1 00:00:02,083 --> 00:00:04,292 - A daring pilot in the Vietnam War. 2 00:00:04,375 --> 00:00:05,917 - There was this huge explosion. 3 00:00:06,042 --> 00:00:07,292 Boom, boom, boom! 4 00:00:07,375 --> 00:00:08,833 - When you're going down, you don't know 5 00:00:08,875 --> 00:00:10,833 whether you're gonna live or die. 6 00:00:10,917 --> 00:00:13,500 - Trapped behind enemy lines... 7 00:00:13,583 --> 00:00:16,833 - Potentially hostile civilian population. 8 00:00:16,875 --> 00:00:19,000 - Things have not gone according to plan. 9 00:00:19,042 --> 00:00:22,208 - In a hellish jungle prison camp. 10 00:00:22,292 --> 00:00:24,083 - They're being tortured. 11 00:00:24,167 --> 00:00:26,792 It's just absolutely living hell on a daily basis. 12 00:00:26,875 --> 00:00:30,083 - He decided pretty early on that he's not gonna survive 13 00:00:30,167 --> 00:00:33,208 if he doesn't escape soon, while he's got the strength. 14 00:00:33,292 --> 00:00:35,167 - Will this master of survival 15 00:00:35,250 --> 00:00:38,500 free himself and his fellow POWs? 16 00:00:38,542 --> 00:00:40,917 - He says, "I'm out of here. I'm leaving. 17 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:42,292 Who's with me?" 18 00:00:42,375 --> 00:00:46,083 - Or will the jungle eat them alive? 19 00:00:46,167 --> 00:00:47,750 - Maybe they'll die in the jungle. 20 00:00:47,833 --> 00:00:49,000 Maybe they'll die in the camp. 21 00:00:49,083 --> 00:00:51,250 The time is now to escape. 22 00:00:51,333 --> 00:00:54,333 [suspenseful music] 23 00:00:54,417 --> 00:00:56,833 ♪ 24 00:00:56,875 --> 00:00:59,792 [dramatic music] 25 00:00:59,875 --> 00:01:01,042 ♪ 26 00:01:01,125 --> 00:01:04,000 - Some of the greatest stories ever told 27 00:01:04,042 --> 00:01:05,833 start behind bars. 28 00:01:05,958 --> 00:01:07,458 ♪ 29 00:01:07,542 --> 00:01:09,792 Locked up in the most notorious prisons 30 00:01:09,875 --> 00:01:11,208 in the world, 31 00:01:11,292 --> 00:01:16,000 spied on by guards and fellow prisoners, 32 00:01:16,042 --> 00:01:19,833 it takes a devious mind to find a way out. 33 00:01:19,875 --> 00:01:21,250 ♪ 34 00:01:21,333 --> 00:01:24,000 It could lead you to freedom, 35 00:01:24,083 --> 00:01:26,375 or it could cost you your life. 36 00:01:26,458 --> 00:01:28,167 ♪ 37 00:01:28,208 --> 00:01:30,458 But wouldn't you try 38 00:01:30,542 --> 00:01:32,667 when you have nothing left to lose? 39 00:01:32,750 --> 00:01:39,083 ♪ 40 00:01:39,167 --> 00:01:42,500 [tense music] 41 00:01:42,583 --> 00:01:47,917 ♪ 42 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,667 In 1966, the United States fights 43 00:01:51,750 --> 00:01:54,875 through the 11th year of its official involvement 44 00:01:54,958 --> 00:01:57,542 in the Vietnam War. 45 00:01:57,542 --> 00:02:00,833 The U.S. is also conducting covert raids 46 00:02:00,917 --> 00:02:04,000 in neighboring Laos, which is where 47 00:02:04,042 --> 00:02:10,083 U.S. Navy pilot Dieter Dengler and six other men cling to life 48 00:02:10,167 --> 00:02:15,125 in one of Laos's most notorious POW camps. 49 00:02:15,208 --> 00:02:18,167 [rock music] 50 00:02:18,292 --> 00:02:21,292 In the mid-1960s, the American public 51 00:02:21,375 --> 00:02:23,667 witnesses on a daily basis 52 00:02:23,750 --> 00:02:27,000 the horrors of the escalating conflict in Vietnam. 53 00:02:27,042 --> 00:02:31,083 But they have no clue of the secret war and violence 54 00:02:31,167 --> 00:02:33,000 where the U.S. military drops 55 00:02:33,083 --> 00:02:35,625 thousands of tons of bombs every day, 56 00:02:35,708 --> 00:02:38,333 trying to crush Laotian communist rebels 57 00:02:38,417 --> 00:02:42,667 and cut off support for North Vietnam. 58 00:02:42,750 --> 00:02:44,625 Some of the attacking American pilots 59 00:02:44,708 --> 00:02:47,375 are shot down and sent to prison camps 60 00:02:47,458 --> 00:02:50,333 like Ban Hoeui Het POW camp, 61 00:02:50,375 --> 00:02:52,667 part of a network of small jungle prisons 62 00:02:52,833 --> 00:02:54,250 used to hold enemies 63 00:02:54,375 --> 00:02:56,333 of the Vietnamese communist regime. 64 00:02:56,417 --> 00:02:58,833 ♪ 65 00:02:58,958 --> 00:03:00,625 Though the camps are small, 66 00:03:00,708 --> 00:03:03,250 often fewer than a dozen prisoners, 67 00:03:03,333 --> 00:03:05,125 each is a nightmarish prison. 68 00:03:05,208 --> 00:03:06,500 [tense music] 69 00:03:06,542 --> 00:03:11,875 - POW camps were hellish and inhumane, 70 00:03:11,958 --> 00:03:14,667 employing all manner of torture. 71 00:03:14,750 --> 00:03:17,667 Malnutrition, solitary confinement, 72 00:03:17,750 --> 00:03:19,583 beatings. 73 00:03:19,667 --> 00:03:20,667 You name it. 74 00:03:20,750 --> 00:03:23,417 - This combination of sadistic guards 75 00:03:23,500 --> 00:03:25,875 in a treacherous jungle landscape 76 00:03:25,958 --> 00:03:29,875 makes camps like Ban Hoeui Het the end of the line 77 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,167 for many captured soldiers. 78 00:03:32,208 --> 00:03:35,000 - They died of starvation. 79 00:03:35,083 --> 00:03:36,750 They died of wounds. 80 00:03:36,833 --> 00:03:40,250 They died of jungle diseases like malaria. 81 00:03:40,333 --> 00:03:44,208 And they died because they didn't want to live anymore. 82 00:03:44,333 --> 00:03:45,708 - The hellish conditions of the camp 83 00:03:45,792 --> 00:03:48,583 are enough to destroy the will of any man. 84 00:03:48,667 --> 00:03:52,625 But Dieter Dengler is no ordinary person. 85 00:03:52,708 --> 00:03:55,000 He learned to survive on nothing 86 00:03:55,083 --> 00:03:56,667 from the day he was born. 87 00:03:56,750 --> 00:04:02,083 ♪ 88 00:04:02,167 --> 00:04:05,500 - Dengler was born in Germany in 1938, 89 00:04:05,542 --> 00:04:08,375 so he was a small child during World War II. 90 00:04:08,500 --> 00:04:10,958 - When five-year-old Dengler sees 91 00:04:11,042 --> 00:04:14,333 an Allied fighter plane fly over his house, 92 00:04:14,417 --> 00:04:18,083 he becomes obsessed with flying. 93 00:04:18,167 --> 00:04:22,083 In 1956, at the age of 18, 94 00:04:22,167 --> 00:04:23,750 Dengler moves to the U.S., 95 00:04:23,833 --> 00:04:27,833 a brave choice for a German not long after World War II. 96 00:04:27,917 --> 00:04:30,167 He enlists in the U.S. Navy, 97 00:04:30,250 --> 00:04:31,875 where he becomes a pilot 98 00:04:31,875 --> 00:04:34,792 and masters survival and escape tactics. 99 00:04:34,875 --> 00:04:38,542 In 1965, he exchanges engagement rings 100 00:04:38,625 --> 00:04:42,292 with his fiancée, Marina, bids her goodbye, 101 00:04:42,375 --> 00:04:45,625 and ships out to Vietnam on the USS "Ranger." 102 00:04:45,708 --> 00:04:48,083 - We'd go out and practice dogfighting, 103 00:04:48,167 --> 00:04:50,208 and he was one of the better ones. 104 00:04:50,292 --> 00:04:52,375 His flying skills were great. 105 00:04:52,500 --> 00:04:57,250 - February 1, 1966. 106 00:04:57,333 --> 00:04:59,208 Dengler's piloting and survival skills 107 00:04:59,292 --> 00:05:01,167 are put to the ultimate test 108 00:05:01,250 --> 00:05:04,958 when he's assigned a risky secret mission 109 00:05:05,042 --> 00:05:06,875 deep in enemy territory. 110 00:05:06,958 --> 00:05:08,708 ♪ 111 00:05:08,792 --> 00:05:11,000 - Dieter's mission was to attack 112 00:05:11,125 --> 00:05:13,750 a road intersection in Laos. 113 00:05:13,833 --> 00:05:15,750 What he was trying to do was actually 114 00:05:15,833 --> 00:05:20,708 disrupt the flow of supplies coming into South Vietnam. 115 00:05:20,708 --> 00:05:23,667 - Dengler flies in the back of a four-man squadron, 116 00:05:23,750 --> 00:05:27,750 the most vulnerable position in the formation. 117 00:05:27,833 --> 00:05:29,875 About two hours into the mission, 118 00:05:29,958 --> 00:05:33,750 the squadron encounters heavy anti-aircraft fire, 119 00:05:33,833 --> 00:05:37,583 and Dengler takes a direct hit through his wing. 120 00:05:37,667 --> 00:05:39,458 - He says, "There was this huge explosion 121 00:05:39,542 --> 00:05:42,750 "on my right-hand side. 122 00:05:42,833 --> 00:05:45,000 It was like lightning striking." 123 00:05:45,042 --> 00:05:46,667 The right wing was gone. 124 00:05:46,708 --> 00:05:48,875 The airplane seemed to cartwheel through the sky 125 00:05:48,958 --> 00:05:49,875 in slow motion. 126 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:51,083 There were more explosions. 127 00:05:51,167 --> 00:05:52,708 Boom, boom, boom! 128 00:05:52,792 --> 00:05:54,625 - I've been in a couple of crashes, 129 00:05:54,708 --> 00:05:56,083 and when you're going down, 130 00:05:56,167 --> 00:05:58,917 you don't know whether you're gonna live or die. 131 00:05:59,042 --> 00:06:01,375 - Remarkably, Dengler was able 132 00:06:01,458 --> 00:06:04,750 to steer his failing plane into an open field. 133 00:06:04,833 --> 00:06:07,667 [dramatic music] 134 00:06:07,750 --> 00:06:10,917 ♪ 135 00:06:11,042 --> 00:06:13,875 [twangy rock music] 136 00:06:14,042 --> 00:06:17,000 [high-pitched ringing] 137 00:06:17,042 --> 00:06:20,417 ♪ 138 00:06:20,500 --> 00:06:25,750 He survives the crash landing, dazed but fully intact. 139 00:06:25,875 --> 00:06:30,667 The problem is that he's alone behind enemy lines. 140 00:06:30,708 --> 00:06:33,417 Local soldiers will have seen the crash 141 00:06:33,542 --> 00:06:36,000 and could arrive at any minute. 142 00:06:36,042 --> 00:06:40,625 He knows his mission has changed from attack to escape. 143 00:06:40,708 --> 00:06:43,708 [tense percussive music] 144 00:06:43,792 --> 00:06:45,792 ♪ 145 00:06:45,875 --> 00:06:49,667 Dengler grabs his radio, maps, and personal documents. 146 00:06:49,750 --> 00:06:53,125 He destroys them so they don't fall into enemy hands, 147 00:06:53,208 --> 00:06:54,833 then flees the site. 148 00:06:54,875 --> 00:06:58,333 Unfortunately for Dengler, the communist insurgents 149 00:06:58,458 --> 00:07:03,417 known as the Pathet Lao are hot on his trail. 150 00:07:03,500 --> 00:07:05,500 - The jungle was extremely thick, 151 00:07:05,583 --> 00:07:07,708 and so he was forced to stick to trails 152 00:07:07,792 --> 00:07:11,083 that would obviously be traveled by the enemy. 153 00:07:11,167 --> 00:07:14,292 Those trails kept leading him to villages. 154 00:07:14,375 --> 00:07:16,000 There was little place for him to go, 155 00:07:16,042 --> 00:07:19,000 and so they caught up to him within about a day. 156 00:07:19,083 --> 00:07:21,833 ♪ 157 00:07:21,917 --> 00:07:23,958 - For the next week, they forced Dengler 158 00:07:24,042 --> 00:07:27,250 on a torturous march through the Laotian jungle. 159 00:07:27,333 --> 00:07:28,667 [somber music] 160 00:07:28,708 --> 00:07:31,625 At one point, he's offered his freedom 161 00:07:31,708 --> 00:07:34,667 in exchange for a written confession 162 00:07:34,708 --> 00:07:37,500 of his country's crimes. 163 00:07:37,583 --> 00:07:38,875 - He refused to sign it. 164 00:07:38,958 --> 00:07:40,458 In fact, he said that he threw the pen 165 00:07:40,542 --> 00:07:42,333 at the communist leader. 166 00:07:42,417 --> 00:07:43,583 The communists then brought him 167 00:07:43,667 --> 00:07:46,042 to a Pathet Lao prison camp. 168 00:07:46,125 --> 00:07:48,167 ♪ 169 00:07:48,208 --> 00:07:51,042 [dramatic music] 170 00:07:51,125 --> 00:07:53,083 ♪ 171 00:07:53,208 --> 00:07:56,500 - When he reaches the Ban Hoeui Het prison camp, 172 00:07:56,625 --> 00:08:00,333 he's already endured more than most men could handle. 173 00:08:00,500 --> 00:08:02,417 And it's about to get worse. 174 00:08:02,542 --> 00:08:03,917 ♪ 175 00:08:04,042 --> 00:08:06,042 The one bright spot-- 176 00:08:06,125 --> 00:08:07,875 he's no longer alone. 177 00:08:07,958 --> 00:08:12,167 Two Americans, three Thais, and one Chinese national 178 00:08:12,208 --> 00:08:15,042 are also held captive. 179 00:08:15,167 --> 00:08:18,667 They suffer together in a hellish nightmare. 180 00:08:18,750 --> 00:08:19,583 ♪ 181 00:08:19,667 --> 00:08:22,042 There is no hope of escape. 182 00:08:22,125 --> 00:08:25,625 When a prisoner arrives, the guards strip their boots 183 00:08:25,708 --> 00:08:28,167 and hang them by the guard hut. 184 00:08:28,250 --> 00:08:31,708 If Dengler or anyone manages to get out, 185 00:08:31,792 --> 00:08:34,458 their feet will be chewed up by the jungle. 186 00:08:34,542 --> 00:08:36,208 Even if they have boots, 187 00:08:36,292 --> 00:08:39,917 the prisoners barely have the energy to walk. 188 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:42,167 The men spend most of their day and nights 189 00:08:42,208 --> 00:08:46,708 shackled together with their arms interlocked. 190 00:08:46,792 --> 00:08:50,000 Wooden foot blocks hold their feet in place. 191 00:08:50,083 --> 00:08:54,667 For food, they're given only putrid and maggoty rice. 192 00:08:54,708 --> 00:08:57,708 Every day, they're given only a few minutes 193 00:08:57,792 --> 00:09:00,625 in the yard to stretch and relieve themselves. 194 00:09:00,708 --> 00:09:02,917 It's a momentary respite 195 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,000 before they're thrown back into the hut. 196 00:09:05,083 --> 00:09:07,125 - They're dealing with physical deprivations, 197 00:09:07,208 --> 00:09:08,375 emotional stress. 198 00:09:08,458 --> 00:09:11,000 They're being tortured. 199 00:09:11,083 --> 00:09:15,083 It's just absolutely living hell on a daily basis. 200 00:09:15,167 --> 00:09:18,667 - Because America is not officially at war, 201 00:09:18,708 --> 00:09:21,000 the guards treat the men as criminals, 202 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:24,500 kept alive as bargaining chips that they're free to torture. 203 00:09:24,542 --> 00:09:26,667 [tense music] 204 00:09:26,750 --> 00:09:30,667 Dengler witnesses up close how these camp conditions 205 00:09:30,750 --> 00:09:34,500 can turn a healthy soldier into a husk of a man. 206 00:09:34,542 --> 00:09:37,083 - One of the first people that Dengler sees, 207 00:09:37,208 --> 00:09:39,250 he recalls that they had knocked their teeth out 208 00:09:39,333 --> 00:09:41,667 just to let some of the pus come out of their gums. 209 00:09:41,750 --> 00:09:43,333 After he saw that, 210 00:09:43,417 --> 00:09:44,625 it immediately came to his mind 211 00:09:44,708 --> 00:09:47,042 that he had to start thinking about escape. 212 00:09:47,125 --> 00:09:49,167 - Dengler decided pretty early on 213 00:09:49,250 --> 00:09:50,750 that he's not gonna survive 214 00:09:50,833 --> 00:09:53,500 if he doesn't escape soon, while he's got the strength. 215 00:09:53,625 --> 00:09:56,167 So he says, "I'm out of here. Who's with me?" 216 00:09:56,208 --> 00:10:00,208 - There aren't many takers, and for good reason. 217 00:10:00,333 --> 00:10:03,042 Two prisoner huts lie in the center of the camp, 218 00:10:03,125 --> 00:10:06,667 surrounded by an unclimbable bamboo fence. 219 00:10:06,750 --> 00:10:09,333 The only exit is a single gate, 220 00:10:09,417 --> 00:10:14,500 watched 24/7 by armed guards in the 30-foot-high tower. 221 00:10:14,625 --> 00:10:17,417 A second guard tower and several guard huts 222 00:10:17,542 --> 00:10:19,167 monitor the rest of the camp. 223 00:10:19,208 --> 00:10:22,083 Even if you sneak out, you're engulfed 224 00:10:22,208 --> 00:10:25,583 by miles of jungle in every direction. 225 00:10:25,667 --> 00:10:28,292 When Dengler is thrown into the camp, 226 00:10:28,375 --> 00:10:29,833 he's relatively healthy, 227 00:10:29,917 --> 00:10:31,292 but none of his fellow prisoners 228 00:10:31,375 --> 00:10:36,125 are fit for a jungle trek, let alone breaking out. 229 00:10:36,208 --> 00:10:40,333 Duane Martin has been a prisoner for six months, 230 00:10:40,417 --> 00:10:42,500 with the scars to prove it. 231 00:10:42,667 --> 00:10:46,167 Eugene DeBruin has suffered even longer, 232 00:10:46,250 --> 00:10:48,833 a staggering 2 1/2 years. 233 00:10:48,917 --> 00:10:50,792 On the plus side, 234 00:10:50,875 --> 00:10:53,167 both men have military training, 235 00:10:53,250 --> 00:10:57,667 a quality Dengler knows will make them capable partners. 236 00:10:57,750 --> 00:11:00,625 - Duane Martin was an Air Force helicopter pilot 237 00:11:00,625 --> 00:11:02,750 who had been shot down and captured 238 00:11:02,833 --> 00:11:04,958 in September of 1965. 239 00:11:05,042 --> 00:11:08,625 He becomes Dengler's accomplice, 240 00:11:08,708 --> 00:11:11,250 his closest friend and ally. 241 00:11:11,333 --> 00:11:14,917 Gene DeBruin was an Air America pilot 242 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,750 who had bailed out of a burning cargo plane. 243 00:11:18,875 --> 00:11:20,958 He was the reasonable person 244 00:11:21,042 --> 00:11:23,542 who was able to propose compromises 245 00:11:23,625 --> 00:11:28,958 when arguments would arise among the men in the POW camp. 246 00:11:29,042 --> 00:11:30,750 - These men will form the backbone 247 00:11:30,833 --> 00:11:33,333 of Dengler's escape team. 248 00:11:33,417 --> 00:11:36,000 The non-American prisoners who worked with DeBruin 249 00:11:36,083 --> 00:11:38,625 for Air America are separated, 250 00:11:38,708 --> 00:11:40,708 not just by spending most of their time 251 00:11:40,708 --> 00:11:46,042 in another hut, but also by a language barrier. 252 00:11:46,125 --> 00:11:50,625 Fortunately, the Chinese prisoner, called YC, 253 00:11:50,708 --> 00:11:53,208 speaks both Thai and English 254 00:11:53,208 --> 00:11:56,000 and can help the groups communicate. 255 00:11:56,083 --> 00:11:58,292 - Dengler, he wants to get out of there right away, 256 00:11:58,375 --> 00:12:02,917 but the other men in the camp convince him to wait. 257 00:12:03,042 --> 00:12:05,083 - They tell him, "Look, there's no water. 258 00:12:05,167 --> 00:12:07,125 "You'll die of thirst out there. 259 00:12:07,208 --> 00:12:08,917 "Wait until the monsoon season, 260 00:12:09,042 --> 00:12:11,042 "which is several months away, 261 00:12:11,167 --> 00:12:13,958 but at least you'll have a chance then." 262 00:12:14,042 --> 00:12:16,417 - Dengler agrees to wait several months 263 00:12:16,500 --> 00:12:19,167 until monsoon season begins. 264 00:12:19,292 --> 00:12:22,125 That's plenty of time for a master of escape 265 00:12:22,250 --> 00:12:24,125 to develop a plan. 266 00:12:24,208 --> 00:12:27,458 To Dengler, it's either die in the camp 267 00:12:27,542 --> 00:12:29,833 or die trying to escape 268 00:12:29,917 --> 00:12:32,500 and at least have a chance at making it back home. 269 00:12:32,542 --> 00:12:35,167 [tense music] 270 00:12:35,208 --> 00:12:37,625 He notices that the skies above the camp 271 00:12:37,708 --> 00:12:40,208 are still patrolled by American jets. 272 00:12:40,208 --> 00:12:41,625 Interesting. 273 00:12:41,708 --> 00:12:43,375 ♪ 274 00:12:43,500 --> 00:12:47,667 The plan Dengler comes up with will surprise everyone. 275 00:12:47,750 --> 00:12:50,500 He's not going to just escape. 276 00:12:50,583 --> 00:12:52,667 He's going to take over the whole camp. 277 00:12:52,708 --> 00:12:56,333 ♪ 278 00:13:00,708 --> 00:13:03,875 [tense music] 279 00:13:03,958 --> 00:13:09,083 - In 1966, American POWs Dieter Dengler, 280 00:13:09,167 --> 00:13:12,167 Duane Martin, and Eugene DeBruin 281 00:13:12,208 --> 00:13:15,792 are captives in this Laotian prison camp 282 00:13:15,875 --> 00:13:20,333 along with one Chinese and three Thai prisoners. 283 00:13:20,417 --> 00:13:23,000 Dengler has agreed to wait several months 284 00:13:23,083 --> 00:13:25,250 to try and escape, but he's worried 285 00:13:25,375 --> 00:13:27,458 he will be too weak for a jungle adventure 286 00:13:27,542 --> 00:13:29,833 by that time. 287 00:13:29,917 --> 00:13:32,667 So what does he do? 288 00:13:32,792 --> 00:13:34,833 The clever survivalist makes a plan 289 00:13:34,875 --> 00:13:37,000 that turns the situation on its head. 290 00:13:37,083 --> 00:13:38,458 ♪ 291 00:13:38,542 --> 00:13:41,625 They might not have to escape the camp at all. 292 00:13:41,708 --> 00:13:47,000 ♪ 293 00:13:47,125 --> 00:13:49,417 Dengler notices that almost every night, 294 00:13:49,542 --> 00:13:53,375 U.S. C-130 aircraft fly directly over the camp 295 00:13:53,458 --> 00:13:55,625 on their supply runs. 296 00:13:55,708 --> 00:13:57,708 Since the camp is dark at night, 297 00:13:57,833 --> 00:14:00,208 there's no chance the planes would spot it. 298 00:14:00,292 --> 00:14:02,833 But if they create a signal fire, 299 00:14:02,875 --> 00:14:06,917 it might alert the plane, securing their rescue. 300 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:09,667 To do that, Dengler's plan calls for 301 00:14:09,792 --> 00:14:12,000 taking over the camp. 302 00:14:12,083 --> 00:14:15,042 First, all the prisoners will need to get out 303 00:14:15,167 --> 00:14:18,333 of their restraints, then sneak out of the huts 304 00:14:18,375 --> 00:14:20,042 and past the fence. 305 00:14:20,125 --> 00:14:23,458 Second, they'll have to steal weapons from the guard huts. 306 00:14:23,542 --> 00:14:27,750 Third, they'll split up and round up the guards. 307 00:14:27,833 --> 00:14:30,625 It's a crazy plan, and one that requires 308 00:14:30,708 --> 00:14:33,542 every prisoner to play their part. 309 00:14:33,625 --> 00:14:37,292 Martin and DeBruin, who know Dengler's training, 310 00:14:37,375 --> 00:14:38,917 get on board. 311 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,375 The Americans choose a fitting deadline for the escape: 312 00:14:42,458 --> 00:14:43,833 July 4th. 313 00:14:43,917 --> 00:14:47,792 By then, they'll either be free or dead. 314 00:14:47,875 --> 00:14:49,292 - Naturally, the Americans kind of 315 00:14:49,375 --> 00:14:52,250 gravitate towards each other and work together. 316 00:14:52,333 --> 00:14:54,667 - The Asian prisoners reject the plan, 317 00:14:54,750 --> 00:14:56,792 because they tried to escape before, 318 00:14:56,875 --> 00:14:59,625 following an American, and nearly died for it. 319 00:14:59,708 --> 00:15:01,333 ♪ 320 00:15:01,458 --> 00:15:04,333 So the three Americans get to work. 321 00:15:04,417 --> 00:15:06,250 The first step is to figure out 322 00:15:06,375 --> 00:15:08,500 the best time to round up the guards. 323 00:15:08,542 --> 00:15:13,417 ♪ 324 00:15:13,500 --> 00:15:15,292 The men start by observing everything 325 00:15:15,375 --> 00:15:17,958 going on in the camp for weeks. 326 00:15:18,083 --> 00:15:21,792 To keep the guards straight, they give them nicknames. 327 00:15:21,875 --> 00:15:24,250 - So each of the guards had nicknames 328 00:15:24,333 --> 00:15:27,375 that was given to them based on some of their actions. 329 00:15:27,458 --> 00:15:30,750 One of the most sadistic guards was named Little Hitler, 330 00:15:30,833 --> 00:15:33,875 because he took great delight in beating the prisoners 331 00:15:33,958 --> 00:15:35,833 and humiliating the prisoners. 332 00:15:35,875 --> 00:15:38,500 And there was one who was nicknamed Moron, 333 00:15:38,542 --> 00:15:40,500 because he was deemed to be not too bright. 334 00:15:40,625 --> 00:15:42,750 And one of them's a pretty hefty fellow, 335 00:15:42,833 --> 00:15:44,375 so they called him Jumbo. 336 00:15:44,458 --> 00:15:45,917 ♪ 337 00:15:45,917 --> 00:15:48,375 - Dengler also tracks the guards' movements, 338 00:15:48,458 --> 00:15:50,667 looking for openings to exploit. 339 00:15:50,750 --> 00:15:52,292 ♪ 340 00:15:52,375 --> 00:15:54,542 - One of the patterns that they detected was, 341 00:15:54,542 --> 00:15:56,500 every time the guards come down for dinner, 342 00:15:56,542 --> 00:15:57,875 about 4:00 p.m., 343 00:15:57,958 --> 00:16:00,000 they would leave their weapons in their huts. 344 00:16:00,083 --> 00:16:02,708 And so the guards were essentially unarmed 345 00:16:02,792 --> 00:16:04,417 throughout this period. 346 00:16:04,542 --> 00:16:06,375 - It's a window of only 2 1/2 minutes, 347 00:16:06,458 --> 00:16:09,125 but Dengler thinks it's enough time 348 00:16:09,208 --> 00:16:12,167 if they have it precisely mapped out. 349 00:16:12,292 --> 00:16:14,917 To keep everything straight, 350 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:17,833 the prisoners make a crude map. 351 00:16:17,917 --> 00:16:19,667 - They would use sticks and stones 352 00:16:19,750 --> 00:16:21,917 to outline the prison camp 353 00:16:22,042 --> 00:16:23,542 so that everybody got a good visual 354 00:16:23,625 --> 00:16:26,458 on what the plan was and where everybody was supposed to go. 355 00:16:26,542 --> 00:16:28,750 And then if the guards came into their hut, 356 00:16:28,750 --> 00:16:32,458 they could simply scatter the leaves, twigs, and rocks. 357 00:16:32,542 --> 00:16:33,917 ♪ 358 00:16:34,042 --> 00:16:35,833 - The trio determines the days 359 00:16:35,875 --> 00:16:40,042 when there is a minimal number of seven guards in the camp. 360 00:16:40,167 --> 00:16:44,083 The three frail Americans aren't enough to take them on. 361 00:16:44,208 --> 00:16:47,792 Dengler needs the other prisoners to get on board. 362 00:16:47,875 --> 00:16:52,500 Ironically, he gets some help from the guards themselves. 363 00:16:52,542 --> 00:16:57,542 ♪ 364 00:16:57,625 --> 00:17:00,083 - The guards started getting really mean, 365 00:17:00,167 --> 00:17:03,000 and they knew it had to do with the lack of food. 366 00:17:03,083 --> 00:17:05,458 - It's overheard 367 00:17:05,542 --> 00:17:07,875 that the captors are contemplating 368 00:17:07,875 --> 00:17:09,167 faking prison break, 369 00:17:09,208 --> 00:17:10,833 where they would shoot all of the POWs 370 00:17:10,917 --> 00:17:12,375 in the back and make it look as though 371 00:17:12,458 --> 00:17:13,833 they had been caught escaping. 372 00:17:13,917 --> 00:17:15,417 This would mean more food for them. 373 00:17:15,542 --> 00:17:18,125 The concern is that this could happen any day now. 374 00:17:18,208 --> 00:17:20,375 The time is now to escape. 375 00:17:20,500 --> 00:17:23,625 - This means there's no waiting until July 4th. 376 00:17:23,708 --> 00:17:27,167 They'll have to enact the plan as soon as possible. 377 00:17:27,250 --> 00:17:29,542 Out of self-preservation and fear, 378 00:17:29,667 --> 00:17:34,042 the Thai and Chinese prisoners agree to mobilize. 379 00:17:34,125 --> 00:17:36,042 - There were rumors that the guards themselves 380 00:17:36,125 --> 00:17:38,167 were going to execute the prisoners. 381 00:17:38,292 --> 00:17:39,750 They were fearful of getting shot, 382 00:17:39,875 --> 00:17:42,667 so I think that lit a fire to try an escape attempt. 383 00:17:42,708 --> 00:17:44,958 - They'll work together to take over the camp 384 00:17:45,042 --> 00:17:47,167 from the guards, but once they're out, 385 00:17:47,250 --> 00:17:50,000 the groups will go their separate ways. 386 00:17:50,083 --> 00:17:51,333 - Maybe they'll die in the jungle. 387 00:17:51,417 --> 00:17:53,542 Maybe they'll die in the camp. 388 00:17:53,667 --> 00:17:56,333 They're gonna die one way or the other. 389 00:17:56,417 --> 00:17:59,125 - With all the prisoners on the same page, 390 00:17:59,208 --> 00:18:01,125 at least in principle, 391 00:18:01,208 --> 00:18:05,125 Dengler turns his attention to their food supply. 392 00:18:05,208 --> 00:18:07,625 The plan calls for them to stay put in the camp 393 00:18:07,708 --> 00:18:12,000 and await rescue after they signal the planes. 394 00:18:12,042 --> 00:18:14,167 Since they won't be able to get deliveries 395 00:18:14,208 --> 00:18:15,792 with the guards tied up, 396 00:18:15,875 --> 00:18:18,625 they will need to ration and stockpile their rice 397 00:18:18,708 --> 00:18:21,583 in case it takes time to rescue them. 398 00:18:21,708 --> 00:18:23,917 They started by drying out small portions 399 00:18:24,042 --> 00:18:25,833 of rice in the sun. 400 00:18:25,917 --> 00:18:30,250 Next, they have to hide it from the ravenous guards. 401 00:18:30,333 --> 00:18:32,792 - They knew that it would be hard to find food 402 00:18:32,875 --> 00:18:34,250 throughout their ordeal. 403 00:18:34,375 --> 00:18:39,042 Even as rice was so scarce and they were already starving, 404 00:18:39,167 --> 00:18:42,542 they made a hole into this bamboo support beam, 405 00:18:42,625 --> 00:18:44,708 and they would stuff rice in there. 406 00:18:44,833 --> 00:18:47,833 Every day, they put a little bit of rice away. 407 00:18:47,917 --> 00:18:50,833 [tense music] 408 00:18:50,917 --> 00:18:52,458 ♪ 409 00:18:52,542 --> 00:18:55,167 - Their stashing operation works perfectly. 410 00:18:55,208 --> 00:18:58,208 But eventually, hunger gets the best of Dengler 411 00:18:58,292 --> 00:19:01,208 and puts the entire plan in danger. 412 00:19:01,208 --> 00:19:04,708 - So there was a pig that the guards were keeping 413 00:19:04,833 --> 00:19:07,500 to fatten up for a meal one of these days, 414 00:19:07,583 --> 00:19:10,500 and Dengler was so hungry that he crawled into the pigsty 415 00:19:10,542 --> 00:19:13,083 and took the corncob away from the pig 416 00:19:13,208 --> 00:19:14,458 and started eating it. 417 00:19:14,542 --> 00:19:17,000 And one of the guards got incensed. 418 00:19:17,042 --> 00:19:20,708 - The guard drags Dengler away and begins beating him. 419 00:19:20,792 --> 00:19:26,958 ♪ 420 00:19:27,042 --> 00:19:30,500 As they witness Dengler's savage beating, 421 00:19:30,542 --> 00:19:34,167 the other prisoners realize that if he dies, 422 00:19:34,250 --> 00:19:36,667 so do their hopes for escape. 423 00:19:36,708 --> 00:19:40,250 ♪ 424 00:19:44,583 --> 00:19:47,833 [dramatic music] 425 00:19:47,958 --> 00:19:51,292 - June 15, 1966, 426 00:19:51,375 --> 00:19:54,792 seven prisoners are days away from attempting a takeover 427 00:19:54,875 --> 00:19:57,583 of Ban Hoeui Het POW camp. 428 00:19:57,667 --> 00:20:00,875 The linchpin of the plan, Dieter Dengler, 429 00:20:00,958 --> 00:20:04,208 has been beaten severely for stealing food scraps. 430 00:20:04,292 --> 00:20:07,000 But Dengler survives once again. 431 00:20:07,083 --> 00:20:09,375 - Dengler was beaten, and the lesson that he learned 432 00:20:09,458 --> 00:20:12,333 was prisoners are worth less than pigs. 433 00:20:12,375 --> 00:20:14,833 - Dengler only uses it as a motivation. 434 00:20:14,917 --> 00:20:19,625 He's as determined as ever to overcome his captors. 435 00:20:19,750 --> 00:20:22,500 They've secured a hidden food supply, 436 00:20:22,542 --> 00:20:24,667 but there remains the crucial problem 437 00:20:24,750 --> 00:20:27,333 of how they will get out of the hut. 438 00:20:27,417 --> 00:20:29,583 First, they need to come up with a way 439 00:20:29,667 --> 00:20:33,792 to get out of their restraints during the guards' mealtime. 440 00:20:33,875 --> 00:20:36,167 - Back in those days, toothpaste tubes 441 00:20:36,208 --> 00:20:38,167 were made out of metal, and so they were able 442 00:20:38,250 --> 00:20:40,667 to melt down this toothpaste tube 443 00:20:40,750 --> 00:20:42,292 and make a key. 444 00:20:42,375 --> 00:20:44,250 - By pouring the molten metal 445 00:20:44,333 --> 00:20:47,208 into an improvised mold in the dirt, 446 00:20:47,292 --> 00:20:49,542 they're able to fashion a makeshift key 447 00:20:49,625 --> 00:20:52,125 they can use to spring the handcuff locks 448 00:20:52,208 --> 00:20:54,542 and get free. 449 00:20:54,625 --> 00:20:56,917 They also experiment and figure out 450 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:01,292 how to release themselves from the foot blocks. 451 00:21:01,292 --> 00:21:03,000 - These Laotian foot blocks, 452 00:21:03,083 --> 00:21:04,375 the prisoners' feet are put together, 453 00:21:04,458 --> 00:21:05,833 and then they're kind of locked in like this, 454 00:21:05,917 --> 00:21:08,000 and then there's a pin that's driven in between, 455 00:21:08,083 --> 00:21:09,542 so you can't move your feet. 456 00:21:09,667 --> 00:21:12,542 Dieter and his prisoners find a way to unlock them. 457 00:21:12,625 --> 00:21:15,625 - By using a long stick, they're able to get 458 00:21:15,708 --> 00:21:18,542 enough leverage on the block to loosen the pin, 459 00:21:18,625 --> 00:21:21,208 allowing them to wiggle free. 460 00:21:21,333 --> 00:21:24,167 [dramatic music] 461 00:21:24,292 --> 00:21:26,500 ♪ 462 00:21:26,542 --> 00:21:28,792 Another necessary piece of the puzzle 463 00:21:28,875 --> 00:21:32,542 is a way out of the hut and stockade. 464 00:21:32,542 --> 00:21:34,625 They figure out a rather unique way 465 00:21:34,708 --> 00:21:38,208 of creating a secret hole in the back of the hut. 466 00:21:38,292 --> 00:21:41,708 They loosen a support beam from the rear wall 467 00:21:41,833 --> 00:21:43,292 by saving their urine 468 00:21:43,375 --> 00:21:46,167 and pouring it over the base of the beam. 469 00:21:46,250 --> 00:21:48,958 The acidity wears away the crude glue 470 00:21:49,042 --> 00:21:52,000 that keeps the pole in place. 471 00:21:52,042 --> 00:21:55,167 This allows them to remove several floorboards, 472 00:21:55,250 --> 00:21:58,792 creating a secret way out of the hut. 473 00:21:58,875 --> 00:22:00,583 Then, behind the hut, 474 00:22:00,667 --> 00:22:03,667 they dig a hole under the stockade fence, 475 00:22:03,750 --> 00:22:06,375 hiding the hole with leaves and bamboo. 476 00:22:06,458 --> 00:22:08,375 With everything in place, 477 00:22:08,458 --> 00:22:10,583 it's almost time to go. 478 00:22:10,708 --> 00:22:15,167 ♪ 479 00:22:15,250 --> 00:22:17,458 On the eve of their attempt, 480 00:22:17,458 --> 00:22:20,333 Dengler has refined everyone's role. 481 00:22:20,417 --> 00:22:23,500 He does a final walkthrough of the plan. 482 00:22:23,542 --> 00:22:26,958 Just before 4:00 p.m., the guards' dinnertime, 483 00:22:27,042 --> 00:22:29,375 the men will slip out of their shackles. 484 00:22:29,458 --> 00:22:31,292 They will then have 2 1/2 minutes 485 00:22:31,375 --> 00:22:34,042 while the guards get their food. 486 00:22:34,042 --> 00:22:35,417 Dengler will exit first 487 00:22:35,542 --> 00:22:37,958 and gather weapons from the guard hut, 488 00:22:38,042 --> 00:22:40,333 followed by the three Thais. 489 00:22:40,417 --> 00:22:43,333 DeBruin will go to the rear guard hut 490 00:22:43,375 --> 00:22:44,833 to get a machine gun. 491 00:22:44,875 --> 00:22:48,292 The Thai men will storm the kitchen from the front 492 00:22:48,375 --> 00:22:50,583 while Dengler approaches from the rear, 493 00:22:50,583 --> 00:22:52,833 overwhelming the guards. 494 00:22:52,875 --> 00:22:55,708 ♪ 495 00:22:55,792 --> 00:22:58,750 Duane Martin and YC will gather 496 00:22:58,833 --> 00:23:02,292 any missing weapons from the hunts. 497 00:23:02,375 --> 00:23:04,167 Dengler stresses that there's to be 498 00:23:04,250 --> 00:23:07,750 no killing and no shooting. 499 00:23:07,833 --> 00:23:09,542 - Firing weapons at these guards 500 00:23:09,667 --> 00:23:12,583 would bring not only villagers into the area, 501 00:23:12,708 --> 00:23:15,000 but also other Laotian guards 502 00:23:15,042 --> 00:23:17,833 who would start searching for them immediately. 503 00:23:17,958 --> 00:23:21,208 - It's a good plan, but Dengler knows 504 00:23:21,333 --> 00:23:25,167 it's one small mistake from disaster. 505 00:23:25,208 --> 00:23:27,583 With nothing left to do but wait, 506 00:23:27,667 --> 00:23:30,292 he dreams of his home in the U.S. 507 00:23:30,375 --> 00:23:35,125 ♪ 508 00:23:35,208 --> 00:23:37,792 Now on June 29, 509 00:23:37,875 --> 00:23:41,667 148 days since Dengler was shot down, 510 00:23:41,750 --> 00:23:44,292 he puts the plan in motion. 511 00:23:44,375 --> 00:23:47,667 At 4:00 p.m., the Thai men in their hut 512 00:23:47,750 --> 00:23:49,833 count the number of guards in the kitchen, 513 00:23:49,875 --> 00:23:52,042 and YC signals to the Americans 514 00:23:52,125 --> 00:23:53,333 in the other hut. 515 00:23:53,375 --> 00:23:56,125 Six of the guards are accounted for, 516 00:23:56,208 --> 00:23:59,083 but the seventh guard is nowhere in sight. 517 00:23:59,208 --> 00:24:02,667 If this missing guard shows up in the middle of the escape, 518 00:24:02,708 --> 00:24:04,917 it could foil the plan. 519 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:07,417 So do they go? 520 00:24:07,542 --> 00:24:09,000 Do they wait? 521 00:24:09,083 --> 00:24:11,667 Dengler knows that if they turn back now, 522 00:24:11,708 --> 00:24:13,500 they might not have another chance. 523 00:24:13,583 --> 00:24:14,917 [dramatic music] 524 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:16,000 Should they risk it? 525 00:24:16,083 --> 00:24:17,417 ♪ 526 00:24:17,500 --> 00:24:18,875 He makes the call: 527 00:24:18,958 --> 00:24:20,000 go. 528 00:24:20,167 --> 00:24:22,458 Martin and Debruine agree 529 00:24:22,458 --> 00:24:26,000 So Dengler slips out of the hut. 530 00:24:26,042 --> 00:24:29,000 - The original part of the plan started out well. 531 00:24:29,042 --> 00:24:29,875 They're able to get out. 532 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:31,500 They're able to get to munitions. 533 00:24:31,542 --> 00:24:33,500 As they suspected, the guards had left 534 00:24:33,542 --> 00:24:35,750 their rifles leaning against the doorway. 535 00:24:35,833 --> 00:24:39,125 - Dengler arms himself with an M1 carbine 536 00:24:39,208 --> 00:24:42,167 and gives two rifles to the Thai prisoners. 537 00:24:42,250 --> 00:24:44,000 As they head towards the front, 538 00:24:44,042 --> 00:24:46,958 Dengler slowly circles back around the fence. 539 00:24:47,042 --> 00:24:49,417 - I think what you see here is it's like planning 540 00:24:49,500 --> 00:24:51,667 a full-fledged military operation, 541 00:24:51,750 --> 00:24:54,417 and so they all have to be in sync with one another. 542 00:24:54,500 --> 00:24:56,667 - But being in sync has been 543 00:24:56,750 --> 00:25:00,292 their Achilles' heel from the beginning. 544 00:25:00,375 --> 00:25:03,000 As Dengler approaches the kitchen hut, 545 00:25:03,083 --> 00:25:04,167 he sees a problem. 546 00:25:04,250 --> 00:25:06,042 The Thai prisoners are gone. 547 00:25:06,125 --> 00:25:09,375 No one is collapsing from the front of the compound. 548 00:25:09,458 --> 00:25:13,167 The guards spot the approaching American. 549 00:25:13,250 --> 00:25:17,167 Unexpectedly, one of them is still armed. 550 00:25:17,167 --> 00:25:18,792 He opens fire. 551 00:25:18,875 --> 00:25:22,000 Dengler has no choice but to return fire. 552 00:25:22,125 --> 00:25:23,958 ♪ 553 00:25:24,042 --> 00:25:25,667 - Bullets start flying. 554 00:25:25,750 --> 00:25:29,375 He feels one go right past his face. 555 00:25:29,500 --> 00:25:31,958 And as he begins to shoot, 556 00:25:32,042 --> 00:25:34,333 he wonders, "Where is everybody?" 557 00:25:34,417 --> 00:25:36,000 Because he's completely alone. 558 00:25:36,042 --> 00:25:37,500 - He shoots, 559 00:25:37,583 --> 00:25:38,792 hitting the guard in the chest. 560 00:25:38,875 --> 00:25:41,375 One of the guards flees into the jungle. 561 00:25:41,458 --> 00:25:43,875 Another charges with a machete. 562 00:25:43,958 --> 00:25:47,833 Dieter continues to shoot as all hell breaks loose. 563 00:25:47,917 --> 00:25:50,458 ♪ 564 00:25:50,542 --> 00:25:52,917 So much for a silent takeover. 565 00:25:57,208 --> 00:26:00,500 - Dieter Dengler's escape plan has gone off the rails. 566 00:26:00,583 --> 00:26:01,833 The three Thai accomplices 567 00:26:01,875 --> 00:26:04,333 that were supposed to be his backup 568 00:26:04,417 --> 00:26:06,958 have fled the camp, leaving him locked 569 00:26:07,042 --> 00:26:09,625 in heated gunfire with the guards. 570 00:26:09,708 --> 00:26:12,792 [rock music] 571 00:26:12,875 --> 00:26:15,083 - The goal was to do this silently, 572 00:26:15,167 --> 00:26:19,250 because any gunfire would alert a nearby village. 573 00:26:19,333 --> 00:26:23,625 Reinforcements could be there within hours. 574 00:26:23,625 --> 00:26:26,625 Things have not gone according to plan. 575 00:26:26,708 --> 00:26:30,458 - When the smoke clears, all the guards are dead, 576 00:26:30,542 --> 00:26:33,125 except one who escaped. 577 00:26:33,208 --> 00:26:35,042 The plan has failed. 578 00:26:35,125 --> 00:26:37,125 It's time for plan B: 579 00:26:37,208 --> 00:26:38,542 fleeing the camp. 580 00:26:38,625 --> 00:26:39,917 But there's a problem. 581 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:42,250 The Chinese prisoner named YC 582 00:26:42,333 --> 00:26:44,417 has become violently ill. 583 00:26:44,500 --> 00:26:46,667 He's in no condition to move, 584 00:26:46,750 --> 00:26:48,833 much less flee into the jungle. 585 00:26:48,917 --> 00:26:51,167 - This Chinese prisoner, if he's left in camp, 586 00:26:51,208 --> 00:26:52,917 he'll simply be executed, 587 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:55,042 and nobody can really bring themselves 588 00:26:55,125 --> 00:26:57,542 to say that YC could come with them 589 00:26:57,625 --> 00:26:59,792 until Eugene DeBruin says, 590 00:26:59,875 --> 00:27:02,167 "No, no, no, I'm not going with the Americans. 591 00:27:02,292 --> 00:27:04,375 I'm going to stay with YC." 592 00:27:04,458 --> 00:27:07,792 - And so rather than go with Dengler, 593 00:27:07,875 --> 00:27:10,792 he elects to help YC escape the camp, 594 00:27:10,875 --> 00:27:12,625 where they'll hide, a nearby ridge, 595 00:27:12,708 --> 00:27:14,750 and hope for help to come. 596 00:27:14,833 --> 00:27:17,042 - I think this says quite a bit about Gene himself, 597 00:27:17,125 --> 00:27:19,375 and it's a different definition of courage, 598 00:27:19,500 --> 00:27:21,083 that Gene is willing to potentially 599 00:27:21,167 --> 00:27:24,833 sacrifice himself by staying with his crew member. 600 00:27:24,917 --> 00:27:27,333 - With enemy reinforcements on the way, 601 00:27:27,375 --> 00:27:30,208 there's no time for Dengler and Martin to delay. 602 00:27:30,292 --> 00:27:33,417 - Dieter and Duane shake hands and say goodbye, 603 00:27:33,542 --> 00:27:36,042 for the last time, to YC and DeBruin, 604 00:27:36,125 --> 00:27:38,917 both of whom are never seen again. 605 00:27:39,042 --> 00:27:42,000 - It is presumed that DeBruin was recaptured 606 00:27:42,083 --> 00:27:45,208 and likely killed by the Pathet Lao. 607 00:27:45,292 --> 00:27:49,667 Or he may have succumbed to the jungle itself. 608 00:27:49,750 --> 00:27:51,333 The last thing Dengler and Martin do 609 00:27:51,417 --> 00:27:55,083 before leaving the camp is reclaim their boots, 610 00:27:55,167 --> 00:27:59,208 or at least, that's what the plan was supposed to be. 611 00:27:59,208 --> 00:28:01,833 - One critical aspect of the escape plan 612 00:28:01,875 --> 00:28:04,667 was that their boots are tied on a pole 613 00:28:04,750 --> 00:28:06,833 not too far away from the huts. 614 00:28:06,875 --> 00:28:09,458 And Dengler knows that he'll be much more effective 615 00:28:09,542 --> 00:28:11,042 if he's got boots on his feet, 616 00:28:11,042 --> 00:28:13,958 as opposed to walking through a jungle barefoot. 617 00:28:13,958 --> 00:28:17,083 Unfortunately, one of the Thai prisoners stole his boots, 618 00:28:17,167 --> 00:28:21,333 and so he's barefoot as he begins his escape. 619 00:28:21,417 --> 00:28:24,667 - An escape that will prove even more harrowing 620 00:28:24,708 --> 00:28:27,167 than the imprisonment. 621 00:28:27,292 --> 00:28:30,250 But Dengler and Martin have no other choice. 622 00:28:30,375 --> 00:28:33,750 It's out of the frying pan and into the fire. 623 00:28:33,833 --> 00:28:35,500 - It's, in many ways, 624 00:28:35,583 --> 00:28:36,958 trading in one hell for another. 625 00:28:37,042 --> 00:28:39,583 And so shoeless, debilitated, 626 00:28:39,667 --> 00:28:42,083 Dengler and Duane set off into the jungle, 627 00:28:42,208 --> 00:28:44,167 with a vague idea of making it, 628 00:28:44,208 --> 00:28:47,833 possibly, to Thailand. 629 00:28:47,917 --> 00:28:50,167 - Thailand would be friendly territory, 630 00:28:50,250 --> 00:28:53,833 but getting that far seems almost impossible. 631 00:28:53,875 --> 00:28:57,167 And right on cue, the sky opens up. 632 00:28:57,250 --> 00:28:58,292 [thunder rumbling] 633 00:28:58,375 --> 00:29:00,375 Monsoons have arrived. 634 00:29:00,458 --> 00:29:04,000 That's a blessing and a curse, 635 00:29:04,083 --> 00:29:06,000 because as much as the rains bring cover 636 00:29:06,083 --> 00:29:08,667 and much-needed fresh water, 637 00:29:08,667 --> 00:29:10,625 they also spell trouble if you're trying 638 00:29:10,625 --> 00:29:12,500 to move quickly through the jungle. 639 00:29:12,542 --> 00:29:15,708 - During the four-month rainy season, it just pours. 640 00:29:15,792 --> 00:29:17,833 Things get real moldy and humid, 641 00:29:17,917 --> 00:29:19,792 and you have to walk in mud, 642 00:29:19,875 --> 00:29:22,958 and the terrain is very difficult to traverse. 643 00:29:23,042 --> 00:29:25,750 - The two men grit their teeth and push forward. 644 00:29:25,833 --> 00:29:27,083 Martin, 645 00:29:27,167 --> 00:29:29,333 in much worse condition than Dengler, 646 00:29:29,417 --> 00:29:30,833 begs to stop. 647 00:29:30,917 --> 00:29:32,875 But Dengler pushes him on. 648 00:29:32,958 --> 00:29:34,500 - Just look forward. 649 00:29:34,542 --> 00:29:36,083 I mean, I get emotional sometimes 650 00:29:36,167 --> 00:29:39,250 when I think about people who suffered so. 651 00:29:39,333 --> 00:29:42,292 - They become too weak to be even carrying a weapon. 652 00:29:42,375 --> 00:29:46,167 Finally, the two men collapse on the jungle floor, 653 00:29:46,292 --> 00:29:47,792 exhausted. 654 00:29:47,875 --> 00:29:49,625 They spend a cold night in the rain, 655 00:29:49,708 --> 00:29:51,125 huddling for warmth. 656 00:29:51,208 --> 00:29:53,333 ♪ 657 00:29:53,375 --> 00:29:56,208 [dramatic music] 658 00:29:56,292 --> 00:29:58,333 ♪ 659 00:29:58,375 --> 00:30:01,333 After a hellish night, the next morning, 660 00:30:01,375 --> 00:30:03,833 the two men are greeted by the sun. 661 00:30:03,875 --> 00:30:06,500 This gives Dengler a chance to get his bearings. 662 00:30:06,583 --> 00:30:08,292 - He'd put a pole in the ground, 663 00:30:08,375 --> 00:30:11,875 and then wherever the end of the shadow is formed 664 00:30:11,958 --> 00:30:14,000 will show you East and West. 665 00:30:14,042 --> 00:30:17,417 - But just because they know which direction to go 666 00:30:17,500 --> 00:30:20,417 doesn't make it any easier. 667 00:30:20,500 --> 00:30:23,000 - So as Dengler and Martin are working their way through, 668 00:30:23,083 --> 00:30:24,083 and their feet are just getting 669 00:30:24,167 --> 00:30:25,333 more torn up and more torn up, 670 00:30:25,417 --> 00:30:27,708 they find the sole of an old tennis shoe, 671 00:30:27,792 --> 00:30:28,750 and they decide that they're going 672 00:30:28,875 --> 00:30:30,250 to share it among each other. 673 00:30:30,333 --> 00:30:32,292 So they'll go for a little while, 674 00:30:32,375 --> 00:30:34,708 and Dengler will use it on his right foot, 675 00:30:34,833 --> 00:30:36,083 and then he'll share it with Martin, 676 00:30:36,167 --> 00:30:37,750 and he'll use it on his right foot. 677 00:30:37,875 --> 00:30:40,833 ♪ 678 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:44,042 - The men trudge along for several days. 679 00:30:44,167 --> 00:30:48,125 At points, they are so weak, they resort to crawling 680 00:30:48,125 --> 00:30:50,625 just to keep moving forward. 681 00:30:50,708 --> 00:30:55,292 Though both men are toiling, Martin is failing fast. 682 00:30:55,375 --> 00:31:00,125 Dengler is forced to carry him for long stretches. 683 00:31:00,208 --> 00:31:02,500 - Duane was very weak, very malnutritioned, 684 00:31:02,583 --> 00:31:04,917 really couldn't help find food or water. 685 00:31:04,917 --> 00:31:06,833 And that was something that Dieter did for him. 686 00:31:06,875 --> 00:31:09,000 The bond was just really hard to describe 687 00:31:09,125 --> 00:31:10,375 for those of us that have not been 688 00:31:10,458 --> 00:31:11,833 in that type of situation. 689 00:31:11,958 --> 00:31:13,500 - Dengler hits his own low point 690 00:31:13,583 --> 00:31:16,083 when they come to a mountain too high to summit 691 00:31:16,208 --> 00:31:19,042 and too wide to walk around. 692 00:31:19,125 --> 00:31:22,667 Their only choice is to backtrack for miles, 693 00:31:22,708 --> 00:31:25,542 which will erase days of progress. 694 00:31:25,625 --> 00:31:30,417 This is the one time Dengler allows himself to cry. 695 00:31:30,500 --> 00:31:35,375 Unbeknownst to him, it's also July 4th. 696 00:31:35,458 --> 00:31:38,042 While Americans back home are barbecuing 697 00:31:38,042 --> 00:31:40,000 and setting off fireworks, 698 00:31:40,083 --> 00:31:41,958 Dengler and Martin are trapped, 699 00:31:41,958 --> 00:31:44,833 close to death in a foreign land. 700 00:31:44,958 --> 00:31:48,208 [dramatic music] 701 00:31:48,292 --> 00:31:51,458 And while the men wander the jungle for a hellish week 702 00:31:51,542 --> 00:31:53,625 searching for refuge, 703 00:31:53,625 --> 00:31:57,292 the American bombing raids are still going strong. 704 00:31:57,375 --> 00:32:00,167 Finally, their luck seems to turn 705 00:32:00,208 --> 00:32:02,833 when they find an abandoned village. 706 00:32:02,917 --> 00:32:04,792 There's no one to help them, 707 00:32:04,875 --> 00:32:06,958 but there is finally shelter, 708 00:32:07,042 --> 00:32:09,417 and what's more, dry scrap wood 709 00:32:09,500 --> 00:32:11,833 and an open space makes it possible 710 00:32:11,958 --> 00:32:15,500 to start a fire and signal for rescue. 711 00:32:15,583 --> 00:32:19,500 - They've seen a number of C-130s flying overhead, 712 00:32:19,542 --> 00:32:22,167 and so the plan becomes, we'll build a signal fire 713 00:32:22,292 --> 00:32:24,958 and try and signal SOS, 714 00:32:24,958 --> 00:32:27,333 the universal signal for distress. 715 00:32:27,375 --> 00:32:30,000 And actually, an airplane drops flares. 716 00:32:30,083 --> 00:32:33,000 - Dengler and Martin get their own firework display. 717 00:32:33,042 --> 00:32:36,917 The flares mean that the plane has seen the fire. 718 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:38,875 - They think that it's coming back 719 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:41,167 to figure out who these aviators are 720 00:32:41,292 --> 00:32:44,208 that obviously need rescue. 721 00:32:44,292 --> 00:32:46,417 Unfortunately, the plane never comes back, 722 00:32:46,542 --> 00:32:50,500 and so no rescue helicopter ever shows up. 723 00:32:50,583 --> 00:32:54,000 - It's a tragic blow to their hopes of survival. 724 00:32:54,042 --> 00:32:56,167 If making visual contact with the plane 725 00:32:56,208 --> 00:32:59,833 didn't get them rescued, perhaps nothing will. 726 00:32:59,875 --> 00:33:01,792 ♪ 727 00:33:01,875 --> 00:33:03,125 They still have shelter, 728 00:33:03,208 --> 00:33:05,667 but they can't afford to stay put. 729 00:33:05,708 --> 00:33:07,667 The village has no food, 730 00:33:07,708 --> 00:33:10,333 and starvation starts to overtake them. 731 00:33:10,417 --> 00:33:13,000 - After a couple of days without anything to eat, 732 00:33:13,083 --> 00:33:16,375 Dengler decides that they have got to go find food. 733 00:33:16,458 --> 00:33:18,250 - The men go in search of another village 734 00:33:18,333 --> 00:33:21,417 where they might steal something to eat. 735 00:33:21,500 --> 00:33:23,958 As they enter the thick jungle, 736 00:33:24,042 --> 00:33:26,125 they run into trouble. 737 00:33:26,208 --> 00:33:28,542 - They stumble upon a man with a machete. 738 00:33:28,625 --> 00:33:30,333 Both Dengler and Martin know 739 00:33:30,333 --> 00:33:32,208 that they can't outrun this villager. 740 00:33:32,292 --> 00:33:34,833 They decide to show that they are no threat, 741 00:33:34,917 --> 00:33:36,875 so they both fall onto their knees 742 00:33:36,958 --> 00:33:38,208 and put their hands up 743 00:33:38,333 --> 00:33:41,250 to demonstrate that they are no threat. 744 00:33:41,333 --> 00:33:43,208 - The villager doesn't care. 745 00:33:43,292 --> 00:33:46,500 Americans are not welcome. 746 00:33:46,625 --> 00:33:48,083 He charges the two men. 747 00:33:48,167 --> 00:33:51,167 As the villager raises the machete above his head, 748 00:33:51,250 --> 00:33:55,333 Dengler closes his eyes, and the machete comes down. 749 00:33:55,417 --> 00:33:57,542 ♪ 750 00:34:02,250 --> 00:34:05,167 - Dieter Dengler and Duane Martin have endured 751 00:34:05,208 --> 00:34:08,250 weeks in the thick jungles of Laos. 752 00:34:08,333 --> 00:34:12,292 But when they finally stumble upon civilization, 753 00:34:12,292 --> 00:34:14,500 their relief turns to horror. 754 00:34:14,583 --> 00:34:19,333 ♪ 755 00:34:19,375 --> 00:34:21,625 With Dengler and Martin on their knees, 756 00:34:21,708 --> 00:34:25,583 a villager prepares to deal a killing blow. 757 00:34:25,667 --> 00:34:28,083 But not to Dengler. 758 00:34:28,083 --> 00:34:31,833 In one swing, he chops Martin's head clean off. 759 00:34:31,875 --> 00:34:34,833 [dramatic music] 760 00:34:34,875 --> 00:34:36,917 ♪ 761 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:38,917 Dengler flees for his life. 762 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:42,083 - Dengler runs off into the jungle quickly, 763 00:34:42,208 --> 00:34:45,333 and he's not gone into the jungle for very long. 764 00:34:45,417 --> 00:34:49,167 Then he sees a number of villagers spreading out, 765 00:34:49,208 --> 00:34:50,542 trying to surround him. 766 00:34:50,625 --> 00:34:52,667 ♪ 767 00:34:52,708 --> 00:34:55,208 - As he desperately tries to get away, 768 00:34:55,292 --> 00:34:57,500 Dengler's physical pain has now doubled 769 00:34:57,542 --> 00:35:00,458 from the anguish of losing his friend. 770 00:35:00,542 --> 00:35:03,083 But there's no time to mourn. 771 00:35:03,167 --> 00:35:05,500 - The villagers are not playing games. 772 00:35:05,583 --> 00:35:07,333 They will kill you if they catch you. 773 00:35:07,375 --> 00:35:10,500 He has got to find a way out of this jungle 774 00:35:10,542 --> 00:35:13,542 and a way back to friendly lines. 775 00:35:13,625 --> 00:35:15,667 ♪ 776 00:35:15,792 --> 00:35:16,875 - At this point, 777 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,667 Dengler is nearly ready to give up. 778 00:35:19,708 --> 00:35:20,958 But then he remembers 779 00:35:21,042 --> 00:35:23,250 how many times Martin wanted to quit 780 00:35:23,333 --> 00:35:26,792 and how Dengler gave him the strength to keep moving. 781 00:35:26,875 --> 00:35:28,167 - Life is about suffering. 782 00:35:28,208 --> 00:35:31,458 And the trick is to make your suffering worthwhile, 783 00:35:31,542 --> 00:35:33,500 to be worthy of your suffering. 784 00:35:33,625 --> 00:35:36,208 - Now Dengler finds the strength 785 00:35:36,208 --> 00:35:38,167 to ignore his suffering, 786 00:35:38,208 --> 00:35:41,208 and in the memories of his friend, to keep moving. 787 00:35:41,292 --> 00:35:42,625 - As Dengler takes off 788 00:35:42,708 --> 00:35:44,583 from the site where Martin is murdered, 789 00:35:44,708 --> 00:35:46,750 he realizes that he's leaving tracks. 790 00:35:46,833 --> 00:35:49,708 So he backs up, placing his feet in the tracks 791 00:35:49,833 --> 00:35:51,000 he's already created. 792 00:35:51,083 --> 00:35:53,208 And then he jumps up on a big boulder. 793 00:35:53,292 --> 00:35:55,167 - He jumps from rock to rock, 794 00:35:55,292 --> 00:35:56,375 knowing that they won't be able 795 00:35:56,500 --> 00:35:58,375 to track him over the rocks. 796 00:35:58,500 --> 00:36:01,292 - Incredibly, Dengler is able 797 00:36:01,375 --> 00:36:03,333 to make it back to the abandoned village 798 00:36:03,417 --> 00:36:05,500 he and Martin came from. 799 00:36:05,542 --> 00:36:08,083 Dengler prays that there's still an ember burning 800 00:36:08,167 --> 00:36:12,500 from their old fire, and there is. 801 00:36:12,583 --> 00:36:15,333 Dengler knows that the C-130s would still 802 00:36:15,375 --> 00:36:19,125 be flying overhead at night and resolves to make 803 00:36:19,208 --> 00:36:23,583 "the biggest damn bonfire that you've ever seen." 804 00:36:23,708 --> 00:36:26,208 He rips all the dry material from the huts 805 00:36:26,208 --> 00:36:30,125 and throws it onto a massive bonfire pile. 806 00:36:30,208 --> 00:36:33,083 When night comes, he sets it ablaze, 807 00:36:33,167 --> 00:36:35,500 risks be damned. 808 00:36:35,583 --> 00:36:40,375 Soon, a C-130 flies over and again drops his flares. 809 00:36:40,458 --> 00:36:43,042 ♪ 810 00:36:43,125 --> 00:36:45,208 They've seen the fire, 811 00:36:45,292 --> 00:36:47,833 but did they know it was Dengler? 812 00:36:47,917 --> 00:36:50,667 Dengler can only spend the night in hope. 813 00:36:50,708 --> 00:36:54,417 ♪ 814 00:36:54,500 --> 00:36:56,458 When he awakes, he listens 815 00:36:56,458 --> 00:36:59,167 for the thump-thump of helicopter blades. 816 00:36:59,208 --> 00:37:02,042 [dramatic music] 817 00:37:02,125 --> 00:37:04,333 ♪ 818 00:37:04,417 --> 00:37:07,208 But all he hears are the screeches 819 00:37:07,333 --> 00:37:09,333 and squeals of the jungle. 820 00:37:09,417 --> 00:37:12,250 Dejected, he resolves to move on. 821 00:37:12,333 --> 00:37:14,667 But first, he gathers up the parachutes 822 00:37:14,750 --> 00:37:15,792 from the flares. 823 00:37:15,875 --> 00:37:17,458 - The flares themselves had parachutes. 824 00:37:17,542 --> 00:37:19,167 It was light linen material, 825 00:37:19,333 --> 00:37:20,417 and he kind of collected them up, 826 00:37:20,500 --> 00:37:22,500 the ones that were dropped in the area. 827 00:37:22,542 --> 00:37:25,208 - Somehow, Dengler is clearheaded enough 828 00:37:25,292 --> 00:37:28,083 to think they might come in handy. 829 00:37:28,167 --> 00:37:31,167 But that's where his lucidity ends. 830 00:37:31,208 --> 00:37:34,083 [tense music] 831 00:37:34,167 --> 00:37:38,083 As Dengler continues to bash his way through the jungle, 832 00:37:38,167 --> 00:37:41,000 he becomes more and more delirious. 833 00:37:41,125 --> 00:37:43,542 He's had no food or water for days, 834 00:37:43,625 --> 00:37:46,542 and he's starting to hallucinate. 835 00:37:46,708 --> 00:37:49,667 At one point, he has a vision of his father 836 00:37:49,708 --> 00:37:51,833 standing at a fork in the road. 837 00:37:51,875 --> 00:37:55,083 The man points to the left, and Dengler follows. 838 00:37:55,208 --> 00:37:56,542 ♪ 839 00:37:56,667 --> 00:37:58,833 Eventually, Dengler comes to a river 840 00:37:58,875 --> 00:38:02,250 where he's able to grab an unusual meal. 841 00:38:02,375 --> 00:38:05,458 - He sees a snake simply sunning itself on a rock. 842 00:38:05,542 --> 00:38:07,083 He's starving by this point. 843 00:38:07,167 --> 00:38:08,583 He's been starving, so he simply 844 00:38:08,667 --> 00:38:12,667 takes a bite of the snake as it's still alive. 845 00:38:12,750 --> 00:38:15,000 - While chewing on the half-eaten snake, 846 00:38:15,083 --> 00:38:19,417 Dengler thinks he sees a bear on the opposite bank. 847 00:38:19,500 --> 00:38:22,167 He has no idea if it's real or not. 848 00:38:22,250 --> 00:38:24,792 But he watches as it sniffs the air, 849 00:38:24,875 --> 00:38:27,292 waiting for him to die. 850 00:38:27,375 --> 00:38:29,167 He's about to lose consciousness. 851 00:38:29,208 --> 00:38:31,333 ♪ 852 00:38:31,417 --> 00:38:35,000 But then he hears what sounds like a plane. 853 00:38:35,083 --> 00:38:36,625 ♪ 854 00:38:36,708 --> 00:38:38,875 The smell of fuel makes him realize 855 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:42,042 this isn't a hallucination. 856 00:38:42,125 --> 00:38:45,958 With his last gasp of life, he takes the parachutes 857 00:38:46,042 --> 00:38:50,083 and tries to lay them out in an SOS formation. 858 00:38:50,208 --> 00:38:51,792 As the plane flies overhead, 859 00:38:51,875 --> 00:38:54,833 he waves frantically like a madman. 860 00:38:54,917 --> 00:38:57,750 Surely, the plane must see him in the light of day. 861 00:38:57,875 --> 00:38:59,542 ♪ 862 00:38:59,625 --> 00:39:02,042 The plane keeps going. 863 00:39:02,125 --> 00:39:04,417 ♪ 864 00:39:08,792 --> 00:39:10,000 [soft music] 865 00:39:10,083 --> 00:39:13,792 - On July 20, 1966, 866 00:39:13,875 --> 00:39:17,167 over three weeks after Dengler's escape, 867 00:39:17,250 --> 00:39:19,583 he's ready to meet his maker. 868 00:39:19,667 --> 00:39:23,417 Either he will be rescued and return a hero 869 00:39:23,500 --> 00:39:27,458 or die alone, probably forgotten. 870 00:39:27,542 --> 00:39:29,958 Whatever his fate, 871 00:39:30,042 --> 00:39:31,833 he prays it comes quickly. 872 00:39:31,875 --> 00:39:34,667 ♪ 873 00:39:34,750 --> 00:39:37,667 [rock music] 874 00:39:37,750 --> 00:39:38,750 ♪ 875 00:39:38,833 --> 00:39:41,500 That day, pilot Eugene Deatrick 876 00:39:41,542 --> 00:39:43,917 is on a routine scouting mission up the river 877 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:46,708 when he sees a strange man below him. 878 00:39:46,792 --> 00:39:48,542 Thinking it's a local fisherman, 879 00:39:48,625 --> 00:39:50,792 he continues on. 880 00:39:50,875 --> 00:39:53,958 Then he gets a tingle down his spine. 881 00:39:54,042 --> 00:39:55,917 He would later recall, 882 00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:59,250 "I'll never know what made me turn around." 883 00:39:59,333 --> 00:40:00,708 But he does. 884 00:40:00,792 --> 00:40:02,708 - Something made him turn around, fly back over, 885 00:40:02,792 --> 00:40:05,542 and he recognized that someone was signaling for help. 886 00:40:05,625 --> 00:40:07,500 They really didn't know who he was. 887 00:40:07,542 --> 00:40:09,667 They had been looking for Dengler six months earlier 888 00:40:09,750 --> 00:40:12,042 and really thought that he was lost. 889 00:40:12,125 --> 00:40:13,375 [dramatic music] 890 00:40:13,458 --> 00:40:15,667 - The pilot sees Dengler waving his arms 891 00:40:15,750 --> 00:40:19,583 and radios to see if any pilots have been downed today. 892 00:40:19,667 --> 00:40:22,500 Dispatch replies, negative. 893 00:40:22,542 --> 00:40:25,708 Luckily for Dengler, the pilot trusts his hunch 894 00:40:25,792 --> 00:40:27,875 and requests they send a rescue team. 895 00:40:27,958 --> 00:40:29,917 ♪ 896 00:40:30,042 --> 00:40:32,083 A few hours later, 897 00:40:32,208 --> 00:40:34,792 an angel from heaven appears. 898 00:40:34,875 --> 00:40:36,750 ♪ 899 00:40:36,833 --> 00:40:38,500 - They said, "Okay, let's take a chance," 900 00:40:38,542 --> 00:40:40,792 and they brought in a helicopter and picked him up. 901 00:40:40,875 --> 00:40:42,167 ♪ 902 00:40:42,208 --> 00:40:43,417 And then Dieter would say 903 00:40:43,542 --> 00:40:45,000 that was the greatest day in his life. 904 00:40:45,042 --> 00:40:46,792 He hung on for dear life. 905 00:40:46,875 --> 00:40:48,833 ♪ 906 00:40:48,875 --> 00:40:50,667 - The rescue helicopter arrives 907 00:40:50,750 --> 00:40:52,792 and brings Dengler on board. 908 00:40:52,875 --> 00:40:54,000 ♪ 909 00:40:54,083 --> 00:40:57,000 The pilot of the helicopter, Skip Cowell, 910 00:40:57,125 --> 00:40:59,417 is the same pilot that tried to find Dengler 911 00:40:59,542 --> 00:41:01,333 when he was first shot down. 912 00:41:01,458 --> 00:41:03,708 ♪ 913 00:41:03,833 --> 00:41:06,458 But Dengler's condition is so bad, 914 00:41:06,542 --> 00:41:08,333 he's unrecognizable. 915 00:41:08,375 --> 00:41:10,333 [somber music] 916 00:41:10,375 --> 00:41:11,708 - He's in awful condition. 917 00:41:11,792 --> 00:41:14,542 He's got malaria and intestinal worms 918 00:41:14,625 --> 00:41:16,667 and fungus and jaundice 919 00:41:16,750 --> 00:41:18,667 and infection throughout his body. 920 00:41:18,708 --> 00:41:21,708 He's somewhere between 85 and 95 pounds. 921 00:41:21,833 --> 00:41:24,667 His body, quite literally, has been just eaten away 922 00:41:24,708 --> 00:41:26,250 by the captivity 923 00:41:26,375 --> 00:41:28,333 and living in the jungle for so long. 924 00:41:28,458 --> 00:41:29,875 - A doctor would later say 925 00:41:29,958 --> 00:41:32,625 that had Dengler not been rescued, 926 00:41:32,708 --> 00:41:36,000 he would have died within 24 hours. 927 00:41:36,125 --> 00:41:37,208 ♪ 928 00:41:37,333 --> 00:41:38,875 Cowell requests permission 929 00:41:38,958 --> 00:41:41,083 to fly to Da Nang Air Force Base, 930 00:41:41,208 --> 00:41:42,833 which has a full hospital, 931 00:41:42,875 --> 00:41:45,917 but his request is denied. 932 00:41:46,042 --> 00:41:47,208 ♪ 933 00:41:47,333 --> 00:41:50,208 Then a note gets passed up to Cowell that reads, 934 00:41:50,292 --> 00:41:56,167 "Lieutenant Dengler, Dieter, USS Ranger, Spad pilot." 935 00:41:56,250 --> 00:41:58,458 Cowell hollers on the radio, 936 00:41:58,542 --> 00:42:01,167 "This is our guy shot down in February, 937 00:42:01,292 --> 00:42:03,667 been a POW since." 938 00:42:03,750 --> 00:42:07,250 The helicopter is immediately cleared through to Da Nang. 939 00:42:07,333 --> 00:42:11,667 Once he's more stable, Dengler is sent out of Vietnam 940 00:42:11,708 --> 00:42:14,208 and reunited with his friends on the "Ranger," 941 00:42:14,292 --> 00:42:15,833 with a hero's welcome. 942 00:42:15,917 --> 00:42:18,500 - When he came back to the aircraft carrier, 943 00:42:18,583 --> 00:42:19,708 it was good morale for the ship. 944 00:42:19,792 --> 00:42:21,875 He was excited about that. 945 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:23,500 Everybody thought that if anybody's 946 00:42:23,542 --> 00:42:25,125 gonna get out of there and be alive, 947 00:42:25,208 --> 00:42:26,208 it's gonna be Dieter. 948 00:42:26,292 --> 00:42:27,500 That's the kind of guy he was. 949 00:42:27,583 --> 00:42:29,458 He had survived all his life. 950 00:42:29,458 --> 00:42:32,333 - The first thing Dengler does when he lands 951 00:42:32,417 --> 00:42:35,542 is send a message to his fiancée, saying, 952 00:42:35,625 --> 00:42:37,583 "I escaped from prison. 953 00:42:37,708 --> 00:42:39,375 "Alive in hospital. 954 00:42:39,458 --> 00:42:41,333 "Will be home soon. 955 00:42:41,417 --> 00:42:43,500 Love, Dieter." 956 00:42:43,583 --> 00:42:45,083 ♪ 957 00:42:45,208 --> 00:42:46,917 He recovers 958 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:49,000 and works as a pilot for many years, 959 00:42:49,083 --> 00:42:52,833 and even survives four more crashes. 960 00:42:52,875 --> 00:42:55,208 In 2001, 961 00:42:55,292 --> 00:42:57,708 Dieter Dengler passes away 962 00:42:57,792 --> 00:43:01,417 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. 963 00:43:01,500 --> 00:43:03,667 His legacy of courage 964 00:43:03,792 --> 00:43:06,042 will not soon be forgotten.