Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
The Unlikely War Hero: A Vietnam War POW's Story of Courage and Resilience in the Hanoi Hilton. |
| Authors: |
Baillergeon, Rick |
| Source: |
Military Review. Nov/Dec2025, Vol. 105 Issue 6, p139-142. 4p. |
| Subjects: |
Prisoners of war, Vietnam War, 1961-1975, Biography (Literary form), Ships, Detainers (Criminal procedure), Prisons, United States. Navy, Psychological resilience |
| Geographic Terms: |
Vietnam |
| Abstract: |
The article reviews "The Unlikely War Hero," a biography by Marc Leepson that chronicles the extraordinary story of Doug Hegdahl, a U.S. Navy seamen apprentice who became a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. Hegdahl, captured after falling overboard from the USS Canberra, employed a strategy of feigning ignorance to survive in the notorious Hanoi Hilton, ultimately memorizing vital information about fellow POWs and the prison's location. His actions significantly impacted the treatment of POWs and led to the identification of previously missing officers. The biography highlights Hegdahl's resilience and contributions, which have been largely overlooked, and emphasizes the importance of his story in understanding the experiences of Vietnam War POWs. [Extracted from the article] |
|
Copyright of Military Review is the property of US Army, Combined Arms Center and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| Database: |
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
