Remembered Prisoners of a Forgotten War : An Oral History of Korean War POWs

by Carlson, Lewis H.

• ISBN13: 9780312310073
• ISBN10: 0312310072
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-03-01
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Summary

The Korean War POW remains the most maligned victim of all American wars. For nearly half a century, the media, general public, and even scholars have described hundreds of these prisoners as 'brainwashed' victims of a heinous enemy who un-characteristically caved in to their Communist captors or, even worse, as turncoats who betrayed their fellow soldiers. In either case, these boys apparently lacked the 'right stuff' required of our brave sons. Dr. Carlson debunks these popular myths in this captivating oral history. From the Tiger Death March to the paranoia here at home, Korean War POWs suffered injustices on a scale few can comprehend. Here, at long last, is a chance to hear the true story of these brave men in their own words-a story that, until now, has gone largely untold.

Author Biography

Dr. Lewis H. Carlson is a prolific author and scholar whose books include We Were Each Other's Prisoners: An Oral History of World War II American and German Prisoners of War. He lives in Michigan.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xi
Preface	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
Three Prisoners of War	p. 23
"Let Them March Till They Die"--The Tiger Death March and Beyond	p. 49
The Sunch'on Tunnel Massacre	p. 97
Death Valley and the Temporary Camps	p. 107
Life in the Permanent Camps	p. 121
Injuries, Disease, and Medical Care	p. 151
Escape: Myth and Reality	p. 163
Interrogation, Propaganda, Indoctrination, and "Brainwashing"	p. 177
Progressives, Reactionaries, and the Twenty-One Who Chose to Stay	p. 195
Freedom and Recrimination	p. 213
Legacy	p. 225
Postscript	p. 255
Biographical Sketches	p. 257
Notes	p. 269
Selected Bibliography	p. 285
Index	p. 295
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