hell Was in Session, was published in 1976 published by Reader’s Digest Press, narrating the Vietnam experience of Denton and his family.

An NBC television movie of the same title, based on the book, and starring Hal Holbrook and Eva-Marie Saint, won the Dean Rusk sponsored Peabody Award from the University of Georgia in 1979.

In 1977, Denton retired from the Navy and returned to Mobile where he soon founded and led the non-profit organization "Coalition for Decency" ( CFD) and served as a consultant to the President of Spring Hill College.

Denton was elected to the United States Senate in November 1980. In so doing, he became the first Republican ever elected by popular vote to the U S. Senate from Alabama, the first resident of Mobile elected to the U.S. Senate, the first retired military flag officer and the first Catholic elected to any statewide office in Alabama, and the first retired Admiral or General elected to the U.S. Senate by any state.

Denton served in the Senate from January 1981 to January 1987. His major committee assignments included: the Judiciary Committee where he chaired the Sub-Committee on Security and Terrorism; the Labor and Human Resources Committee where he was Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Aging, Family, and Human Services; the Armed Services Committee; and the Veterans Affairs Committee. He re-named and re-formed CFD as the National Forum Foundation with goals supporting National Security through Peace through Strength, the concept of One Nation under God, the strength of the institution of the family, and other goals paralleling and developing support for his principle Senate projects.

In 1983, Senator Denton served as an observer of the El Salvadoran election and as a key advisor to President Reagan on the successful effort to stop the Nicaraguan Communist aggression in Central America and to replace the Communist government in Nicaragua with a free government headed by Madame Chamorro.

During his Senate years, the National Forum Foundation was effective in helping change public and congressional opinion to support Reagan and Bush Cold War initiatives, and it helped him sponsor final passage a number of significant bills improving National Security, Anti-Terrorism, the Institution of the Family and Church-State issues.

In 1985, Denton established the highly acclaimed international aid program now known as The Denton Program. Working on a space available basis with the U.S. Military, this program has transported over 50 million pounds of critical equipment and supplies to needy people throughout the world at reduced or no cost to other international humanitarian organizations.

Following his U.S. Senate term, he was appointed in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan to be Chairman of the Presidential Commission on Merchant Marine and Defense, which he led throughout its two-year mandate.

In 1998, under the auspices of NFF, Denton established the TRANSFORM Program, which is similar to the Denton Program but uses commercial spare space. This Program has immeasurably greater potential for increased volume of shipping of aid and has been praised throughout the world for its work.

In addition to his leadership of the National Forum Foundation, more recently re=named the Admiral Jeremiah Denton Foundation (AJDF)…<ajdf.org>. Denton presently lectures on national and international affairs; while serving as a Member of Board of Visitors of St. Thomas Aquinas College, the Advisory Council of Christendom College, the Board of Advisors of St. Augustine Academy and Thomas Aquinas College and as Chairman of the Board of Advisors of the Thomas More Law Center. He also has primary responsibility as their Strategy Director. He is a member of the Board of Insure.com., Inc. and of Judy McCloskey’s Catholic Military Organization.

Senator Denton is married to the former Jane Maury. On Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2007, Jane died from complications of a heart attack she suffered three weeks earlier. She was 81. They have seven children, fourteen grandchildren, and three great granddaughters.

Most Distinguished Honors and Awards

John Paul Jones Award for inspirational leadership; The Navy League - 1973
Armed Forces Man of the Year, Veterans of Foreign Wars - 1973
Silver Medal; Pope Paul VI in private audience - 1973
Court of Honor Award; Alabama District Exchange Clubs -1973
Medal of Honor, Daughters of the American Revolution -1973
Freedom Foundation Award; Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge - 1974, 1976
For God and Country Award; Capital Hill First Friday Club - I975
Celtic Cross Award; Catholic War Veteran - 1975
Cross of Military Service; Daughters of the Confederacy - 1975
Patriot Award; Knights of Columbus - 1975
Man of the Year; Citizens for Decency Though Law - 1976
Man of the Year, Morality in Media - 1977
Mobilian of the Year, City of Mobile, Alabama - 1980
Audie Murphy Patriotism Award - 1981
Living for America Award - 1981
Knight of Sovereign Military Order of Malta - 1981
Alabama Legislature Resolution praising performance in Alabama schools and sports and in the U S Navy – 1981
Alabama Academy of Honor – 1982
Winston Churchill Memorial Award; National Center for Public Policy Research - 1983
Cardinal Newman Award; Cardinal Newman College, St Louis, MO - 1983
Distinguished Community Leadership Award; Alabama Conference of Black Mayors - 1985
Man of the Year Award; National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs - 1985
Navy League of the U.S. Vincent T. Hirsch Maritime Award - 1989
The Poverello Medal; for exemplary Christian life, Franciscan Univ. - 1993 (previous recipients including Mother Theresa and Claire Booth Luce)
United States Senate Resolution; honoring his exceptional leadership and accomplishment as a United States Senator, especially the legislation establishing the "Denton Program" - 1996
Man of the Year Award; Crisis Magazine - 1996
Member of Golden Eagles -- an organization of distinguished Naval Aviators 1991
President's Award, St. Thomas Aquinas College, California, 1997
God and Country Award-Christendom College--1998
Patriot of the Year Award; Eagle Forum Foundation - 1999
St. Thomas Aquinas Medallion; St. Thomas Aquinas College – 2000
Alabama Military Hall of Honor - 2003
The U.S. Navy directed that the building housing the "Fleet Aviation Specialized Operational" Atlantic Fleet Detachment (FASO) of the "Survival, Escape, Resistance & Evasion School (SERE) in Brunswick, Maine, be renamed after and in honor of Admiral Denton - August 24, 2004
Naval Order of the United States, Admiral of the Navy George Dewey Award - November 4, 2005 (only 3 previous recipients including President George H. W,. Bush)

Honorary Degrees

Doctor of Humane Letters, Spring Hill College
Doctor of Humanities, St Leo's College, Florida
Doctor of Laws, Troy State University, Alabama

Lifetime Memberships

Knights Of Malta
American Legion
Navy League
Reserve Officers Association
Veterans of Foreign Wars
National Rifle Association
Military Officers of America
General Society of Colonial Wars