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2025-06-11 -Land of the Free

How a POW humming ‘Old McDonald' at Hanoi Hilton saved lives

[Military History] He couldn’t recall how he had gotten there — all Douglas Hegdahl could remember was leaving behind his glasses in his bunk and going up to the top deck of the cruiser Canberra to watch the ship firing its guns off the Gulf of Tonkin.

"I can’t tell you how I fell from my ship," Hegdahl said after his release in 1969. "All I know is, I walked up on the deck. It was dark and they were firing, and the next thing I recall I was in the water."

Picked up by a North Vietnamese fishing boat after treading water for hours, and handed over to the Viet Cong before being brought to Hỏa Lò Prison, also known as the Hanoi Hilton.

It was there that the 20-year-old sailor from Clark, South Dakota, began one of the greatest non-combatant cons of the war.

Deemed a low-value prisoner due to his low rank, Hegdahl began to exploit this perception.

Posted by Besoeker 2025-06-11 00:00|| || Front Page|| [117 views ] Top

#1 I read the whole thing, I think we shud name a recovery or supply ship after Douglas Hegdahl.

Maybe rename that "Milk" ship after Hegdahl?

Posted by Seeking Cure For Ignorance 2025-06-11 03:29|| 2025-06-11 03:29|| Front Page Top

#2 After all these years, the smell has not left his overboard experience or memory loss.

Posted by Besoeker 2025-06-11 03:48|| 2025-06-11 03:48|| Front Page Top

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