In the late 1960s, POW/MIA wives bucked government protocol and challenged the traditional role of “military wife.” These courageous women led by Sybil Stockdale on the West Coast, Jane Denton, Louise Mulligan, and Phyllis Galanti on the East Coast and later Helene Knapp in the Interior West organized to form the National League of POW/MIA Families. The women worked with Congress and the Nixon administration to demand accounting for their husbands and pursue their safe return after years of imprisonment and torture by the North Vietnamese. Curated by 2017 Dole Archives Curatorial Fellow Heath Hardage Lee, this special exhibition features documents, photos, oral histories and memorabilia from the Dole Archives, personal collections of POW/MIA families, and other institutions. Programming made possible by funding from Harlan and Alice Ann Ochs, of Colorado Springs, in honor of Larry Ochs. Learn more at
Admiral Jeremiah Denton Blinks T-O-R-T-U-R-E using Morse Code as P.O.W.
Admiral Jeremiah Denton Jr. used his eyes to blink the word “TORTURE” using Morse Code during his captivity in Vietnam. He was being filmed for propaganda purposes and this video was broadcast around the world. Naval Intelligence was able to decipher his “strange” blinking. He was awarded the Navy Cross, our Nation’s 2nd highest military honor for his heroism as a P.O.W.
