Dieter Dengler

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (June 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Dieter Dengler" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Dieter Dengler
Dieter Dengler tours the aircraft carrier USS Constellation in San Diego, California, on December 1, 1996.
Birth name	Dieter Dengler
Born	(1938-05-22)May 22, 1938 Wildberg, Württemberg, Germany
Died	February 7, 2001(2001-02-07) (aged 62) Mill Valley, California, United States
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Air Force  United States Navy
Years of service	1957–1968
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	Attack Squadron 145, USS Ranger (CV-61)
Battles / wars	Vietnam War Operation Flaming Dart
Awards	Navy Cross Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star Purple Heart Air Medal Navy Unit Commendation Prisoner of War Medal

Dieter Dengler (May 22, 1938 – February 7, 2001) was a German-born United States Navy aviator who was shot down over Laos and captured during the Vietnam War. After six months of imprisonment and torture, and 23 days on the run, he became only the second captured US airman to escape during the war. Of the seven prisoners of war who escaped together from the Pathet Lao prison camp in Laos, only he and Thai citizen Phisit Intharathat survived.^[1] After the war, he worked as a test pilot for private aircraft and as a commercial airline pilot.