III 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 407 

Honoring former Senator and Rear Admiral Jeremiah Andrew Denton, Jr. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 31, 2014 

Mr. SESSIONS (for himself, Mr. SHELBY, Mr. REID, Mr. MCCONNELL, Mr. 

ALEXANDER, Ms. AYOTTE, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. BEGICH, 

Mr. BENNET, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. BROWN, Mr. BURR, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. CARDIN, 

Mr. CARPER, Mr. CASEY, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. COATS, Mr. COBURN, Mr. 

COCHRAN, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. COONS, Mr. CORKER, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. 

CRAPO, Mr. CRUZ, Mr. DONNELLY, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. ENZI, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mrs. FISCHER, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. FRANKEN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, 

Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mrs. HAGAN, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. HATCH, 

Mr. HEINRICH, Ms. HEITKAMP, Mr. HELLER, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. 

HOEVEN, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. JOHANNS, Mr. JOHNSON of 

Wisconsin, Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota, Mr. KAINE, Mr. KING, Mr. 

KIRK, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. LEE, Mr. 

LEVIN, Mr. MANCHIN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MCCAIN, Mrs. MCCASKILL, Mr. 

MENENDEZ, Mr. MERKLEY, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. MORAN, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mr. MURPHY, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. NELSON, Mr. PAUL, Mr. 

PORTMAN, Mr. PRYOR, Mr. REED, Mr. RISCH, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. 

ROCKEFELLER, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. SCHUMER, 

Mr. SCOTT, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. TESTER, Mr. THUNE, 

Mr. TOOMEY, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. 

VITTER, Mr. WALSH, Mr. WARNER, Ms. WARREN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, 

Mr. WICKER, and Mr. WYDEN) submitted the following resolution; which 

was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring former Senator and Rear Admiral Jeremiah 

Andrew Denton, Jr. 


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•SRES 407 ATS 

Whereas Jeremiah Andrew Denton, Jr. (referred to in this 

preamble as ‘‘Senator Denton’’) was born in Mobile, Alabama, on July 15, 1924, and graduated from the United 

States Naval Academy in 1946; 

Whereas Senator Denton married Kathryn Jane Maury in 

1946 and had 7 children with her before she passed away 

in 2007; 

Whereas Senator Denton is survived by his second wife, Mary 

Belle Bordone, and his children, Jeremiah A. Denton III, 

William C. Denton, Donald A. Denton, James S. Denton, 

Michael C. Denton, Madeleine D. Doak, and Mary D. 

Lewis; 

Whereas Senator Denton had a distinguished military career 

as a Naval Aviator— 

(1) receiving credit in 1957 as the architect of the 

‘‘Haystack Concept’’, which revolutionized the way in 

which the Navy deployed ships to ensure that a single 

Russian nuclear attack could not destroy an entire fleet; 

(2) serving in World War II, the Korean War, and 

the Vietnam War; 

(3) providing significant support during the Cuban 

Missile Crisis as the Commander of the Guantanamo Defense Force; 

(4) receiving awards that include the Navy Cross, 

the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, 3 Silver Stars, the Distinguished Flying Cross, 5 Bronze Stars, 2 Air Medals, 2 

Purple Hearts, and numerous combat theater and campaign awards; 

(5) retiring in 1977 at the rank of Rear Admiral 

after serving as Commandant of the Armed Forces Staff 

College; and 


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•SRES 407 ATS 

(6) being inducted into the Alabama Military Hall of 

Honor in 2003; 

Whereas Senator Denton was shot down on July 18, 1965, 

while leading a squadron of 28 A-6 Intruders on his 

twelfth mission over North Vietnam and spent the next 

7 years and 7 months as a prisoner of war in North Vietnamese prison camps, including the ‘‘Hanoi Hilton’’, 

where he suffered torture, beatings, and starvation, and 

spent 4 years in solitary confinement until his release in 

1973; 

Whereas despite extreme hardship, Senator Denton was revered by his fellow prisoners and maintained a chain of 

command that lasted throughout his imprisonment and 

helped prisoners of war stick together in resistance 

against abuse from their captors; 

Whereas in a televised propaganda interview released by the 

North Vietnamese in 1966, Senator Denton became a national hero when he answered the questions of his interviewer and simultaneously blinked the letters ‘‘T-O-R-TU-R-E’’ in Morse code, confirming to the world the harsh 

and inhumane treatment of United States prisoners of 

war by the North Vietnamese; 

Whereas after returning to the United States, Senator Denton had a successful legislative career, becoming in 1980 

the first Republican elected to the Senate from Alabama 

since the Reconstruction Era, maintaining a strong conservative record, and working tirelessly with President 

Ronald Reagan to combat the rise of Communism in 

Latin America; 

Whereas Senator Denton was particularly proud of the ‘‘Denton Program’’, authorizing the United States military to 


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•SRES 407 ATS 

carry humanitarian aid on a space-available basis to 

countries in need at no cost to the donor and providing 

humanitarian aid for almost 30 years; 

Whereas in 2007, the National Archives designated Senator 

Denton as 1 of the 25 most influential men in United 

States history; and 

Whereas the life of service of Senator Denton should serve 

as an example to all people of the United States: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) the Senate— 

3 (A) has heard with profound sorrow and 

4 deep regret the announcement of the death of 

5 the Honorable Jeremiah Andrew Denton, Jr., 

6 former member of the Senate; 

7 (B) honors the legacy and service of the 

8 former Senator and retired Rear Admiral, Jere9 miah Andrew Denton Jr. (referred to in this 

10 resolution as ‘‘Senator Denton’’), for his life of 

11 loyalty, duty, integrity, and moral sincerity; 

12 (C) extends its deepest condolences and 

13 sympathy to the family and friends of Senator 

14 Denton who have lost an inspiring leader and 

15 confidant; 

16 (D) honors the dauntless valor of Senator 

17 Denton, beloved son of Alabama, for his dedicaVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:36 Mar 31, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR407.ATS SR407

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•SRES 407 ATS 

1 tion and life of selfless service to the people of 

2 the United States; 

3 (E) recognizes that Senator Denton was a 

4 champion for humanitarian aid and inter5 national assistance programs through his legis6 lative work and initiatives; 

7 (F) reiterates the resolute character of 

8 Senator Denton as a paragon of bravery who 

9 lived a life of honor guided by his values and 

10 commitment to the defense of the United 

11 States; 

12 (G) expresses admiration and profound re13 spect for the legacy of Senator Denton as a 

14 truly courageous and inspirational leader; and 

15 (H) directs the Secretary of the Senate to 

16 communicate this resolution to the House of 

17 Representatives and transmit an enrolled copy 

18 thereof to the family of the deceased; and 

19 (2) when the Senate adjourns today, it will 

20 stand adjourned as a further mark of respect for the 

21 memory of the Honorable Jeremiah Andrew Denton, 

22 Jr. 

Æ 


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