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1. Korean War prison camp thread.
You can learn a lot about a country by how its men perform in captivity. POWs in Korea were tested mercilessly, just as POWs in the Pacific in WW2. Some observations I made.
You can learn a lot about a country by how its men perform in captivity. POWs in Korea were tested mercilessly, just as POWs in the Pacific in WW2. Some observations I made.
2. Prisoners were Americans, British, and Turks. The Chinese did all they could to destroy the POWs' sense of identity and organization. The worst performers were the Americans, to be frank. Some were good. The Marines, for example, lost only 13 percent of their men.
3. The US Army lost a disgraceful 30 percent of its men. They were the most affected by "give-up-itis." Some just refused to eat. Something else not reported often: some officers & men collaborated with the Chinese. The situation was bad enough that, after the war...
4. ....the military had to draw up a formal Code of Conduct.
The British did not trust many American army officers & men. Marines they did trust, in general.
The British "regimental structure," their traditions, rank structure, and national spirit kept them very cohesive.
The British did not trust many American army officers & men. Marines they did trust, in general.
The British "regimental structure," their traditions, rank structure, and national spirit kept them very cohesive.
5. The British were not so ready to cooperate with the Chinese, either. They kept their morale up by defying the Chinese in subtle ways. No man was allowed to forget his identity. Resignation to suffering and endurance are British national traits.
6. The best performers were the Turks. If one Turk got sick or wavered, two men were assigned to take care of him. Their religion and strong sense of identity kept them strong. It meant that the Turks never lost a single man in captivity to the Chinese. Reflect on this.
7. The British also knew how to use humor in the direst situations. Once, during the Chinese propaganda lie campaign about "bacteriological warfare," a British sergeant found a dead mouse in camp. He attached a crude parachute to it, and threw it over the fence.
8. The next day, the Chinese appeared in hazmat suits to "examine" the "weapon" they thought had been dropped from the air. Everyone had a good laugh over that one.
9. My conclusion: Americans performed poorly in captivity because of our hyper-individualist culture and weak mentality. People here are taught to be selfish, grabbing, and soft. We'd better get our heads out of our asses, fast. Americans in captivity were too...
10. ....willing to betray each other, to collaborate with the enemy, to give in to inducements. We need to become less individualistic, less selfish. But we are moving in exactly the opposite direction. We are going to learn the hard way. Believe me.
