Photo: United States Navy / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Hegdahl's story stops me cold every time. A young enlisted sailor from South Dakota, captured in Vietnam, who played the fool so convincingly his captors underestimated him, all while memorizing the names and details of some 256 fellow prisoners to carry home. The medals are impressive, but what I respect is the quiet ingenuity and loyalty behind them. Heroism, to me, often looks exactly like this: an ordinary person thinking fast in an impossible place, for the sake of others, with no audience watching. He deserves to be far better known than he is.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Doug Hegdahl
- Name (Japanese)
- ドゥグ・ヘグダール
- Reading
- どぅぐ・へぐだーる
- Born
- September 3, 1946 (age 79)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Dog
- Origin
- South Dakota, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- military personnel / enlisted navy sailor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Purple Heart
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award
- Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
- Prisoner of War Medal
- National Defense Service Medal
- Vietnam Service Medal
- Gallantry Cross
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Doug Hegdahl born?
Born September 3, 1946 (age 79).
Where is Doug Hegdahl from?
Doug Hegdahl is from South Dakota, United States.
What does Doug Hegdahl do?
Doug Hegdahl works as military personnel, enlisted navy sailor.
Military personnel — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-18
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.