This South Dakotan’s Remarkable Memory Made Him a National Hero

South Dakota has produced some amazing individuals. From Tom Brokaw to Norm Van Brocklin, a wide variety of unique and fascinating individuals have called the Mount Rushmore State "Home" over the years.

But (in my opinion), one of the most remarkable citizens ever to come out of South Dakota is a man from the small town of Clark. A man whose bravery and unique memory made him a national hero during the events of the Vietnam War.

This is the story of Doug Hegdahl.

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Doug Hegdahl was born on September 3, 1946. The son of Norwegian immigrants, Doug was raised in the small northeast South Dakota town of Clark, graduating in May of 1966.

Wasting no time, Doug almost immediately joined the U.S. Navy shortly thereafter. Following his training, Doug achieved the rank of "Seaman Apprentice" and was soon sent to the South China Sea at a U.S. Military base called "Dixie Station".

At this time, the American military was already well into the war in Vietnam, and in April of 1967, Doug was serving on the USS Canberra in the Gulf of Tonkin. After a blast from a 5-inch gun mount tore through the ship, 20-year-old Doug Hegdahl was accidentally knocked overboard. After treading water for several hours, Doug was spotted and rescued by a group of North Vietnamese fishermen.

As U.S. naval vessels searched for Doug, he was eventually handed over to the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and taken to the infamous "Hanoi Hilton", where he would be imprisoned and tortured for over two years.

While there, Doug developed a unique strategy to stay alive. Play dumb. For example, when his NVA captors demanded that he write anti-American propaganda, Doug wholeheartedly agreed but pretended to be unable to read or write. This worked, so much so that his captors altogether gave up on turning him against his own country, labeling Doug as "The Incredibly Stupid One". This gave Doug a good deal of freedom inside the Hanoi Hilton, and he was able to go nearly everywhere he wanted.

Doug would later memorize the names, dates, and methods of other servicemen who had been captured. In total, Doug precisely recounted 256 other U.S. Military personnel imprisoned at the Hanoi Hilton. Incredibly, he also convinced the prison guards that he needed new glasses. This allowed Doug to memorize the location of the prison in relation to the city of Hanoi, North Vietnam's capital. In addition, Doug also did other things to thwart his enemies, like putting dirt in the gas tank of at least 5 NVA military vehicles.

Doug (along with two others) was released in August of 1969 in a propaganda move by the North Vietnamese. While he initially was against leaving before the rest of his fellow servicemen, Doug eventually agreed and recalled with extraordinary accuracy the names of the 256 Americans being held captive at the Hanoi Hilton. He would also confront North Vietnamese diplomats in 1970 during the Paris Peace Talks, exposing the war crimes committed at the prison.

Doug Hegdahl is now 77 years old and lives a quiet life with his family in the San Diego, California area. To learn more about Doug and his remarkable story, check out the YouTube video below from Ward Carroll.

Story Sources: Doug Hegdahl Wikipedia, Ward Carroll YouTube, Daily Mail Website