Charles Dean

Charles Dean and Neil Sharman were young companions, an American and an Australian, traveling through Southeast Asia on a backpacking trip in 1974 when they were kidnapped and killed by anti-Western Communist guerillas.

Charles "Charlie" Dean (died 1974 at age 24) was the brother of future Vermont politician and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean; Democracy for America Chairman Jim Dean; and political activist Bill Dean. Neil Sharman (age 23), was a young journalist taking time off from his career to see the world. The two were captured and killed by the Communist Pathet Lao guerrillas. Their deaths attracted wide and ongoing attention.

Although a civilian, Dean was regarded by the United States government as a prisoner of war.

On November 14, 2003, the remains of Charles Dean were repatriated to the United States, and those of Neil Sharman were repatriated to Australia.

Dean grew up in Manhattan and worked summers as a volunteer counselor with Boys Harbor.

Charlie graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was active in student government and the anti-war movement in 1972. In 1972, he went on to work as the Orange County, NC coordinator for Democrat George S. McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign.

In 1973 Dean traveled to Japan by freighter, then on to Australia where he worked on a ranch for 9 months. While there he met Australian journalist Neil Sharman.

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