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{{OfficeholderInfobox officeholder|name=Jeremiah Andrew Denton, Jr.|image=Jeremiah Denton of AL.jpg|partyoffice=[[RepublicanUnited States Senator]] for [[Alabama]]|spouseterm_start=January 3, 1981|religionterm_end=CatholicJanuary 3, 1987|officespreceded=Donald Wilbur Stewart {{Officeholder/senator|succeeded=[[Richard Shelby]] |statebirth_date=July 15, 1924|birth_place=[[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]], Alabama |termsdeath_date=January March 28, 2014<br>(aged 89)|death_place=Virginia Beach, [[Virginia]]|resting_place=[[Arlington National Cemetery]]|party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]|spouse =(1) Jane Maury Denton (married 1946-2007, her death)<br>(2) Mary Bordone Denton (married 2010-2014, 1981 – January 3his death)|children=Seven children from first marriage<br>'''Parents''':<br>Jeremiah, 1987Sr., and Irene Steele Denton. |precededalma_mater=[[Donald StewartUnited States Naval Academy]](Bachelor of Science)<br>[[George Washington University]] ([[Master of Arts]]) |formerreligion=n[[Roman Catholic]] |succeededbranch=[[Richard ShelbyUnited States Navy]] }}|rank=Rear Admiral|serviceyears=1946–1977|battles=[[World War II]]<br>[[Vietnam War]]|awards=Navy Cross<br>Defense Distinguished Service Medal<br>Navy Distinguished Service Medal<br>Silver Star<br>Distinguished Flying Cross<br>[[Bronze Star]]<br>Air Medal<br>Navy Commendation Medal]]<br>[[Purple Heart Medal]]<br>Combat Action Ribbon<br>Prisoner of War Medal<br>[[World War II]] Victory Medal}}

'''Jeremiah Andrew Denton , Jr.''' (born July 15, 1924 in [[Mobile, Alabama]], died &ndash; March 28, 2014 in Virginia Beach), [[Virginia]]) was a retired an [[United States Navy|American]] rear admiral and [[Rear admiral (United States)|Rear AdmiralNavy]], aviator in [[Naval AviatorWorld War II]] and a former the [[United States Senate|U.S. senatorVietnam War]], of who subsequently served from 1981 to 1987 as the first [[United States Republican Party|Republican party]], for the state of Alabama. He spent almost eight years as a [[prisoner of warUnited States Senator]] since [[Reconstruction]] in his native [[VietnamAlabama]] and later wrote a book about his experiences. Denton He was also the first [[Roman Catholic]] elected to represent statewide office in Alabama in the U.S. Senate.<ref name=destroyer/>

==Political career==Following his retirement from the NavyA native of [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]], Denton accepted endured nearly eight years of grueling conditions as a position with the [[Christian Broadcasting Networkprisoner of war]] as consultant to his friend, CBN founder in [[Pat RobertsonNorth Vietnam]], a position Denton after his plane was shot down in 1965. He was the first of the American POWs held until 1980captive and released in February 1973. During this time, both Denton and Robertson repeatedly expressed military support for was compelled by his captors to participate in a 1966 televised propaganda interview which was broadcast in the United States. While answering questions, Denton blinked his eyes in [[ContraMorse code]] forces in to spell the word "T-O-R-T-U-R-E." This confirmed to Naval Intelligence that American POWs were being tortured by the [[El SalvadorCommunism|communists]].<ref name=findagrave>Jeremiah Andrew Denton Jr. (1924-2014) - Find A Grave Memorial, accessed October 26, 2021.</ref>

In 19801976, Denton ran as a Republican for a U.S. Senate seat from wrote about his home state of [[Alabama]] and achieved a surprise victory over Democrat [[Jim E. Folsom, Jr]]., who (time as the son of a popular Democratic governor) had defeated the incumbent captive in the Democratic primaryhis book ''When Hell Was in Session. '' In doing so1979, the actor Hal Holbrook portrayed Denton became the only retired admiral to be elected to the United States Senate. In the Senate, he compiled in a solidly conservative voting recordfilm about his experiences. <ref name=findagrave/> He was featured in a 1981 article in Time Magazine called "The Admiral from the subject of the 2015 documentary ''Jeremiah'' produced by Alabama". In 1986, he narrowly lost his bid for reelection to [[conservative Democrat]] Congressman [[Richard ShelbyPublic Broadcasting Service]].<ref>Alabama Public Television Documentaries | JEREMIAH | PBS, who later became a Republican in 1994accessed October 27, 2021.</ref>

==External links==*In 1980, Denton was elected to the U.S. Senate. First, he easily defeated Armistead Selden, a [http://www[primary]] rival supported by the party establishment.nffThen Denton defeated [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Jim Folsom, Jr.org, with 50.2 percent of the vote. Folsom had unseated the short-term Senator Donald Wilbur Stewart, who had won the seat in a [[special election]] in 1978 over fellow Democrat [[Maryon Allen]], the widow of [[conservative]] Democratic Senator [[James B. Allen]]. He was aided in his election by the presence of [[Ronald Reagan]] heading the Republican presidential ticket against [[Jimmy Carter]] of neighboring [[Georgia]]. In the Senate, he concentrated on family issues and worked for passage in 1981 of the Adolescent Family Life Act, often derided by critics as the "Chastity bill."<ref>'Teen-age Chastity Bill' designed to care for pregnant girls - UPI Archives, accessed October 27, 2021.</ Admiral Jeremiah ref> Denton Foundationestablished the Coalition for Decency, which proposed to clean up [[television]*] by urging [https:[boycott]s of sponsors that promoted sexual promiscuity.<ref name=destroyer//www>He also focused on national security as the chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Security and Terrorism.archives<ref>Document - Statement by Senator Jeremiah Denton Before the Subcommittee on Security and Terrorism February 2, 1983 | Office of Justice Programs (ojp.gov), accessed October 27, 2021.</exhibitsref> In 1986, a heavily Democrat year, he was narrowly unseated by then Democrat and later [[Moderate Republican]] [[Richard Shelby]], who is retiring in January 2023.<ref name=destroyer/eyewitness/flash> In that same election, however, Republican Harold Guy Hunt (1933-2009 won the Alabama governor's race, reversing a large defeat eight years earlier.php Video  From 1978 to 1980, Denton was a consultant to [[Pat Robertson]], founder of the [[Christian Broadcasting Network]].During his time with CBN, both Denton's POW interviewand Robertson repeatedly expressed support for the [[Contras|Contra]] forces which fought the [[Sandinista]] communists in [[Nicaragua]] from U.S<ref name=destroyer>DDG-129 USS Jeremiah Denton Arleigh Burke class Destroyer (seaforces. National Archives — To find this segment specificallyorg), choose Contents accessed October 27, 2021.</ref> Scenes From Hell  Denton died at the age of eighty-nine in Virginia Beach, [[Virginia]], and is interred at [[Arlington National Cemetery.<ref name=findagrave/> The ''USS Jeremiah Denton'' (DDG 129) is named in his honor.<ref name=destroyer/> ==References=={{reflist}}

[[Category:Alabama]][[Category:Virginia]][[Category:United States Navy]][[Category:World War II]][[Category:Vietnam War]][[Category:Prisoners of War]][[Category:Former United States Senators]][[Category:Republicans]][[Category:Conservatives]][[Category:Catholics]][[Category:Catholic Politicians]]