Douglas Hegdahl "The Incredibly Stupid One"

[Chantry]

Interesting person

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Hegdahl

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L]

    

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

Quick thinking and good acting ability to pull that off!!

[Pat Riot]

The “Incredibly Stupid One” wasn’t all that stupid.

 

I can vouch for the concussion of a 5”/54 gun. I got knocked on my arse by the firing of one while on mess duty. I went topside to get some air when I noticed the aft gun aimed 90° to Starboard. That’s when I realized there was no safety observer. As I turned to run for the door the gun fired. I was at 90° to the muzzle and got knocked off my feet. The sound was incredible. I had opened my mouth to equalize the pressure to my ears (something I learned from my great uncle who fought in WW2). Had I not, I am sure I would have ruptured ear drums. 
Being on mess duty one doesn’t always know what’s going on aboard ship or even with what’s going on in one’s own division. Add to that the failure of some stupid mother…Ahem! Some incompetent bridge watch that failed to make an announcement to secure the main deck due to gunnery exercises I had no idea what I was walking into. 
 

Anyway, it makes me wonder why Petty Officer Hegdahl was in a position to be knocked overboard by the gun fire? Probably due to incompetence on his or someone else’s part. 

[Chantry]

3 hours ago, Pat Riot said:

The “Incredibly Stupid One” wasn’t all that stupid.

 

I can vouch for the concussion of a 5”/54 gun. I got knocked on my arse by the firing of one while on mess duty. I went topside to get some air when I noticed the aft gun aimed 90° to Starboard. That’s when I realized there was no safety observer. As I turned to run for the door the gun fired. I was at 90° to the muzzle and got knocked off my feet. The sound was incredible. I had opened my mouth to equalize the pressure to my ears (something I learned from my great uncle who fought in WW2). Had I not, I am sure I would have ruptured ear drums. 
Being on mess duty one doesn’t always know what’s going on aboard ship or even with what’s going on in one’s own division. Add to that the failure of some stupid mother…Ahem! Some incompetent bridge watch that failed to make an announcement to secure the main deck due to gunnery exercises I had no idea what I was walking into. 
 

Anyway, it makes me wonder why Petty Officer Hegdahl was in a position to be knocked overboard by the gun fire? Probably due to incompetence on his or someone else’s part. 

 

"When asked to write statements against the United States, he agreed, but pretended to be unable to read or write, which was believable to his Vietnamese captors. Thinking they had someone who would be easily turned to their cause, they assigned someone to teach Hegdahl to read. After Hegdahl appeared to be incapable of learning to read and write, his captors gave up on him. Later, he came to be known to the Vietnamese as "The Incredibly Stupid One", and he was given nearly free run of the camp."