Eugene DeBruin
USABiography of Eugene DeBruin
Eugene DeBruin, whose full name is Eugene Henry DeBruin, was an American civilian and military pilot who became a prisoner during the Vietnam War. He was born on April 1, 1933, on a small farm in the state of Wisconsin. As a child, Eugene spent most of his time outdoors, dedicating less time to school and studies.
After graduating from high school, he joined the United States Air Force. Over the course of four years, he rose to the rank of sergeant, primarily working as a mechanic. It was during his service in Japan that Eugene obtained his pilot's license. Upon returning to the United States, he enrolled at the University of Montana to study forestry.
After completing his education, Eugene worked as a firefighter pilot in Alaska for several years. He also spent some time in Mexico, where he studied Spanish. His experiences in Mexico sparked his interest in becoming a writer and joining the Peace Corps. However, this decision would ultimately lead to his capture and eventual death.
As a volunteer for the Peace Corps, Eugene fearlessly took on the role of an airplane pilot, delivering food to civilians in the midst of war. On September 5, 1963, he and his comrades embarked on a mission, but their plane was shot down over the jungles of Laos. Fortunately, Eugene and three Thai crew members managed to parachute to safety. However, they were immediately captured upon landing.
In May 1964, the prisoners attempted to escape but were recaptured after three days. The second escape attempt, led by Dieter Dengler, proved successful. They managed to seize the guards' weapons and suppress their resistance. However, the escape was only the beginning of their hardships. They spent several days in the jungle without food, eventually separating into different groups and losing each other. Eugene remained with one of his team members but was captured once again. Meanwhile, Dieter was rescued by an American helicopter 23 days after their escape.
After being recaptured, Eugene's whereabouts remained unknown. According to official information, he was transferred between different prison camps, but his trail was lost after 1968. In 1972, his brother Jerome embarked on a search mission but returned to America without any new information.
In 2006, the film "Rescue Dawn" was released, depicting Dieter Dengler's story. Interestingly, the film portrayed Eugene as an egotistical neurotic, much to the indignation of his family. Close friends of Dieter confirmed that Eugene, according to their accounts, displayed courage and even postponed the escape multiple times to allow other prisoners to gather their strength. The director of the film, Werner Herzog, publicly apologized to Eugene's family and admitted that he had relied on different information during the film's production. He also stated that he would likely rewrite the screenplay to ensure maximum authenticity.
