Losing a Friend and Hero: Today former POW, Admiral and US Senator Jeremiah Denton died peacefully, surrounded by family. My first job out of law school (1982) was counsel to the US Senate subcommittee that Senator Denton chaired. He was a remarkable boss, full of life and enthusiasm. Jeremiah, as we called him, was a devoutly Godly man, concerned about justice and American values. He was a consummate cold warrior who understood communism in a way few people ever do. While a high school football player, Denton organized a boycott because blacks could not play on the team . . . a move that got him suspended from school and nearly cost him his appointment to Annapolis. Those of us who worked for Senator Denton remember fondly his regular God, Man, and the Universe speeches that he delivered to staff and new interns. No other Senator could make such speeches. They often brought us to tears as he told the stories of nameless Vietnamese people who helped him while he was a POW. Denton was a man of both deep thought and serious action. For my part, I loved the times of playing tennis with Denton at the Army Navy Club and in later years playing golf. He was a fierce competitor but always had the graceful manners of the Old South. And there was nothing like a short adventure in the evening on Dentons fishing boat on the Mobile River. He loved to clean the stripped bass and leave the parts for the gators. But the lasting memory will be that despite everything, Denton recovered from nearly eight years as a Viet Nam POW, tortured in a brutal way, and emerged with a stronger faith in God and committed to served his country with all that he had to give. He will truly be missed. Warmly, March Bell
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 19:46:10 +0000
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