Caged Heroes: American Pow Experiences from the Revolutionary War to the Present

by Jon Couch

Overview

Caged Heroes - American POW Experiences from the American Revolution to the Present is snapshot of four hundred years of hostage and prisoner of war experiences. Caged Heroes details prisoners experiences from the moment they are told to put their hands up, through their detentions, and culminating in their releases. It examines the successes and failures of the United States government to prepare its forces for prisoner events; discussing survival schools, rules on how prisoners are told to act while in captivity and glimpses of how being taken prisoner effects the prisoners and guards alike. Using numerous personal interviews and diaries of former prisoners (and their spouses), the reader gets a rare look at the horrors these men and women experienced. Containing an extensive bibliography and complete POW rosters from several conflicts, this book will add to any casual readers knowledge and serve as a top reference for those wanting to understand more about this misunderstood field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467060448
Publisher:	AuthorHouse
Publication date:	11/11/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	468
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Jon Couch has worked in the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) / POW mission area since first attending military jungle survival training in 1981. Since that time, Mr. Couch has attended several basic and advanced SERE courses, has worked as a SERE instructor for deploying forces, and since his medical retirement from the Marine Corps in 1999, has worked at the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency (JPRA) as a PR Instructor, PR Observer – Trainer, Senior Intelligence Analyst, and most recently as a Personnel Recovery Operations Analyst. While with the JPRA, Mr. Couch has written government studies and analysis on PR related issues. Mr. Couch has also written graduate level work about POWs and has had some of his work published in SmallWarsJournal.com. Mr. Couch lives in Stafford, Virginia with his wife. Mr. Couch's hobbies include long range shooting and fishing.

Read an Excerpt

Caged Heroes

American POW Experiences from the Revolutionary War to the Present

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By Jon Couch

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2011 Jon Couch
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4670-6043-1

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Chapter One

Introduction to Prisoners of War (POWs)

In some cases, the taking of prisoners of war occurs without deliberation or active planning on anyone's part. In other cases, prisoners are taken in a very deliberate manner, sometimes to provide manpower for one side's war efforts, while at other times they may have been taken for intelligence or propaganda purposes. Whatever the reason, the taking of prisoners of war (POWs) is a topic commonly misunderstood and wrongly glamorized. Prisoner and hostage events bring out the very best and worst mankind has to offer. Prisoners, governmental detainees, and hostages, as well as their counterparts—guards or captors—are the focal point of this book. Moreover, as the reader will discover, most of these Americans' strength, courage, honor, and commitment to something larger than themselves displays the American soul is at its very best.

Three terms are used to describe captives. These are prisoners [of war], governmental detainees, and hostages. In today's environment, persons may be held in a number of environments and may be held captive by different groups of people, each meaning different things to the person being held. We most often see the term prisoners of war used when someone is held by an opposing military force such as that seen in World War II, Korea or Vietnam. On these occasions, the POWs are often held in prisoner compounds. If the term governmental detainee is used, this most often describes persons being held by a hostile government such as China. As the 2001 Navy EP-3 aircraft incident showed, our men and women can be held by hostile governments during periods of heightened tensions but a time where formal war does not exist between the two countries. In governmental detentions, those held could be held in jails, prison facilities, or in some cases that nation's intelligence apparatus holding areas. Lastly, the term hostage. This term is often used when persons are being held against their will by terrorists or criminals. The term hostage is most often used when the captors want something in return for the captives' release. Hostage and ransom scenarios may be the result of criminal groups, while on other cases, the hostages may be held by rogue governments.

The phrase "American soul" is an important term to understand. What is this "American soul," and why is this important to understand? The term "American soul" best describes the core of American ideals. Some call this a core tenet of American greatness. It is this greatness which is often displayed in the worst imaginable conditions, unspeakable pain and terror, and at the hands of captors—that truly displays the American soul at its best.

A few other questions should be kept in mind as the reader journeys through the American POW experiences spread throughout these pages. First, as former President Ronald Reagan said in 1983 when talking about Beirut bombing: "Where do we get such men [and women]?"Are these POWs who give so much from a different stock than most Americans? What is their source of strength under such trying conditions? And, although many other questions might come into the reader's mind, perhaps one of the most important questions is: "Who are these men and women, and how can the American people possibly repay them for their sacrifices?" The pages that follow describe horror, humor, and everything in between. Although the term "American soul" may seem unclear to some readers, by the end of the book you will have peered into this elusive and nebulous term and possibly begin to understand it.

In order for this story to be told but more importantly for this story to be understood, the reader must be familiar with what occurs in prisoner (detention or hostage-taking) events. The perspective of both captors and captives are provided so the reader can develop a certain understanding as to what unfolds and some of the contributing factors which led to the prisoner's experiences. In many cases, the reader will see what the captives did to prepare for the events, physically and mentally. It is this preparation for captivity environments that often has a profound effect upon what happens next—whether it is being rescued, rejoining American forces, or becoming a captive. Moreover, the prisoners' experiences are often impacted by political, military, economic, and social factors in the location where captured. The political climate within the United States may also affect the prisoner's plight, since governments have on occasion used prisoners as political pawns.

PREPARATION FOR ISOLATION

Currently, the American military has no shortage of guidance for the training of its soldiers for isolation or detention environments. Today's military personnel, government civilians, and in some cases, contractors go through extensive training to prepare them to survive, evade, resist, and escape operations and interrogations on the modern battlefield. Moreover, the personnel deemed most at risk of becoming isolated or being taken prisoner undergo extensive training to prepare them for the conditions they might experience if captured (or taken hostage). It was not always this way, however.

During the American Revolution, such a system did not exist to prepare forces for captivity environments. Likewise, from the American Civil War through World War II, very little specialized training, equipment, or rules existed for those at high risk of being taken prisoner or having to evade capture. Moreover, laws or rules for how American military forces should treat potential captured forces were scant when they existed at all. The Law of Land Warfare was not developed at the turn of the nineteenth century. What was used for guidance in the conduct of warfare was known as the Lieber Code, sometimes referred to as General Order 100. The Lieber Code, officially known as the Instructions for the Government of Armies of the United States in the Field, General Order No 100 provided guidance to US military forces in their conduct of warfare. In the case of POWs, section III the Lieber Code talked to US forces taking prisoners of war but gave no guidance on how US personnel were to act should they become prisoners of war. World War II saw slight increases in guidance for US personnel should they become POWs but the War Department (now called the US Department of Defense or DOD) did not enjoy a significant amount of attention paid to US prisoners of war until after the Korean War when US personnel, formerly prisoners of war of the North Koreans and Chinese, were charged as being collaborators. The result during the immediate post-Korean War period was the issuance of the DOD's Code of Conduct; a moral guide for US servicemen should they become prisoners of war. Formal guidance for potential prisoners of war saw small increases following the Vietnam War and into the later years of the Cold war but did not enjoy any levels of maturity until American and other allied personnel were taken prisoners and hostage during the war in Iraq in 2003.

STAGES OF CAPTIVITY

Being taken prisoner is a horrifying experience and one that no amount of training can fully prepare a person to endure. Nevertheless, certain events typically occur over the course of the captivity. If these stages were better understood the captive's stresses may be lessened. The stages of capture are most easily described as initial capture, movement, detention, and release.

The initial capture phase is the period of time where the prisoner is (visually or verbally) told: "Put your hands up—you are my prisoner." History has shown that this phase may be the most dangerous. During the initial capture phase, the prisoner must make split-second decisions about whether to flee and avoid capture, or to allow himself (and perhaps those with him) to be taken prisoner. Often times, when this initial capture takes place, both sides are involved in combat operations and, as such, emotions are very high. The enemy soldiers may have just witnessed their fellow soldiers being killed by American forces. Aside from conditions on the battlefield at the moment of capture, those taking prisoners are often untrained in prisoner handling. This can be an important factor for several reasons. First, since these personnel may be untrained, their understanding of the value of prisoners of war may be limited. Likewise, these soldiers' lack of training may also provide opportunities for escape that might not have been otherwise possible.

After taking (prisoners, hostages, or governmental detainees), the captors may be hailed as heroes in their hometown newspapers. Conversely, if the captors commit crimes while handling prisoners, they could be tried before military tribunals for committing war crimes, or in cases where the prisoners are released, might deal with guilt for not doing what their society demands of its soldiers. The initial duties of captors typically include searching and disarming prisoners, segregating the prisoners by rank, and in more developed countries, filling out reports of the circumstances under which the prisoners were captured.

In some armies, new prisoners may face rudimentary questioning by the detaining parties. If this occurs on the battlefield, the initial questioning is typically conducted by untrained combat soldiers. If the captors are untrained, it is also possible that captives receive very rough and brutal treatment. Both captors and captives may have gone long hours without adequate sleep, food, water, nutrition, and may have experienced recent psychological trauma, which greatly adds to the stresses felt. On both sides, fellow soldiers may have just been killed, and either party may have sustained injuries as the result of combat.

The classic capture scenario can take the prisoner through a wide range of emotions, including feelings of extreme isolation, self-pity, anger, and guilt for being captured. At the time captured, the prisoner is often the closest to friendly forces that he will be from that point forward. Decisions made at this point include whether or not to fight his captors, to run, or to surrender.

Following the initial capture phase is the movement phase. The movement phase is where the prisoners are searched, segregated and transported to more secure areas and eventually to some sort of permanent detention facility. This movement may occur by train, by truck, boat, or even on foot. Like the initial capture phase, decisions made during the movement phase are critical to the captive's long-term survival. Those guarding the prisoners may be untrained in prisoner handling. The guards may be wounded soldiers conducting this duty until they are healed and fit to resume combat duty, or in other cases, the guards may be older military personnel who were recalled to active duty and assigned this task. The capturing units' guards may view these duties with disdain, or in some cases may relish these duties since guard duties are often away from the sights and sounds of combat.

And, since the guards may be untrained, the captives may have more than ample opportunity to overpower, trick, or deceive their guards in order to escape. Conversely, the moment captives are placed in a transportation network—be it by foot, truck, or train—the prisoners begin to move farther and farther from friendly forces, thus lessening their chance of assistance from members of the local populace should they escape. Likewise, while the prisoners are being transported, they could be detained in such a manner as to lose any sense of direction. For instance, they could be held in closed transportation or might be blindfolded, both of which serve to disorient the captives as to both their own movement and that of friendly forces.

Under some circumstances, such as those experienced in the American Civil War, the movement phase may last for weeks. In other cases, such as DESERT STORM, the movement phase may last only a few days. In either case, the end of the movement phase marks the beginning of the permanent detention phase. Many things change for the captives once they reach the detention facility. They are often introduced to professional guards, trained interrogators, and intelligence professionals. Moreover, captives are often times held in facilities designed to hold others against their will. Sometimes these facilities may be temporary, such as the open fields and abandoned buildings used in the American Civil War, and other times the detainees may be held in structures built to hold prisoners, such as civil prisons or jails. No matter the exact venue, several things change when these facilities are entered—most importantly, the prisoner's chances of successful escape and the increased distance to friendly lines.

POW interrogations may be conducted by professional interrogators. Interrogators are trained in extracting information from captives. These interrogators may be military personnel, or in some cases, they may be police or intelligence agency interrogators on loan to the military in support of the war effort. These interrogators could also be from military units allied to the cause of the capturing forces as was seen in the Vietnam War where Cuban interrogators were used to extract information from US POWs.

In order to move prisoners about in the detention facilities, or to prevent their escape, the enemy uses guards. When untrained, guards may be more ruthless or in other cases, more humane, but in either case the captives will often experience heightened levels of security in the detention phase. Security at the detention facilities is often sufficient to discourage most escape attempts, but in some cases, prolonged efforts by escape-minded prisoners may prove successful. If unable to escape, prisoners must endure loneliness, despair, torture, and food and sleep deprivation before they regain their freedom.

An American prisoner of war's release and eventual repatriation to his home country may happen in one of several ways. The prisoner might escape, the United States government may make a deal for his release, or the war may end with a negotiated settlement for the treatment and repatriation of prisoners held on both sides. Furthermore, when a prisoner is released (or escapes) and rejoins his nation's forces, the returnees will often participate in a reintegration process; now known to be beneficial for the returnee's long-term physical and psychological well-being.

This repatriation (currently known as reintegration) was non-existent in most wars prior to Vietnam. During the war in Southeast Asia, Americans were held by the North Vietnamese, Laotians, and Chinese. Following the negotiated peace settlement, the United States devised a plan for the repatriation of the hundreds of American POWs returning from Southeast Asia. The result was called OPERATION HOME COMING.

The chapters that follow contain a small glimpse of American prisoner of war experiences; often taken from diaries, published sources, and in some cases, personal interviews and correspondence with former POWs and their family members. In each of these chapters, the reader will get a small glimpse of the prisoners' experiences from the initial capture, movement, permanent detention, and eventually release phases. In the case of the American Civil War, the reader will be exposed to the experiences of Union and Confederate prisoners' wartime experiences. Likewise, in the chapter detailing World War II POW experiences, parallels will emerge between American prisoner experiences in the Pacific and European theaters of war. In the latter chapters detailing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the broader War on Terror, the changes in prisoner environments will be noted for the reader.

The final chapter serves as a review, a look at American POWs' achievements under such trying conditions throughout our history, what the future holds for POWs, detainees, and hostages, and a list of sources to assist the reader in further study. Perhaps most importantly, the reader will hopefully gain an appreciation of how much was sacrificed by these great Americans. By the end of the book, the reader should have a better understanding of the horrors our prisoners have endured and, at the end of the day, realize that heroes live amongst us, many of their experiences unknown even to their own families.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Caged Heroes by Jon Couch Copyright © 2011 by Jon Couch. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Acknowledgments....................xi
Diagrams....................xiii
Chapter 1 Introduction....................1
Chapter 2 American Revolution....................12
Chapter 3 American Civil War....................48
Chapter 4 World War II....................76
Chapter 5 Korean War....................115
Chapter 6 Southeast Asia....................140
Chapter 7 Desert Shield And Desert Storm....................231
Chapter 8 Post Cold War / Asymmetric Prisoners, Detainees, And Hostages....................263
Chapter 9 An Analysis Of The Captivity Environment And Survival....................290
Appendix A (List of Cold War MIAs)....................321
Appendix B (List of Vietnam POWs)....................329
Appendix C (List of Iranian Hostages)....................347
Appendix D (Desert Storm Captives Unaccounted-For)....................355
NOTES....................357
Bibliography....................421
Index....................447