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((Short description|US Navy pilot and escaped POW (1938–2001)))
((Multiple issues|
((original research|date=June 2018))
((More citations needed|date=January 2022))
))

((Infobox military person
|name=Dieter Dengler
|birth_name= Dieter Dengler
|birth_date= ((birth date|mf=yes|1938|5|22))
|death_date= ((Death date and age|mf=yes|2001|2|7|1938|5|22))
|birth_place=[[Wildberg, Baden-Württemberg|Wildberg]], [[Free People's State of Württemberg|Württemberg]], [[Nazi Germany|Germany]]
|death_place=[[Mill Valley]], California, United States
|placeofburial= [[Arlington National Cemetery]]
|image=Dieter Dengler 19961201.jpg
|caption=Dieter Dengler tours the aircraft carrier [[USS Constellation (CVA-64)|USS ''Constellation'']] in San&nbsp;Diego, California, on December&nbsp;1, 1996.
|nickname=
|allegiance=United States
|branch=((Air force|United States))<br />((Navy|United States|size=23px))
|serviceyears=1957–1968
|rank=((Dodseal|USNO3|25)) [[Lieutenant (naval)|Lieutenant]]
|unit=[[VA-145 (U.S. Navy)|Attack Squadron 145]], ((USS|Ranger|CV-61))
|commands=
|battles=[[Vietnam War]]
* [[Operation Flaming Dart|Flaming Dart I]] operations
|awards=[[Navy Cross (United States)|Navy Cross]]<br />[[Distinguished Flying Cross (USA)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]<br />[[Bronze Star]]<br />[[Purple Heart]]<br />[[Air Medal]]<br />[[Navy Unit Commendation]]<br />[[Prisoner of War Medal]]
|laterwork=
))

'''Dieter Dengler''' (May 22, 1938&nbsp;– February 7, 2001) was a German-born [[United States Navy]] [[Naval aviator|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 [[prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] who escaped together from the [[Pathet Lao]] prison camp in [[Laos]], only he and [[Thailand|Thai]] citizen [[Phisit Intharathat]] survived.<ref name="rescuedawnthetruth"/> After the war, he worked as a test pilot for private aircraft and as a commercial airline pilot.

==Family and early life==
Dengler was born and raised in the small town of [[Wildberg, Baden-Württemberg|Wildberg]], in the [[Black Forest]] region of the German state of [[Free People's State of Württemberg|Württemberg]]. His father was drafted into the [[German Army (1935–1945)|German Army]] in 1939 and was killed on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] during the winter of 1943/1944.<ref>((cite book|first=Bruce|last=Henderson|title=Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DR2YEENni-sC&pg=PA5|date=24 May 2011|publisher=HarperCollins|pages=5–|isbn=9780061571374))</ref> The family lived in extreme poverty; to survive, Dengler and his brothers scavenged scraps and leftovers from slaughtered sheep after neighbors' meals, and pulled down wallpaper adhered with [[wheatpaste]] from bombed-out buildings so their mother could boil it for nutrients. He became a blacksmith's apprentice at age 14 and was regularly beaten by the blacksmith and the other apprentices. Dengler later thanked the blacksmith for "his disciplined training," which taught him to be "more capable, self-reliant and... 'tough enough to survive'."<ref name=HendersonNoPage/>

Dengler's maternal grandfather, Hermann Schnürle, refused to vote for [[Adolf Hitler]] and was subsequently paraded around town with a placard around his neck, was spat upon, and was sent to a rock [[Mining|mine]] to work as a labourer for a year.<ref>((Cite book |last=Henderson |first=Bruce B. |year=2011 |title=Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War |location=New York |publisher=Harper |isbn=978-0-06-157137-4|page=4 ))</ref> Dengler later credited his grandfather's resolve as a major inspiration while he was imprisoned in [[Laos]] and a factor in his refusal to sign a document penned by [[North Korea]] condemning American aggression in [[Southeast Asia]].<ref>((Cite book |last=Henderson |first=Bruce B. |year=2011 |title=Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War |location=New York |publisher=Harper |isbn=978-0-06-157137-4 |pages=4–5))</ref>((Failed verification|reason=At no point do either of these pages say this was a reason for his decision. Is this the wrong passage or something?|date=January 2022))

==Military career==

During [[World War II]], Dengler saw an [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] fighter plane firing its guns as it flew through Wildberg; he credited this as the moment he knew he wanted to be a pilot.<ref>((cite book|first=Bruce|last=Henderson|title=Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DR2YEENni-sC&pg=PA6|date=24 May 2011|publisher=HarperCollins|pages=6–|isbn=9780061571374))</ref> Years later, after seeing a call for pilots in an American magazine, he decided to travel to the United States. A family friend agreed to sponsor him and he salvaged brass and other metals to sell so he could pay for the rest of the passage. In 1956, upon turning 18 and completing his apprenticeship, Dengler hitchhiked to [[Hamburg]] and spent two weeks [[Homelessness|living on the street]] before leaving by ship to [[New York City]]. In the US, he spent a week homeless in [[Manhattan]] before finding an [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] recruiter.

He enlisted in June 1957 and attended [[basic training]] at [[Lackland AFB]] in [[San Antonio, Texas]]. He spent the next two years peeling potatoes, then working as a mechanic for a [[fleet vehicle|motor pool]]. His qualifications as a machinist led to an assignment as a [[gunsmith]]. He passed the test for aviation cadets but was told that only college graduates were selected to be pilots and his enlistment expired before he was selected for pilot training. After his discharge, Dengler worked with his brother at a bakery near [[San Francisco]]. He enrolled in [[San Francisco City College]], then transferred to the [[College of San Mateo]] to study [[aeronautics]]. After two years of college, he was accepted to the [[US Navy]]'s [[Aviation Cadet Training Program (USN)|Aviation Cadet Training Program]]. After finishing flight training, he trained as an attack pilot in a [[A-1 Skyraider|Douglas AD Skyraider]] at the [[Naval Air Station Corpus Christi|Naval Air Station]] in [[Corpus Christi, Texas]]. He joined the VA-145 squadron while they were on shore duty at the [[Naval Air Station Alameda|Naval Air Station]] in [[Alameda, California]]. In 1965, the squadron joined the [[Aircraft carrier|carrier]] ((USS|Ranger|CV-61|6)), which left for [[Vietnam]] that December. Dengler was initially stationed at [[Dixie Station (Vietnam War)|Dixie Station]] in [[South Vietnam]] before moving north to [[Yankee Station]].((citation needed|date=January 2022))

Part of his training was a [[Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape]] program, where he escaped twice from the mock [[POW camp]] and was planning a third when the training ended.<ref name=HendersonNoPage>((cite book|last=Henderson|first=Bruce|title=Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War|year=2010|publisher=Harper|location=New York|isbn=978-0-06-157136-7))</ref> Because of his experience living in poverty, he knew how to scavenge for food and ate scraps and garbage from the instructors' meals. He reportedly set a record as the only student to gain weight during the course.((citation needed|date=January 2022))

===1966 capture and imprisonment===
[[File:Skyraider landing USN.jpg|thumb|200px|A Navy [[A-1 Skyraider]] from VA-15 catches a wire during carrier operations.]]
On February 1, 1966, the day after the carrier began flying missions from Yankee Station, [[Lieutenant, Junior Grade]] Dengler left the Ranger with three other aircraft on an [[Air interdiction|interdiction mission]] against a North Vietnamese truck convoy. The pilots were forced to divert to their secondary target, a road intersection located west of the [[Mu Gia Pass]] in [[Laos]], due to thunderstorms. US air operations in Laos at this time were classified. Visibility was poor due to smoke from burning fields and Dengler quickly lost sight of the other planes. After two-and-a-half hours of flying into enemy territory, the right wing was blown off his plane by [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft fire]].<ref>((cite web|url=http://skyraider.org/skyassn/dengler/dengler.htm | title=Lt Dieter Dengler, USN Escape from Laos Navy |publisher=The A-1 Skyraider Association |access-date=October 3, 2015 ))</ref><ref name=SenseOfHistory>((cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Sense-of-history-drives-writer-to-tell-POW-tale-3180178.php | title=Sense of history drives writer to tell POW tale |date=July 30, 2010 |publisher=Hearst Communications, Inc |access-date=October 3, 2015 |work=San Francisco Chronicle))</ref>

Immediately after being shot down, Dengler smashed his [[survival radio]] and hid most of his other survival equipment to keep Vietnamese and Lao search parties from finding it. He was apprehended the next day by [[Pathet Lao]] troops, the Laotian equivalent of the [[Viet Cong]]. He attempted to escape but was quickly recaptured while drinking from a spring. He was tortured as a punishment for escaping: he was hung upside down by his ankles with a nest of biting ants over his face until he lost consciousness, then suspended in a well overnight so he would drown if he fell asleep. He was also dragged through villages by a [[water buffalo]]. When he refused to sign a Pathet Lao document condemning the United States, slivers of bamboo were inserted under his fingernails and into incisions on his body.

Dengler was handed over to the Vietnamese and brought to a prison camp near the village of Par Kung. There, he met Thai prisoners of war [[Phisit Intharathat]], Prasit Promsuwan, and Prasit Thanee; Chinese prisoner Y.C. To; and Americans [[Eugene DeBruin]] and [[Duane W. Martin]]. Except for Martin, a helicopter pilot in the US Air Force, the other prisoners were civilians employed by [[Air America (airline)|Air America]], a civilian airline owned by the [[Central Intelligence Agency]]. The civilians had all been held by the Pathet Lao for two and a half years by the time Dengler joined them. At night, the men were handcuffed together and shackled to wooden foot blocks, and suffered chronic [[dysentery]].

===1966 escape and rescue===
[[File:Dieter.jpg|thumb|left|175px|Dengler in the hospital after his rescue.]]
The other prisoners initially regarded Dengler's thick German accent and American allegiance with suspicion but eventually clued him in on their plans to escape.<ref name=Dietervid>[http://www.rescuedawnthetruth.com/ Dieter on Gene Debruin video] ((webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928045419/http://rescuedawnthetruth.com/ |date=September 28, 2007))((dead link|date=May 2023|reason=video does not work))</ref><ref name=rescuedawnthetruth/> Shortly after, the group was moved to a new camp ten miles away at Hoi Het. There, the prisoners argued over whether they should attempt escape, with Dengler, Martin, and one of the Thai prisoners<!--this article said "Prasit" - not sure which one--> in favor of it and Intharathat initially opposed. After several months, during which they survived largely on a single handful of rice a day among the six of them, one of the Thai prisoners overheard the guards talking about shooting the group in the jungle and making it look like an escape attempt. As a result, the men unanimously agreed to try to escape. Their plan was to take over the camp and signal a [[C-130|C-130 Hercules]] flare ship that made nightly visits to the area. Dengler loosened logs under the hut to allow enough room for them to squeeze through.

On June 29, 1966, while the guards were eating, the prisoners slipped out of their restraints and seized the guards' unattended weapons, which included [[M1 rifle]]s, Chinese automatic rifles, an American [[carbine]], at least one [[submachine gun]], and an early version of the [[AK-47]]. The men split into three groups: Dengler and Martin, DeBruin and To, and Intharathat, Promsuwan, and Thanee. They encountered at least five guards upon escaping the cell. Dengler and Martin began heading towards the [[Mekong River]].<ref>((cite web|url=http://www.historynet.com/dieter-denglers-great-escape-from-laotian-pow-camp.htm | title=Dieter Dengler's Great Escape from Laotian POW Camp |date= July 12, 2010|publisher=HistoryNet, LLC. |access-date=October 3, 2015 ))</ref> With the exception of Intharathat, who was recaptured and later rescued, and DeBruin, who was reportedly recaptured before disappearing in 1968, none of the other prisoners were [[Missing in action|ever seen again]].((citation needed|date=January 2022))

[[File:Deatrick and Dengler 1968.jpg|right|thumb|Dengler (right) with Eugene Deatrick, [[NAS Miramar]], 1968.]]
Dengler and Martin found a fast-flowing river they believed fed into the Mekong and built a raft to escape. They stopped in the evening to rest and tied themselves to trees to avoid being washed away by the torrential water. The next morning, they realized that they had gone in a circle rather than towards the Mekong. They had spotted several villages but remained undetected and eventually set up camp in an abandoned village. Though they had brought rice and were able to scavenge for food, they were still on the verge of starvation and initially lacked the strength to start a fire. Dengler eventually managed to locate Martin's discarded carbine cartridges and used the powder to start the fire. When the [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules|C-130]] flew overhead that evening, they waved lit torches to signal an [[SOS]]. The plane circled and dropped [[Battlefield illumination|flares]] but no rescue team turned up. Not long after, Martin was killed by a [[Akha people|Akha]] villager when he was spotted by a child. Dengler escaped when the villager called for backup and evaded capture despite [[hallucinations|hallucinating]] vividly due to starvation.<ref>((cite book|first=Werner|last=Herzog|title=Little Dieter wants to fly))</ref>((page needed|date=January 2022)) He returned to the abandoned village where he and Martin had camped and set the huts on fire to get the attention of the nightly C-130. The plane again dropped flares and though the crew reported their sighting to the [[Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base]], the fires were not recognized by intelligence as having been a signal from a survivor.<ref name="Henderson2010">((cite book|first=Bruce|last=Henderson|title=Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rkbY0FblIsAC&pg=PA260|access-date=16 July 2012|date=2010|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=978-0-06-157136-7|pages=260–))</ref>

On July 20, 1966, after 23 days in the jungle, Dengler managed to catch the attention of a US Air Force pilot by using a parachute from one of the flares. [[Eugene Peyton Deatrick]], the pilot of the lead [[Douglas A-1 Skyraider|plane]] and commander of the [[1st Special Operations Squadron|1st Air Commando Squadron]], spotted a flash of white while making a turn at the river's bend and backtracked. Deatrick and his wingman contacted rescue forces, but were told to ignore the sighting, as no airmen were known to be down in the area. He persisted and eventually managed to convince the command and control center to dispatch a rescue force.

Dengler was restrained by the helicopter crew as a precaution and [[strip search]]ed to ensure he wasn't armed or in possession of a [[hand grenade]]. Deatrick reported Dengler's claim to be a POW and his identity was confirmed when they reached a hospital in [[Da Nang]]. There, a conflict developed between the Air Force and Navy over who would control his debriefing and recovery. The Navy sent a team of [[United States Navy SEALs|SEALs]] to steal Dengler from the Air Force recovery ward. A fight ensued between the SEALs and [[Air Force security police]] in which numerous air force personnel, including several patients, were badly beaten and injured. The SEAL team escaped unscathed and rushed Dengler to the air field on a gurney. He was returned to the ((USS|Ranger|CV-61|6)) and eventually [[airlift]]ed to the US for medical treatment.((citation needed|date=June 2020)) At the time of his rescue, he stood at ((height|ft=5|in=9)) and weighed ((convert|98|lb|kg)).<ref>((cite book|first=Bruce|last=Henderson|title=Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rkbY0FblIsAC&pg=PA234|access-date=22 October 2012|date=2010|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=978-0-06-157136-7|pages=234–))</ref>

===Career post-imprisonment===
Dengler remained in the Navy for a year after his rescue. He was promoted to [[Lieutenant (navy)|Lieutenant]] and was trained to fly jets before his resignation. As a civilian, he became an airline pilot for [[Trans World Airlines]] and survived four crashes as a [[test pilot]].<ref name=herzog>((cite video |people=Werner Herzog |title=Rescue Dawn |medium=DVD |date=2007))</ref> He returned to Laos in 1977, where the Pathet Lao welcomed him and took him to visit the camp from which he had escaped. Dengler retired as a commercial pilot sometime prior to 1985.((citation needed|date=May 2023))

==Later life and death==
After his retirement, Dengler continued flying for leisure in his restored [[Cessna 195]] and became involved in air shows.((citation needed|date=May 2023)) In 2000, he was inducted into the [[Gathering of Eagles]] program and told the story of his escape to groups of young military officers.<ref>((cite web|url=http://www.au.af.mil/au/goe/eagle_bios/2000/dengler_2000.asp|title=Dengler Gathering of Eagles 2000 Biography|access-date=June 3, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101023034510/http://www.au.af.mil/au/goe/eagle_bios/2000/dengler_2000.asp|archive-date=October 23, 2010))</ref> Dengler struggled with [[PTSD]] for the rest of his life.<ref name=herzog/> On February 7, 2001, after being diagnosed with [[amyotrophic lateral sclerosis|ALS]], he rolled his wheelchair from his house to a nearby fire station, where he shot himself.<ref name=SenseOfHistory/> He was buried at [[Arlington National Cemetery]]<ref>((cite web|url=https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgdkZW5nbGVyEgZkaWV0ZXI-/|title=Burial Detail: Dengler, Dieter (Section 60, 6652)|publisher=Arlington National Cemtery|access-date=2023-05-03))</ref> and a Navy honor guard and a fly-over by Navy [[F-14 Tomcat]]s were present at his burial.<ref>((cite web|url=http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/photo_gallery/03-19-01.html|title=US Navy aircraft perform a fly-over during the funeral for Lieutenant Dieter Dengler, US Navy|publisher=Arlington National Cemetery|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010428224258/http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/photo_gallery/03-19-01.html|archive-date=2001-04-28))</ref>

Dengler was married three times: to Marina Adamich (1966–1970), to Irene Lam (1980–1984),<ref>California, U.S., Marriage Index((nonspecific|date=May 2023))</ref> and to Yukiko Dengler (1998–2001). Dengler is survived by two sons, Rolf and Alexander, and three grandsons.((citation needed|date=January 2022))

==In film and literature==
Dengler was a contestant on the January 30, 1967 episode of ''[[I've Got a Secret]]'', where his secret was that he escaped from a POW camp in Laos.((citation needed|date=May 2023)) The following year, he appeared on ''[[Hollywood Squares]]''.<ref>((cite web |title=Hollywood Squares March 22nd, 1968 - Dieter (X) vs Donna (O) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7IU4ZkO_Bw |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=21 February 2023))</ref> He discussed issues pertaining to prisoners of war and soldiers [[missing in action]] in Christopher Olgiati's 1988 documentary ''We Can Keep You Forever''. Dengler was the subject of [[Werner Herzog]]'s 1997 documentary ''[[Little Dieter Needs to Fly]]''. Herzog also directed ''[[Rescue Dawn]]'', which starred [[Christian Bale]] as Dengler. It was shown at festivals at the end of 2006 and received a limited theatrical release in the USA on July 4, 2007, before the general release later that month.((citation needed|date=May 2023)) The film received criticism from members of [[Eugene DeBruin]]'s family and from [[Phisit Intharathat]], the other surviving member of the group.<ref name="rescuedawnthetruth">((cite web|url=http://www.rescuedawnthetruth.com |title=Rescue Dawn: The Truth |publisher=Family, Friends of Gene DeBruin Critical of Herzog Film |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928045436/http://www.rescuedawnthetruth.com/ |archive-date=September 28, 2007 ))</ref> The film showed Dengler to be the primary mastermind behind the escape, meaning the roles of the rest of the prisoners were downplayed, despite the reality that Dengler was brought into the escape plans at least a month after his arrival in the prison camp. The portrayal of DeBruin was specifically criticized, as the film showed him to be delusional, unstable, and "sociopath[ic]," when friends, family, and the other prisoners characterized him as kind, intelligent, and a strong leader.<ref name=jones>((cite web|url=https://www.atlassociety.org/post/film-review-a-tale-of-two-heroes|title=Film Review: A Tale of Two Heroes|last=Jones|first=Robert L.|date=2011-03-24|publisher=The Atlas Society|access-date=2023-05-17))</ref><ref name=columbus>((cite web|url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/entertainment/2007/08/02/depiction-pow-criticized-by-brother/24099831007/|title=Depiction of POW criticized by brother|date=2007-08-02|publisher=The Columbus Dispatch|access-date=2023-05-17))</ref><ref name=sheley>((cite magazine|magazine=Smokejumper Magazine|date=July 2016|title=More Information On Gene DeBruin|last=Sheley|first=Chuck|url=https://dc.ewu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1095&context=smokejumper_mag|pages=12–13|access-date=2023-05-17))</ref> Herzog later acknowledged that DeBruin acted heroically during his imprisonment but defended his choices, saying he took "[[Artistic license|artistic liberty]]" based in part on conversations with Dengler years before about the "antagonistic relationships among the prisoners when under extreme duress."<ref name=columbus/><ref name="dvd feature">Herzog, Werner, ''The Making of a True Story'', documentary feature on the American DVD release of ''Rescue Dawn''</ref>

Dengler documented his experiences in ''Escape From Laos'', a book published with [[Ballantine Books|Presidio Press]] in 1979.<ref>((cite book |last=Dengler |first=Dieter |title=Escape from Laos |publisher=Presidio Press |year=1979 |isbn=0-89141-076-7 ))</ref> [[Nigel Cawthorne]]'s 1990 book ''The Bamboo Cage: The Full Story of the American Servicemen Still Missing in Vietnam'' expanded on the information in ''We Can Keep You Forever''.((citation needed|date=May 2023)) Dengler was the focus of [[Bruce Henderson (author)|Bruce Henderson]]'s 2010 book ''[[Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War]]''. Henderson had served on the same aircraft carrier as Dengler at the time he was shot down.<ref name=HendersonNoPage/>

== Awards and decorations ==
Dengler was the recipient of the following medals and decorations:
((col-begin))
((col-break))
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|colspan="12"|[[File:Naval Aviator Badge.jpg|235px]]
|-
|colspan="6"|((ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|name=Navy Cross ribbon|width=106)) ((ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|name=Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon|width=106))
|-
|colspan="2"|((ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|other_device=v|name=Bronze Star ribbon|width=106))((ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|name=Purple Heart BAR|width=106))((ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|name=Air Medal ribbon|width=106))
|-
|colspan="2"|((Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy_Unit_Commendation_ribbon.svg|width=106))((ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|name=Prisoner of War ribbon|width=106))((ribbon devices|number=|type=service-star|name=National Defense Service Medal ribbon|width=106))
|-
|colspan="2"|((ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|name=AFEMRib|width=106))((ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|name=Vietnam Service Ribbon|width=106))((Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Vietnam_gallantry_cross_unit_award-3d.svg|width=106))
|-
|colspan="2"|((ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg|width=106))((ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=United_States_Navy_Rifle_Marksmanship_Ribbon_with_expert_device.svg|width=106))((ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=United_States_Navy_Pistol_Marksmanship_Ribbon_with_expert_device.svg|width=106))
|}
((col-break))
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
! Badge
| colspan="12"|[[United States Naval Aviator|US Naval Aviator Insignia Badge]]
|-
! 1st row
| colspan="6"|[[Navy Cross]]
| colspan="6"|[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]
|-
! 2nd row
| colspan="4"|[[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]] <br/>((small|with [["V" device]]))
| colspan="4"|[[Purple Heart]]
| colspan="4"|[[Air Medal]]
|-
! 3rd row
| colspan="4"|[[Navy Unit Commendation]]
| colspan="4"|[[Prisoner of War Medal]]
| colspan="4"|[[National Defense Service Medal]]
|-
! 4th row
| colspan="4"|[[Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal]] <br/>((small|with 1 bronze [[Campaign star]]))
| colspan="4"|[[Vietnam Service Medal]] <br/>((small|with 1 bronze [[Campaign star]]))
| colspan="4"|[[Vietnam Gallantry Cross|Gallantry Cross Unit Citation]] <br/>((small|with palm and frame))
|-
! 5th row
| colspan="4"|[[Vietnam Campaign Medal]] <br/>((small|with "60-" clasp))
| colspan="4"|[[Marksmanship Medal|Navy Rifle Marksmanship Medal]] <br/>((small|with [[Marksmanship Device|Expert device]]))
| colspan="4"|[[Marksmanship Medal|Navy Pistol Marksmanship Medal]] <br/>((small|with [[Marksmanship Device|Expert device]]))
|}

((col-end))

==References==
((Reflist|2))

==External links==
* ((IMDb name|id=0219048|name=Dieter Dengler))
* [http://skyraider.org/skyassn/dengler/dengler.htm Excerpt from Dieter Dengler's book, ''Escape from Laos'']
* ((IMDb title|id=0145046|title=Little Dieter Needs to Fly))
* ((IMDb title|id=0462504|title=Rescue Dawn))
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090521070959/http://www.rescuedawnthetruth.com/Story_of_Escape.pdf Story Of Escape, Pisidhi Indradat]
* [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/ddengler.htm  Dieter Dengler] at ArlingtonCemetery.net, an unofficial website<!--non-RS [[WP:SPS]] website, do not use for citations -->

((Authority control))

((DEFAULTSORT:Dengler, Dieter))
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:United States Navy officers]]
[[Category:United States Naval Aviators]]
[[Category:United States Air Force airmen]]
[[Category:Shot-down aviators]]
[[Category:Emigrants from West Germany to the United States]]
[[Category:United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War]]
[[Category:American Vietnam War pilots]]
[[Category:Vietnam War prisoners of war]]
[[Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:American torture victims]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Air Medal]]
[[Category:Suicides by firearm in California]]
[[Category:Commercial aviators]]
[[Category:2001 suicides]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of Laos]]
[[Category:American escapees]]

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