Washington, DC – U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (R-TX) released the following statement on the passing of friend, fellow Prisoner of War and American hero, retired Admiral Jeremiah “Jerry” A. Denton.
“Today we mourn the loss of a man who symbolized freedom, my dear friend Jerry Denton. His patriotism knew no bounds and his bravery pushed every limit. I’ll never forget how he had the intestinal fortitude to blink the letters of the word TORTURE in Morse code while under duress to alert the world of our horrible and inhuman treatment in Hanoi. I will always cherish the memories of our friendship forged in the fire as a gift from above. Generations to come will honor and celebrate his legacy of freedom and his leadership in Hanoi – and for America upon his return.
"Jerry, you will always hold a special place in my heart for your bravery, valor and service. Shirley and I will miss you tremendously. Rest in peace and G.B.U."
Meaning of GBU
In a dank, dark prison cell in Hanoi, many rights including freedom of speech were denied to all Prisoners of War leaving us no choice but to communicate by tapping on the walls in a language created out of necessity. Known as the tap code, we placed each letter in the alphabet in five rows with five letters each; eliminating K and using C for K. The first taps represent the letter in the horizontal row – then a pause – then the second series of taps represents the position of the letter in the vertical row. Like tap (pause) tap, tap for “B.” Each night we would sign off by tapping GBU and that stood for God Bless You.
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