July 18th, 1965. South China Sea near North Vietnam. Heat wavering in the air on the flightdeck.
Captain Jeremiah Denton strapped himself into his plane and took off, leading an air strike into Vietnam.
He never returned to that ship.
Shot out of the air, Jeremiah crash-landed in the Mã River and was immediately captured by the North Vietnamese. The next eight years, he said, were “hell in session.”
Denton with his A-6 Intruder
Horrifically tortured, starved, psychologically manipulated, and subjected to long periods of solitary confinement, Jeremiah astounded and enraged his captors by his strength. They could not break him. They could not stop his influence on the other POWs. When they tidied him up and put him on TV for an interview to convince the USA that they were treating POWs well, Denton—at the risk of his life—managed to blink (in Morse code) the word “TORTURE” at the same time he was answering their innocuous questions. And American authorities learned that things were truly bad for their imprisoned men.
The North Vietnamese simply could not control Denton.
Nor could they figure him out. What sustained Jeremiah against all their abusive tactics?
In a 1974 interview, Jeremiah related a profound spiritual experience which occurred during one of his torture sessions, saying:
“I was once in a rig which was inducing considerable pain, and I finally just said words to the effect of, ‘God, you’ve got it, I can’t take it anymore. I can’t handle it. I’m just putting it entirely in Your Hands.’ And from the instant I phrased that, I can tell you that I felt absolutely no pain, in fact I felt the greatest sense of comfort, not only physical comfort but psychological warmth and comfort, that I have ever felt in my life before or since.”
This was the boundless source of Jeremiah’s strength: his faith in Christ.
Through those eight interminable years of hellish imprisonment, Jeremiah’s faith grew stronger. His belief in God and country were unshakeable. Finally, he returned home in 1973 when the United States left the Vietnam War and negotiated the release of all American POWs. After retirement he spent a term in the Senate, defending the family and national security against the attacks of the culture. He remained active on several college and foundation boards until his death in 2014.
Combine faith and patriotism as Jeremiah did when you clip on the St. Michael America Brave Beads Tenner. Fashioned in red, white, and blue, this rosary decade reminds us of the blood, sweat, and sacrifice of those who protect our country. Whenever you take up this tenner, ask God to bless America and to return our nation to trust in Him. Get your tenner today!
