“The Incredibly Stupid One” (Stories from The Vietnam War)
Simple History・7 minutes read
Douglas Brent Hegdahl, a Navy sailor captured during the Vietnam War, pretended to be a simpleton in a POW camp, gathering valuable information and orchestrating sabotage before his release in 1969. Hegdahl's deception and intelligence gathering contributed significantly to the US war effort and peace negotiations.
Insights
- Douglas Brent Hegdahl, captured during the Vietnam War, cleverly pretended to be a simple farmer's son, enabling him to gather valuable intelligence and sabotage enemy efforts while imprisoned in the Hoa Lo Prison.
- Hegdahl's remarkable feat of memorizing 256 American prisoners' names through a song, his strategic actions within the prison, and his subsequent role in sharing intelligence with US Navy officers highlight his exceptional resourcefulness and contribution to the Paris Peace Conference.
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Recent questions
Who was Douglas Brent Hegdahl?
A Navy sailor in the Vietnam War.
What was the nickname given to Douglas Brent Hegdahl?
"The incredibly stupid one."
How did Douglas Brent Hegdahl survive in the Hoa Lo Prison?
By pretending to be a dumb farmer's son.
How did Douglas Brent Hegdahl memorize crucial information?
By associating names with a tune.
What role did Douglas Brent Hegdahl play in the Paris Peace Conference?
He shared valuable intelligence with US Navy officers.
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Summary
00:00
"Vietnam War POW's Ingenious Escape Plan"
- Douglas Brent Hegdahl, a young man from South Dakota, joined the Navy in 1965 at 19 years old to fight in the Vietnam War, serving on the USS Canberra.
- Hegdahl was knocked overboard during a gun blast in 1967, captured by North Vietnamese fishermen, and handed over to authorities who doubted his story and interrogated him.
- Pretending to be a dumb farmer's son, Hegdahl played his role perfectly in the Hoa Lo Prison, known as the Hanoi Hilton, fooling interrogators and avoiding torture.
- Hegdahl, nicknamed "the incredibly stupid one," used his perceived foolishness to move freely around the prison, committing sabotage by disabling enemy trucks and memorizing crucial information.
- Hegdahl's memorization of 256 American prisoners' names to the tune of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" led to his release in 1969, where he shared valuable intelligence with US Navy officers and played a crucial role in the Paris Peace Conference.
