ton " ▁for ▁six ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁years , ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁released ▁on ▁March ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁and , ▁after ▁serving ▁as ▁a ▁U . S . ▁Represent ative ▁from ▁Florida ▁for ▁six ▁years , ▁would ▁return ▁to ▁H ano i ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁United ▁States ▁Amb assador ▁to ▁Vietnam . ▁On ▁his ▁drive ▁to ▁and ▁from ▁the ▁Emb ass y , ▁Pet erson ▁would ▁make ▁it ▁a ▁point ▁to ▁drive ▁past ▁the ▁former ▁P OW ▁camp .< ref > Dan ▁D rol lette ▁Jr ., ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁in ▁the ▁Jung le : ▁The ▁Race ▁to ▁Disc over ▁and ▁Def end ▁the ▁R ar est ▁Anim als ▁of ▁Vietnam ' s ▁' L ost ▁World '" ▁( C rown ▁Publish ers , ▁ 2 0 1 3 ) ▁pp 3 0 - 3 1 </ ref > ▁He avy weight ▁box er ▁Muhammad ▁Ali ▁def ended ▁his ▁world ▁title ▁in ▁Frankfurt , ▁West ▁Germany , ▁in ▁a ▁challenge ▁by ▁the ▁European ▁heavy weight ▁champion , ▁Karl ▁M ild en berger , ▁who ▁had ▁not ▁lost ▁a ▁bout ▁in ▁four ▁years . ▁ ▁Although ▁M ild en berger ▁was ▁cut ▁above ▁both ▁eyes ▁in ▁the ▁fourth ▁round , ▁and ▁knock ed ▁down ▁by ▁Ali ▁in ▁the ▁fifth , ▁the ▁American ▁box er ▁slow ed ▁his ▁pace , ▁giving ▁the ▁German ▁champ ▁time ▁to ▁recover . ▁ ▁Finally , ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁round , ▁Ali ▁won ▁by