▁President ▁Ron ald ▁Re agan , ▁following ▁a ▁brief ing ▁by ▁then - V ice ▁President ▁George ▁H . ▁W . ▁Bush , ▁wrote ▁that ▁Hend on ▁was ▁" off ▁his ▁ro cker " ▁with ▁alleg ations ▁about ▁Americans ▁held ▁in ▁Vietnam . ▁Bush ' s ▁feelings ▁aside , ▁after ▁Hend on ▁was ▁narrow ly ▁defeated ▁( 5 0 . 7 % ▁to ▁ 4 9 . 3 %) ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁mid - term ▁elections , ▁Re agan ▁appointed ▁him ▁to ▁the ▁board ▁of ▁direct ors ▁of ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁Valley ▁Author ity . ▁Hend on ▁with d rew ▁his ▁name ▁from ▁consideration ▁for ▁the ▁post ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁st iff ▁Senate ▁Democratic ▁opposition ▁to ▁his ▁environmental ▁record , ▁and ▁instead ▁accepted ▁a ▁position ▁with ▁the ▁pro - def ense ▁American ▁Def ense ▁Institute . ▁He ▁would ▁remain ▁an ▁active ▁voice ▁on ▁the ▁P OW / MI A ▁issue ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁ ▁Hend on ▁died ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁under ▁hosp ice ▁care ▁in ▁Forest ▁City , ▁North ▁Carolina ▁after ▁long ▁ill ness ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 7 3 . ▁ ▁Ten ure ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Congress ▁ 9 7 th ▁United ▁States ▁Congress ▁( 1 9 8 1 – 1 9 8 3 ) ▁ 9 9 th ▁United ▁States ▁Congress ▁( 1 9 8 5 – 1 9 8 7 ) ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁ ▁Biography ,