Dean, William Frishe (1899-1981), was an American major general who won fame in the early days of the Korean War (1950-1953). North Korean soldiers captured him in 1950 while he was fighting in the front lines. They held him for more than three years as a prisoner of war. He refused to reveal military secrets despite torture.
Dean was born in Carlyle, Illinois, on Aug. 1, 1899. He graduated from the University of California in 1922. He described his war experiences in the popular book General Dean’s Story (1954). Dean retired from the Army in 1955. He died on Aug. 25, 1981.
