- Joined
- 28 May 2006
- Posts
- 9,985
- Reactions
- 2
the following is just general discussion, not necessarily about Hicks, but speaking of Korean POW's, here's an article which is very long (14 pages) in its entirety, but is an interesting read nonetheless - goes on to discuss the movies made after the Korean War, and the mindset of the American people at that time to the Korean tactics. They slowly come round from accusing collaborators as traitors, to accepting human frailty under such circumstances. (as reflected by box office failures of movies etc)
Not about Hicks, just arguably a role reversal for USA to be the ones using these or similar techniques outside the Geneva Convention. Some pertinent references to Vietnam (and Korea) where the treatment of returning soldiers was severely influenced by the fact that it was perceived that they had lost. As if it was their fault !!
http://fornits.com/anonanon/articles/200103/20010330-258.htm
Incidentally, Gen William Dean was captured, and despite torture did not disclose that he knew of the planned Inchon invasion. He did not stick to "name rank serial number", but told them a series of half truths in various red herrings. Repeatedly interrogated for 72 hrs at a stint. (no actual torture). "During the third multiday interrogation, Dean sensed he was going to break, and was then narrowly prevented from committing suicide. He was not bothered after that."
Other quotes include:-
"Pentagon Burgess Committee knew that few could resist as well as Gen Dean, let alone remain silent. A rear admiral told the committee that all his own interrogation experts claimed to be able to 'extract information from anybody, and they say that they can do it without using actual torture.
One of the movies after the war was "Prisoner of War" starring Ronald Reagan - "he plays the fearless Web Sloane , who sneaks into a prison camp to collect proof of violations of the Geneva Convention" etcetc
in The Rack, Paul Newman plays a captured POW who cracks. A few reviewers said that "collaborators were more to be pitied than scorned". "The response to the prisoners of limited war remained divided between a sympathy that seemed to excuse weakness and a Spartan code that was unrealistic and heartless".
PS Strongly religious people were the strongest to resist.(although not mentioned in this article)
Not about Hicks, just arguably a role reversal for USA to be the ones using these or similar techniques outside the Geneva Convention. Some pertinent references to Vietnam (and Korea) where the treatment of returning soldiers was severely influenced by the fact that it was perceived that they had lost. As if it was their fault !!
http://fornits.com/anonanon/articles/200103/20010330-258.htm
http://www.cyberussr.com/hcunn/e-asia/korea-pow.html includes names of USA personnel tried after the war. (if anyone wants to go into that details - surely enough to know that under torture, deprivation etc, people will eventually crack. Some of these had 3 years of it ( Hicks has had 5 )
Incidentally, Gen William Dean was captured, and despite torture did not disclose that he knew of the planned Inchon invasion. He did not stick to "name rank serial number", but told them a series of half truths in various red herrings. Repeatedly interrogated for 72 hrs at a stint. (no actual torture). "During the third multiday interrogation, Dean sensed he was going to break, and was then narrowly prevented from committing suicide. He was not bothered after that."
Other quotes include:-
"Pentagon Burgess Committee knew that few could resist as well as Gen Dean, let alone remain silent. A rear admiral told the committee that all his own interrogation experts claimed to be able to 'extract information from anybody, and they say that they can do it without using actual torture.
One of the movies after the war was "Prisoner of War" starring Ronald Reagan - "he plays the fearless Web Sloane , who sneaks into a prison camp to collect proof of violations of the Geneva Convention" etcetc
in The Rack, Paul Newman plays a captured POW who cracks. A few reviewers said that "collaborators were more to be pitied than scorned". "The response to the prisoners of limited war remained divided between a sympathy that seemed to excuse weakness and a Spartan code that was unrealistic and heartless".
PS Strongly religious people were the strongest to resist.(although not mentioned in this article)