CHAPTER 4

MORAL AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF

SURVIVING CAPTIVITY

All members of the Armed Forces are expected tomeasure up to the standards embodied in the Code ofConduct. Although designed for Prisoner of War(POW) situations, the spirit and intent of the Code isapplicable to service members subjected to otherhostile detention. Such members should conductthemselves, consistently, in a manner that will notdiscredit themselves and their country.

CODE OF CONDUCT

Learning Objective: Recall the articles of theCode of Conduct and their application to medical andChaplain Corps personnel.

The Code of Conduct, cited in the six brief articlesbelow, addresses those situations and decision areasthat, to some degree, will be encountered by allmilitary personnel. The Code includes basicinformation useful to U.S. POWs in their tasks ofsurviving honorably while resisting their captor’sefforts to exploit them to the advantage of the enemies’cause and the disadvantage of their own. Such survivaland resistance requires varying degrees of knowledgeof the meaning of the six articles of the Code ofConduct.

The following is Department of Defense Directive1300.7 dated December 23, 1988. The Code ofConduct, as promulgated by Executive Order 10631and amended by E.O. 12633 on March 28, 1988,removed gender specific terminology.

CODE OF CONDUCT FORMEMBERS OF

THE ARMED FORCES OF THEUNITED STATES

PRELUDE

NO PRISONER OF WAR WILL BEFORGOTTEN BY THE UNITED STATES.THE SUPPORT AND CARE OFDEPENDENTS OF PRISONERS OF WAR

IS PRESCRIBED BY LAW. EVERYPRACTICAL MEANS WILL BEEMPLOYED TO ESTABLISH CONTACTWITH, TO SUPPORT, AND GAIN THERELEASE OF ALL PRISONERS OFWAR.

ARTICLE I

I AM AN AMERICAN, FIGHTING INTHE FORCES THAT GUARD MYCOUNTRY AND OUR WAY OF LIFE. IAM PREPARED TO GIVE MY LIFE INTHEIR DEFENSE.

A. Article I of the Code of Conduct applies to allservice members at all times. A member of the ArmedForces has a duty to support the interests and oppose theenemies of the United States regardless of thecircumstances, whether in active participation incombat or in captivity.

B. Medical personnel and chaplains are granted byvirtue of their special retained status under the GenevaConventions, certain latitude under the Code ofConduct. This flexibility is directly related to thepolicies of the captors as to whether they adhere to theGeneva Conventions’ requirement to let medicalpersonnel and chaplains perform their professionalduties. All personnel, medical, chaplain and other,should understand the latitude and limits of thisflexibility.

C. Past experience of captured Americans revealsthat honorable survival in captivity requires that aService member possess a high degree of dedication andmotivation. Maintaining these qualities requiresknowledge of and a strong belief in the following:

1. The advantages of American democraticinstitutions and concepts.

2. Love of and faith in the United States and aconviction that the U.S. cause is just.

3. Faith in and loyalty to fellow POWs.

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Possessing the dedication and motivation fostered bysuch beliefs and trust shall enable POWs to survive longand stressful periods of captivity, and return to theircountry and families honorably with self-esteem intact.

ARTICLE II

I WILL NEVER SURRENDER OF MYOWN FREE WILL. IF IN COMMAND, IWILL NEVER SURRENDER THEMEMBERS OF MY COMMAND WHILETHEY STILL HAVE THE MEANS TORESIST.

A. Members of the Armed Forces may nevervoluntarily surrender. Even when isolated and nolonger able to inflict casualties on the enemy orotherwise defend themselves, it is their duty to evadecapture and rejoin the nearest friendly force.

1. Only when evasion by members isimpossible and further fighting would lead only to theirdeath with no significant loss to the enemy might themeans to resist or evade be considered exhausted.

2. The responsibility and authority of acommander never extends to the surrender of command,even if isolated, cut off, or surrounded, while the unithas the power to resist, break out, or evade to rejoinfriendly forces.

3. Specifically Service Members must:Understand that when they are cut off, shot down, orotherwise isolated in enemy-controlled territory, theymust make every effort to avoid capture. The courses ofaction available include concealment until recovered byfriendly rescue forces, evasive travel to a friendly orneutral territory, and evasive travel to other prebriefedareas. AND: Understand that capture does notconstitute a dishonorable act if all reasonable means ofavoiding it have been exhausted and the only alternativeis death.

ARTICLE III

IF I AM CAPTURED I WILL CONTINUETO RESIST BY ALL MEANSAVAILABLE. I WILL MAKE EVERYEFFORT TO ESCAPE AND AID OTHERSTO ESCAPE. I WILL ACCEPTNEITHER PAROLE NOR SPECIALFAVORS FROM THE ENEMY.

A. The duty of a member of the Armed Forces tocontinue resistance to enemy exploitation by all meansavailable is not lessened by the misfortune of capture.Contrary to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, enemies

which U.S. forces have engaged since 1949 haveregarded the POW compound as an extension of thebattlefield. The United States Prisoners of War (USPW)must be prepared for this fact.

1. In disregarding the provisions of the GenevaConventions, the enemy has used a variety of tactics toexploit the POWs for propaganda purposes or to obtainmilitary information. The Code of Conduct requiresresistance to captor exploitation efforts. Physical andmental harassment, general mistreatment and torture,medical neglect, and political indoctrination have allbeen used against USPWs in the past.

2. The enemy has tried to tempt POWs toaccept special favors or privileges not given to otherPOWs in return for statements or information desired bythe enemy or for a pledge by the POW not to try toescape.

3. A USPW must not seek special privileges oraccept special favors at the expense of his fellow POWs.

4. The Geneva Conventions recognize that theregulations of a POW’s country may impose the duty toescape and that the POWs may attempt to escape.Under the guidance and supervision of the seniormilitary person and the POW organization, POWs mustbe prepared to take advantage of escape opportunitieswhenever they arise. In communal detention, thewelfare of the POWs who will remain behind must beconsidered. A POW must “think escape,” must try toescape if able to do so, and must assist others to escape.

5. The Geneva Conventions authorize therelease of POWs on parole only to the extent authorizedby the POW’s country, and prohibit compelling a POWto accept parole. Parole agreements are promises giventhe captor by a prisoner of war to fulfill statedconditions, such as not to bear arms or not to escape, inconsideration of special privileges, such as release fromcaptivity or lessened restraint. The United States doesnot authorize any service member to sign or enter intoany such parole agreement.

6. Personnel historically should be familiarwith, and prepared for, the implications of theCommunist Block Reservation used for Article 85 ofthe Geneva Conventions of 1949. Article 85 offersprotection to a POW legally convicted of a crimecommitted before capture. Understand that Communistcaptors then often threatened to use their reservation toArticle 85 as a basis for adjudging all members ofopposing armed forces as “war criminals.” As a result,POWs may find themselves accused of being “warcriminals” simply because they waged war against their

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captors before capture. The U.S. Government does notrecognize the validity of this argument.

7. A successful POW escape causes the enemyto divert forces that might otherwise be fighting,provides the United States valuable information aboutthe enemy and other POWs in captivity, and serves as apositive example to all members of the US ArmedForces.

8. Personnel should try to escape as soon aftercapture as possible. An advantage of early escape is thatmembers of the ground forces are usually relatively nearfriendly forces. For all captured individuals, an earlyescape attempt takes advantage of the fact that the initialcaptors are usually not trained guards, that the securitysystem is relatively lax, and that the POW is usually notyet physically debilitated.

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Bath Iron Works’ fifteenth ARLEIGH BURK ClassDestroyer is named in honor of Marine Corps Vietnam War heroColonel Donald G. Cook. Colonel Cook was awarded the medalof honor (posthumously) for his extraordinary courage while aprisoner of war. Col. (then Captain) Cook volunteered for atemporary 30 day tour in Vietnam as an observer from CommunicationsCompany, Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division. Accompanyingelements of the 4th Vietnamese Marines, Col. Cook was woundedand captured by a vastly superior Viet Cong force on New Years Eve1964 near Binh Gia, Phouc Tuy Province, South Vietnam, while ona search and recovery mission for a downed American helicoptercrew. The 33 year old Brooklyn, New York, native and father offour set an example and standard for his fellow Americans contraryto the Viet Cong’s goal of breaking down the prisoners. Col. Cook’sr ig id adherence to the code of conduct won him therespect of his fellow prisoners and his Communist captors.

Donald Cook was the son of Walter and Helen Cook...(he) grew up in a strong Catholic family in Brooklyn attendingJesuit primary and secondary schools. He excelled at sports andhis exploits on the gridiron earned him the nickname, “BayridgeBomber.” Upon graduation from Xavier High School, Col. Cookenrolled at St. Michael’s College in Winooski, Vermont, where hisacademic standing was well above average. Upon graduation in1956, Col. Cook joined the Marine Corps Reserve as a private...On 11 December 1964, Col. Cook was reassigned to theCommunications Company, Headquarters Battalion, 3rd MarineDivision. That same day, he and eight other Marines were issuedorders to proceed to Saigon, Republic of Vietnam, and report to theSenior Marine Advisor. On December 31st, Col. Cook volunteeredto conduct a search and recovery mission for a downed Americanhelicopter and set off with the 4th Battalion of Vietnamese Marines.Ambushed on their arrival at the crash site, Col. Cook rallied theVietnamese Marines who accompanied him, tended to the woundedand was attempting to drag others to safety when me was woundedin the leg and captured. Col. Cook was taken to a Viet Cong POWcamp in the jungles of South Vietnam near the Cambodian borderwhere he quickly established himself as the senior American (eventhough he was not) and provided guidance and strength to hisfellow prisoners. Col. Cook actions were in direct defiance of hiscaptors who attempted to remove all semblance of military rankand structure among the POWs. He impressed upon the Viet Congthat he was senior among the POWs and therefore spokesman forthe group, fully aware that his actions would lead to harshtreatment for himself. Col. Cook was subjected to physical abuseand isolation but he resisted his captor’s efforts to break his willand was used as a “bad” example by his Communist guards.Surviving on limited rations, Col. Cook tried to maintain hishealth in his ten foot square cage. He could be seen by otherprisoners exercising and running for hours. Once, while assignedto a work detail with a VC guard, Col. Cook stepped up the pace toembarrass his captors. Still, the jungle prison took its toll on Col.Cook’s heath and he and the other prisoners found themselves in aweakened state. Perhaps due to this weakened condition, Col.

Cook contracted malaria shortly before moving to a new camp. Hewas so weak that he staggered when he walked, could not traverselog bridges, and lost his night vision due to vitamin deficiency.Still, he persevered refusing to allow anyone to carry his pack orotherwise put a strain on themselves to help him. By the time thenew camp was reached, even the camp commander complementedCol. Cook on his courage. Although he regained some of hisstrength at the new camp, Col. Cook still suffered from the effectsof malaria. As illness struck the other prisoners, Col. Cookunhesitatingly took on the bulk of their workloads in order thatthey might have time to recover. His knowledge of first aidprompted him to nurse the severely sick by administering heartmassage, moving limbs, and keeping men’s tongues from blockingtheir air passages. He was instrumental in saving the lives ofseveral POWs who were convulsing with severe malaria attacks.Even though he was on half-rations, Col. Cook shared his foodwith the weaker POWs even giving up his allowance of penicillin.

Because he was isolated, Col. Cook devised a drop offpoint for communications, instructing his fellow POWs to continueresistance and offering the means to do so. Time and again herefused to negotiate for his own release knowing full well it wouldmean his imprisonment for the entire war. After a failed escapeattempt, a gun was held to his head and Col. Cook calmly recitedthe pistol’s nomenclature showing no fear whatsoever. Surely heknew in his deteriorated condition that he would not survive along imprisonment yet he continued to offer food and badly neededmedicine to other POWs. In this respect, he went far above andbeyond the call of duty by risking his life to inspire other POWs tosurvive. Col. Donald G. Cook was last seen on a jungle trail by afellow American prisoner, Douglas Ramsey, in November 1967.When Mr. Ramsey was released in 1973, he was told that Cookhad died from malaria on 8 December 1967 while still incaptivity. No remains were ever returned by the Vietnamesegovernment. On 26 February 1980, Col. Cook was declared deadunder the Missing Service Persons Act of 1942. On 15 May 1980,a memorial stone was placed in Arlington National Cemetary andthe flag from the empty grave presented to his wife, Laurette. Thefollowing day Colonel Donald G. Cook was posthumously awardedthe Medal of Honor. The ship’s motto, “Faith Without Fear”epitomizes his courage and faith in God and country.

COLONEL DONALD G. COOK

B. Members of the Armed Forces must be familiarwith the complications of escape after arrival at anestablished prisoner of war camp; such as, securefacility and experienced guard system, usually locatedfar from friendly forces, debilitated physical conditionof prisoners, psychological factors which reduce escapemotivation (barbed wire syndrome) and the oftendiffering ethnic characteristics of escape and the enemypopulation. Captured personnel should:

1. Understand the importance of being alert forescape opportunities, especially for POWs immediatelyafter capture or when confined alone.

2. Understand the command supervisory roleof the senior military person and the POW organizationin escapes from established prisoner of war camps.Understand the responsibilities of escapees to theirfellow prisoners.

3. Understand the acceptance of parole meansa POW has agreed not to engage in a specific act, such asto escape or to bear arms, in exchange for a statedprivilege and that U.S. policy forbids a POW to acceptsuch parole.

4. Understand the effects on prisonerorganization and morale, as well as the possible legalconsequences, of accepting a favor from the enemy thatresults in gaining benefits or privileges not available toall prisoners. Such benefits and privileges includeacceptance of release prior to the release of sick orwounded prisoners or those who have been in captivitylonger. Special favors include improved food,recreation, and living conditions not available to otherPOWs.

ARTICLE IV

IF I BECOME A PRISONER OF WAR, IWILL KEEP FAITH WITH MY FELLOWPRISONERS. I WILL GIVE NOINFORMATION OR TAKE PART IN ANYACTION WHICH MIGHT BE HARMFULTO MY COMRADES. IF I AM SENIOR, IWILL TAKE COMMAND. IF NOT, IWILL OBEY THE LAWFUL ORDERS OFTHOSE APPOINTED OVER ME ANDWILL BACK THEM UP IN EVERY WAY.

A. Officers and noncommissioned officers willcontinue to carry out their responsibilities and toexercise their authority in captivity.

1. Informing, or any other action detrimental toa fellow POW, is despicable and is expressly forbidden.Prisoners of war must especially avoid helping the

enemy to identify fellow POWs who may haveknowledge of value to the enemy and who may,therefore, be made to suffer coercion.

On 18 July 1965, Admiral JeremiahDenton, USN, was shot down during a combatmission over vietnam. A POW for 7 1/2 years,he provided the first direct evidence of tortureby the enemy. WHEN HELL WAS IN SESSION.

SEE APPENDIX I, “FURTHER READING.”

2. Strong leadership is essential to discipline.Without discipline, camp organization, resistance, andeven survival may be impossible.

3. Personal hygiene, camp sanitation, and careof the sick and wounded are imperative.

4. Whenever located, POWs, for their ownbenefit, should organize in a military manner underthe senior person eligible for command. The seniorperson (whether officer or enlisted) within the POWcamp or with a group of POWs shall assumecommand according to rank without regard toService. Ibis responsibility and accountability maynot be evaded.

5. When taking command, the senior personwill inform the other POWs and will designate the chainof command. If the senior person is incapacitated or isotherwise unable to act for any reason, command will beassumed by the next senior person. Every effort will bemade to inform all POWs in the camp (or group) of themembers of the chain of command who will representthem in dealing with the enemy authorities. Theresponsibility of subordinates to obey the lawful ordersof ranking American military personnel remainsunchanged in captivity.

6. U.S. policy concerning POW camporganization, as set forth in the foregoing paragraphs,specifies that the senior military person shall assumecommand. The Geneva Conventions on prisoners ofwar provide additional guidance to the effect that inPOW camps containing enlisted personnel only, aprisoners’ representative will be elected. POWs shouldunderstand that such a representative is regarded byU.S. Policy as only a spokesman for the senior militaryperson. The prisoners’ representative does not havecommand, unless the POWs elect as the representativethe senior military person. The senior military personshall assume and retain actual command, covertly ifnecessary.

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7. Maintaining communications is one ofthe most important ways that POWs can aid oneanother. Communication breaks down the barriersof isolation which an enemy may attempt toconstruct and helps strengthen a POW’s will toresist. Each POW will, immediately upon capture,try to make contact with fellow USPWs by anymeans available and will thereafter continue tocommunicate and participate vigorously as part ofthe POW organization.

8. As with other provisions of this Code,common sense and the conditions in the POW campwill determine the way in which the senior personand the other POWs structure their organization andcarry out their responsibilities. What is important isthat:

(a) The senior person establish anorganization; and

(b) The POWs in that organizationunderstand their duties and know to whom they areresponsible.

9. Be familiar with the major ethnic, racial,and national characteristics of the enemy that can affectprisoner - captor relationships to the detriment ofindividual prisoners and prisoner organization.

10. Further understand that:

(a) An informer or collaborator should beinsulated from sensitive information concerning POWorganization, but that continuing efforts should be madeby members of the POW organization to encourage andpersuade the collaborator to cease such activities.

(b) Welcoming a repentant collaborator“back to the fold” is generally a more effective POWorganization resistance technique than continuedisolation, which may only encourage the collaborator tocontinue such treasonous conduct; and,

(c) There is a significant differencebetween the collaborator who must be persuaded toreturn and the resistant who, having been physically ormentally tortured into complying with a captor’simproper demand (such as information or propagandastatements), should be helped to gather strength and bereturned to resistance.

d. Understand that, in situations wheremilitary and civilian personnel are imprisoned together,the senior military prisoner should make every effort topersuade civilian prisoners that the military member’sassuming overall command leadership of the entire

prisoner group, based upon experience and specifictraining, is advantageous to the entire prisonercommunity.

ARTICLE V

WHEN QUESTIONED, SHOULD IBECOME A PRISONER OF WAR, I AMREQUIRED TO GIVE NAME, RANK,SERVICE NUMBER AND DATE OFBIRTH. I WILL EVADE ANSWERINGFURTHER QUESTIONS TO THEUTMOST OF MY ABILITY. I WILLMAKE NO ORAL OR WRITTENSTATEMENTS DISLOYAL TO MYCOUNTRY AND ITS ALLIES ORHARMFUL TO THEIR CAUSE.

A. When questioned, a prisoner of war is requiredby the Geneva Conventions, this Code and is permittedby the UCMJ to give name, rank, service number anddate of birth. Under the Geneva Conventions, theenemy has no right to try to force a USPW to provideany additional information. However, it is unrealistic toexpect a POW to remain confined for years reciting onlyname, rank, identification number, and date of birth.There are many POW situations in which certain typesof conversation with the enemy are permitted. Forexample, a POW is allowed, but not required by thisCode, the UCMJ, or the Geneva Conventions to fill out aGeneva Conventions “capture card,” to write lettershome, and to communicate with captors on matters ofhealth and welfare.

1. The senior military person is required torepresent the prisoners under his control in matters ofcamp administration, health, welfare and grievances.However, it must be borne constantly in mind that theenemy has often viewed POWs as valuable sources ofmilitary information and of propaganda that can be usedto further the enemy’s war effort.

2. Accordingly, each prisoner must exercisegreat caution when filling out a “capture card,” whenconducting authorized communication with the captor,and when writing letters. A USPW must resist, avoid, orevade, even when physically and mentally coerced, allenemy efforts to secure statements or actions that willfurther the enemy’s cause.

3. Examples of statements or actions POWsshould resist include oral or written confessions,questionnaires, personal history statements,propaganda recordings and broadcast appeals to otherprisoners or war to comply with improper captor

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demands, appeals for surrender or parole ,self-criticisms, or oral or written statements orcommunication on behalf of the enemy or harmful to theUnited States, its allies, the Armed Forces, or otherPOWs.

4. A POW should recognize that anyconfession signed or any statement made may be usedby the enemy as part of a false accusation that thecaptive is a war criminal rather than a POW. Moreover,certain countries have made reservations to the GenevaConvention in which they assert that a war criminalconviction has the effect of depriving the convictedindividual of prisoner of war status, thus removing himfrom protection under the Geneva Conventions. Theythus revoke the right to repatriation until a prisonsentence is served.

5. If a POW finds that, under intense coercion,unauthorized information was unwillingly oraccidentally disclosed, then the member should attemptto recover and resist with a fresh line of mental defense.

6. Experience has shown that, although enemyinterrogation sessions can be harsh and cruel, it isusually possible to resist, provided there is a will toresist.

(a) The best way for a prisoner of war tokeep faith with country, fellow prisoners of war andoneself is to give the enemy as little information aspossible.

(b) Understand that, short of death, it isunlikely that a POW can prevent a skilled enemyinterrogator, using all available psychological andphysical methods of coercion, from obtaining somedegree of POW compliance with captor demands.However, understand that if taken past the point ofmaximum endurance by the captor, the POW mustrecover as quickly as possible and resist each successivecaptor exploitation effort to the utmost. Understand thata forced answer on one point does not authorizecontinued compliance. Even the same answer must beresisted again at the next interrogation session.

ARTICLE VI

I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT I AM ANAMERICAN, FIGHTING FORFREEDOM, RESPONSIBLE FOR MYACTIONS, AND DEDICATED TO THEPRINCIPLES WHICH MADE MYCOUNTRY FREE. I WILL TRUST IN MYGOD AND IN THE UNITED STATES OFAMERICA.

A. A member of the Armed Forces remains

responsible for personal actions at all times. This article

is designed to assist members of the Armed Forces to

fulfill their responsibilities and to survive captivity with

honor. The Code of Conduct does not conflict with the

UCMJ, and the latter continues to apply to each military

service member during captivity (or in other hostile

detention).

1. Upon repatriation, POWs can expect theiractions to be subject to review, both as to circumstancesof capture and as to conduct during detention. Thepurpose of such reviews is to recognize meritoriousperformance as well as to investigate any allegations ofmisconduct.

2. Such reviews will be conducted with dueregard for the rights of the individual and considerationfor the conditions of captivity.

3. A member of the Armed Forces who iscaptured has a continuing obligation to resist allattempts at indoctrination and to remain loyal tocountry, service and unit.

4. The life of a prisoner of war can be veryhard. POWs who stand firm and united against enemypressures will aid one another immeasurably insurviving the ordeal.

5. Prisoners of war must understand therelationship between the Uniform Code of MilitaryJustice (UCMJ) and the Code of Conduct, and realizethat failure to follow the guidance of the Code ofConduct may result in violation of the UCMJ. Everymember of the Armed Forces of the United Statesshould understand that Service members legally may beheld accountable for personal actions while detained.

6. Be knowledgeable of the national policyexpressed by the President in promulgating the Code ofConduct: “No American prisoner of war will beforgotten by the United States. Every available meanswill be employed by our Government to establishcontact with, to support and to obtain the release of allour prisoners of war. Furthermore, the laws of theUnited States provide for the support and care ofdependents of the Armed Forces including those whobecome prisoners of war. I assure dependents of suchprisoners that these laws will continue to provide fortheir welfare.”

7. Understand that both the POW anddependents shall be taken care of by the Armed Forcesand that pay and allowances, eligibility and procedures

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for promotion, and benefits for dependents continuewhile the POW is detained.

8. Understand the importance of militarymembers ensuring that their personal affairs and familymatters (pay, powers of attorney, will, car payments, andchildren’s schooling) are kept current throughdiscussion, counseling, or filing of documents beforebeing exposed to risk of capture.

9. Understand that failure to accomplish thematters set forth in the above paragraph has resulted inan almost overwhelming sense of guilt on the part of thePOWs and has placed unnecessary hardship on familymembers.

SPECIAL ALLOWANCES FOR MEDICALPERSONNEL AND CHAPLAINS

The additional flexibility afforded medicalpersonnel and chaplains, under the circumstances citedin the explanation to Article 1, is further clarified asfollows:

ARTICLE I

A. Medical personnel and chaplains are granted, byvirtue of their special retained status under the GenevaConventions, certain latitude under the Code ofConduct if the policies of the captors adhere to theGeneva Conventions’ requirement permitting thesepersonnel to perform their professional duties.

B. If the captors allow medical personnel andchaplains to perform their professional duties, thesepersonnel may exercise a degree of flexibilityconcerning some of the specific provisions of the Codeof Conduct to perform their professional duties.

C. This degree of flexibility can only be employedif it is in the best interests of the medical and spiritualneeds of their fellow military service members and theircountry. Like all members of the Armed Forces,medical personnel and chaplains are accountable for allof their actions.

ARTICLE II

(No additional flexibility)

ARTICLE III

A. Under the Geneva Conventions medicalpersonnel and chaplains who fall into the hands of theenemy are entitled to be considered “retainedpersonnel” and not to be considered prisoners of war.The enemy is required by the Conventions to allow such

persons to continue to perform their medical or religiousduties, preferably for POWs of their own country.When the services of these “retained personnel” are nolonger needed for these duties, the enemy is obligated toreturn them to their own forces.

“Found worms in my oatmeal this morn-ing. I shouldn’t have objected because theyhave been sterilized in the cooking and I wasgetting fresh meat with my breakfast..I’m stilllosing weight and so are most of us…RUTH

MARIE STRAUB, ARMY NURSE, WE BAND OF

ANGELS. SEE APPENDIX 1, “FURTHER READ-

ING.”

B. The medical personnel and chaplains of the U.S.Armed Forces who fall into the hands of the enemy mustassert their right as “retained personnel” to performtheir medical and religious duties for the benefit of thePOWs and must take every opportunity to do so.

C. If the captor permits medical personnel andchaplains to perform their professional functions for thewelfare of the POW community, special latitude isauthorized these personnel under the Code of Conductas it applies to escape.

D. Medical personnel and chaplains do not, asindividuals, have a duty to escape or to actively aidothers in escaping as long as they are treated as “retainedpersonnel” by the enemy. However, U.S. experiencesince 1949, when the Geneva Conventions were written,reflects no compliance by captors of U.S. personnelwith these provisions of the Conventions. U.S. medicaland chaplain personnel must be prepared to be subjectedto the same treatment as other POWs.

E. In the event the captor does not permit medicalpersonnel and chaplains to perform their professionalfunctions, they are considered identical to all otherPOWs with respect to their responsibilities under theCode of Conduct. Under no circumstances will thelatitude granted medical personnel and chaplains beinterpreted to authorize any actions or conductdetrimental to the POWs or the interest of the UnitedStates.

ARTICLE IV

Medical personnel are generally prohibited fromassuming command over non-medical personnel, andchaplains are generally prohibited from assumingcommand over military personnel of any branch.

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Military service regulations which restrict eligibilityof these personnel for command will be explained topersonnel of all services at an appropriate level ofunderstanding to preclude later confusion in a POWcamp.

ARTICLE V

This Article and its explanation also apply tomedical personnel and chaplains (“retainedpersonnel”). They are required to communicate with acaptor in connection with their professionalresponsibilities, subject to the restraints discussed inArticles I and VI.

ARTICLE VI

(No additional flexibility)

GUIDANCE FOR DETENTION BYGOVERNMENTS DURING PEACETIME

A. Once in the custody of a hostile government,regardless of the circumstances that preceded thedetention situation, detainees are subject to the laws ofthat government. In light of this, detainees will maintainmilitary bearing and should avoid any aggressive,combative, or illegal behavior. The latter couldcomplicate their situation, their legal status, and anyefforts to negotiate a rapid release.

1. As American citizens, detainees should beallowed to be placed in contact with U.S. or friendlyembassy personnel. Thus, detainees should askimmediately and continually to see U.S. embassypersonnel or a representative of an allied or neutralcountry.

2. U.S. military personnel who become lost orisolated in a hostile foreign country during peacetimewill not act as combatants during evasion attempts.Since a state of armed conflict does not exist, there is noprotection afforded under the Geneva Convention. Thecivil laws of that country apply. However, delays incontacting local authorities can be caused by injuriesaffecting the military’s mobility, disorientation, fear ofcaptivity, or a desire to see if a rescue attempt could bemade.

3. Since the detainer’s goals may be maximumpolitical exploitation, U.S. military personnel who aredetained must be extremely cautious of their captors ineverything they say and do. In addition to asking for a

U.S. representative, detainees should provide name,rank, social security account number, date of birth, andthe innocent circumstances leading to their detention.Further discussions should be limited to and revolvearound health and welfare matters, conditions of theirfellow detainees, and going home.

4. Historically, the detainers have attempted toengage military captives in what may be called a “battleof wits” about seemingly innocent and useless topics aswell as provocative issues. To engage any detainer insuch useless, if not dangerous, dialogue only enables acaptor to spend more time with the detainee. Thedetainee should consider dealings with his or hercaptors as a “battle of wills” –– the will to restrictdiscussion to those items that relate to the detainee’streatment and return home, against the detainer’s will todiscuss irrelevant, if not dangerous, topics.

5. As there is no reason to sign any form ordocument in peacetime detention, detainees will avoidsigning any document or making any statement, oral orotherwise. If a detainee is forced to make a statement orsign documents, he or she must provide as littleinformation as possible and then continue to resist to theutmost of his or her ability. If a detainee writes or signsanything, such action should be measured against how itreflects upon the United States and the individual as amember of the military, or how it could be misused bythe detainer or further the detainer’s end.

6. Detainees cannot earn their release bycooperation. Release will be gained by the militarymember doing his or her best to resist exploitation,thereby reducing his or her value to a detainer, and thusprompting a hostile government to negotiate seriouslywith the U.S. Government.

7. U.S. military detainees should not refuse toaccept release unless doing so requires them tocompromise their honor or cause damage to the U.S.Government or its allies. Persons in charge of detainedU.S. military personnel will authorize release of anypersonnel under almost all circumstances.

8. Escape attempts will be made only aftercareful considerations of the risk of violence, chance ofsuccess, and detrimental effects on detainees remainingbehind. Jailbreak in most countries is a crime, thus,escape attempts would provide the detainer with furtherjustification to prolong detention by charging additionalviolations of its criminal or civil law and result in bodilyharm or even death to the detainee.

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GUIDANCE FOR CAPTIVITY BY

TERRORISTS

A. Capture by terrorists is generally the leastpredictable and structured form of peacetime captivity.The captor qualifies as an international criminal. Thepossible forms of captivity vary from spontaneoushijacking to a carefully planned kidnapping. In suchcaptivities, hostages play a greater role in determiningtheir own fate since the terrorists in many instancesexpect or receive no rewards for providing goodtreatment or releasing victims unharmed. If U.S.military personnel are uncertain whether captors aregenuine terrorists or surrogates of governments, theyshould assume they are terrorists.

B. If assigned in or traveling through areas ofknown terrorist activity, U.S. military personnel shallexercise prudent antiterrorism measures to reduce theirvulnerability to capture. During the process of captureand initial internment, they should remain calm andcourteous, since most casualties among hostages occurduring this phase.

C. Surviving in some terrorist detentions maydepend on hostages conveying a personal dignity andapparent sincerity to the captors. Hostages, therefore,may discuss nonsubstantive topics such as sports,family, and clothing, to convey to the terrorists thecaptive’s personal dignity and human qualities. Theywill make every effort to avoid embarrassing the UnitedStates and the host government. The purpose of thisdialogue is for the hostage to become a “person” in thecaptor’s eyes, rather than a mere symbol of his or herideological hatred. Such a dialogue also shouldstrengthen the hostage’s desire to be a “person” to theterrorist; however, he or she should never pander, praise,participate, or debate the terrorist’s cause with him orher.

D. U.S. military personnel held hostage byterrorists should accept release using guidance inArticle III above. U.S. military personnel must keepfaith with their fellow hostages and conduct themselvesaccording to the guidelines of this enclosure. Hostagesand kidnap victims who consider escape to be their onlyhope are authorized to make such attempts. Eachsituation will be different and the hostage must weighcarefully every aspect of a decision to attempt to escape.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Code of Conduct are toensure that:

A. The Military Departments maintain energetic,uniform, and continuing training programs in support ofthe Code of Conduct, including instruction in themethods of survival, evasion, escape, and resistanceunder varying degrees of hostile exploitation.

B. The meaning and interpretation of the Code ofConduct are uniform at all stages of training.

C. Instructional material related to the Code ofConduct develops in all members of the Armed Forces auniform, positive attitude that they have the ability toand must resist captor efforts to exploit them to thedisadvantage of themselves, their fellow POWs, andtheir country. The theme of all instruction shallencourage this positive attitude.

D. Training programs impress on all trainees thatthe inherent responsibilities of rank, leadership,military bearing, military discipline, teamwork,devotion to fellow members, and the duty to resist theenemy are not lessened by capture.

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF“HERMETIC TRANSFORMATION”

Learning Objective: Compare how the principlesof alchemy are applied to the spiritual growth that canresult when a person is put under pressure.

Porter Halyburton puts his thoughts intoan impresive and eloquent discussion similarto Vikor Frankl’s concept of logotheraphy.Read “A Search for Meaning.” See appendixI, “Further Reading.”

Having just read the Code of Conduct and thespecial allowances within it, consider what mighthappen if the captor chooses not to observe them. Youknow the rules. You expect the enemy, your captor, tojudge you by them. You expect them to follow thesesame codes. But, what if they do not? What might youexpect of your fellow captives, and of yourself?

Regardless of their subspecialty field, militarymembers receive a clear message as soon as they enterthe service. Knowledge, especially scientificknowledge, is power; and power enables one toinfluence the command environment. “If you aregoing to be successful in the Navy/Marine Corps,” wetell recruits and junior officers, “work hard, takeadvantage of every opportunity to advance in rate/rank,and obey the orders of those above you. If you do these

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Code of Conduct: Guide to Keeping the FaithBy Maj. Donna Miles, USAR, American Forces Information Service

WASHINGTON — All service members receive training in the Code of Conduct at various times in their careers. Sometimes, within

the security of a motor pool or on a flight line, they may wonder why. But as the military plays an ever-increasing role in peacekeeping,

humanitarian assistance and other “operations other than war,” service members are increasingly at risk of capture by hostile forces. That’s

exactly what has happened to Staff Sgt. Andrew Ramirez, Staff Sgt. Christopher Stone and Spc. Steven Gonzales, three cavalry scouts

abducted March 31 by the Yugoslavian army while on a border patrol in Macedonia. President Dwight Eisenhower introduced the uniquely

American code in 1955, he said, partly in response to the North Koreans’ use of prisoners for political propaganda during the Korean War.

Service members who’ve been captured have cited the code as the foundation that helped them through the toughest times in their military

careers, according to Al Erickson, chief of operational support at the Joint Services Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Agency at

Fort Belvoir, Va. The code is based on time-honored concepts and traditions that date back to the American Revolution. It embodies

principles that have guided hundreds of U.S. prisoners of war and potential prisoners for almost 45 years, Erickson said. The six articles

outline the obligations and responsibilities of U.S. service members in harm’s way:

“Unlike the Geneva Conventions, which are an international legal guide regarding POWs, the Code of Conduct is a moral guide,”

Erickson said. “If you follow it, it enables you to best serve yourself, the nation and your fellow POWs.” Though not law or regulation, the

code often coincides with the provisions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, particularly those involving conduct in the face of the

enemy, while evading capture or as a prisoner of war. As demanding as the Code of Conduct may appear, Erickson said, almost every

former U.S. POW has called it “a lifesaver that gave them something to hold onto during their captivity.” A1997 Code of Conduct training

videotape, Production No. 613126, can be borrowed for official uses through the Defense Automated Visual Information System , The

video discusses the code and the spirit it embodies, and it uses testimonials from service members who say the code helped them through the

toughest days of their military careers:

Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Michael Durant said he couldn’t have

recited its six articles — but clearly understood the spirit of the code

and let it govern his actions when he was taken captive in October

1993 in Mogadishu, Somalia. Durant suffered a broken back, a

compound fracture of his right leg and a broken cheekbone when his

helicopter was shot down during a firefight that ultimately cost the

lives of 18 U.S. soldiers. While in captivity, Durant’s guards shot him

in the arm. The Somalis also videotaped and broadcast images of his

battered face. Yet, Durant said, the Code of Conduct and the high

standard of behavior it demands helped him through those difficult

days. “It’s important to know what’s in it and what you should and

should not do, and to live by it — and up to it,” he said.

Ironically, Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bobby Hall had read the code

just minutes before he left Camp Page, South Korea, on an ill-fated

training mission in 1994. Hall and copilot Chief Warrant Officer 2 David

Hilemon had been waiting for the weather to clear so they could depart.

By chance, Hall looked at a nearby wall and started reading the words on

aCodeofConductposter.Thosewords,Hall said,helpedhimthrough13

daysofcaptivityafterhisOH-58AKiowahelicopter accidentally strayed

over the border and the North Koreans shot him down.

• Air Force Capt. Scott O’Grady said the Code of Conduct gave him the

will to drive on and evade capture for six days after his F-16 fighter was

shot down by a surface-to-air missile over Bosnia in 1995.

“I knew it was my duty to survive,” he said, adding that the code

reminded him that, although alone behind enemy lines, “I was still

part of a team working to get me out, and I had to do my part.”

Following O’Grady’s rescue, then-Defense Secretary William

Perry praised the pilot for exemplifying the code: “They shot his

plane down,” Perry said, “but not his spirit.”

• Following the Code of Conduct “takes perseverance, motivation,

bravery and courage,” according to Lt. Cmdr. Larry Slade, an F-14

Tomcat “backseater” shot down in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm.

But, he said, the code helped him survive 43 days in the hands of the

Iraqis with honor. The military has changed countless times since the

introduction of the Code of Conduct in 1955, but the code itself has

changed just twice. Its words were made gender neutral. The other

change, initiated after the Vietnam War, clarified that service members

may provide their captors more than just what Erickson calls “the big

four”: name, rank, Social Security number and birth date. The change

was intended to allow prisoners some discretion if they are facing torture

or other life-threatening circumstances. According to Erickson, it allows

them to discuss more than just the “big four,” as long as they don’t

willingly give their captors information that violates the code — even in

the face of mental and physical duress. Slade said the code helped him

during his captivity, and continues to guide him in his day-to-day life. “It

applies to every member of the military, every day,” he said. “It can help

you every day, no matter where you are - whether you’re behind a desk,

inside a tank or in an aircraft cockpit.”

• To defend of the United States and its way of life. • To avoid surrender and to evade capture at any cost short of death. • Τo try to escape if

captured. • To reject favors from the enemy. • Τo help fellow prisoners stay alive. • To avoid collaborating with the enemy. • To avoid

statements or writing that discredit the United States or its allies. • Τo maintain personal responsibility for all actions. • To trust the U.S.

government to care for your loved ones and work toward your release.

things, the institution will reward you.” Theimplication of this message is that personal and careersuccess are within one’s control: The more anindividual knows about his or her career field, the morehe or she stands to gain in terms of personal identityand professional esteem.

This is not a message restricted to the militarysetting, by any means. Success in any corporatestructure is often depicted in concrete, objective terms,even alongside the political reality, “It’s not what youknow, it’s who you know that counts.” Moreover, themessage which links knowledge, power, and personalinfluence is not restricted to adulthood. Fromchildhood, especially in Western culture, we areencouraged to work hard, take advantage of everyopportunity to achieve, and obey those who aresuperior to us in authority. Even if our concept of andappreciation for authority differs drastically fromtraditional Western culture, as Americans, we tend tobelieve that certain rewards will fall naturally to thosewho follow the rules and “do things right.” We maygrant ourselves and the rest of the world a 25% errorfactor to allow for Murphy’s Law; but on the whole, lifeis not supposed to be capricious.

Most of the time, in daily life, we can discern acause and effect relationship between what we do orsay, and what consequences follow from our behavior.For those who spend much of their time working withtechnologically sophisticated machines, this cause andeffect relationship is clear-cut. However, those in themore people-oriented professions also employ carefulplanning to yield predictable results. The sense that “Imade this happen, and I am rewarded for it” is notnearly as intensified here as it is in the more scientificfields.

Over a period of time, the message that knowledgecan affect the environment, leads to the realization thatmy knowledge affects the environment. Eventually,

the longer successful participation in a corporate ormilitary structure continues, the more one’s feelings ofpersonal value and meaning (“the internals”) dependupon institutional rewards (“the externals”). Suchexternals as rank insignia, wings of gold, medals, andassignment to positions of command, play a significantrole in forming an individual’s self-concept.

But what happens in a prison camp when all theexternals are stripped away? In particular, whathappens to those people who have relied heavily ontheir military status for self-validation and self worth?At that point, being the Navy’s expert on thrust anddrag in the high subsonic and lower supersonic flightregimes matters little, if at all, when faced withcrippling physical injuries and solitary confinement.In North Vietnam, prisoners whose formal educationand experience were weighted in the direction ofscience and technology felt the imbalance acutely.Upon return, a newly released prisoner commented toone of the chaplains, “These guys that had had someliberal arts really had it.”1 By this he meant that therewere lessons to be learned from the humanities thatwere not available anywhere else. After all, why wouldsomeone tap a question through the wall about Hamlet,and be willing to wait 30 days for the answer?2 “Theremust have been some reason, other than boredom.”

The reason is that a classical education involvesone in the study of human limitations and responsesthat, while set in various historical contexts, aretimeless in their application. The trials and travels of aliterary hero such as Odysseus are those of a man whorepeatedly rose to the occasion in high-stresssituations. The meaning of life and death, as exploredin the teachings of Socrates, the tragedies ofAeschylus, and the philosophical writings of Aristotlebecome, in the extreme circumstance of captivity,construct ive mater ia l for introspect ion andunderstanding.

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We may grant ourselves and the rest of the world a25% error factor to allow for Murphy’s Law; but onthe whole, life is not supposed to be capricious.

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History, in fact, reveals that the most universal andcompelling insights into the human condition havecome from those who have been tested to the limitsof their strength, often in prison.

History, in fact, reveals that the most universal andcompelling insights into the human condition havecome from those who have been tested to the limits oftheir strength, often in prison. The Old and NewTestament Scriptures abound with biographies of thosewhose greatness bloomed under adverse conditions:Joseph, the prophets, Jesus, and Paul. Socrates’ mostmoving speech to his students took place, according toPlato, from the prison cave where he awaited his death.Boethius, author of The Consolation of Philosophy,wrote his classic work while a prisoner of the emperorTheodora in the fifth century C.E. Cervantes, whodiscovered in himself a great gift for leadership, oncehe had passed through the initial depression ofcaptivity, wrote Don Quixote while in prison.

These examples of greatness, these heroes, share acommon bond: They were each cast into a pressurecooker of a situation in which they were compelled toplumb the depths of their existence. Theirs’and others’stories, with which classical history and literature isreplete, reveal what happens when a person enters thepressure cooker, and is sealed off from his or herculture and familiar contacts. What the soulundergoes, if it is strong enough, is a “hermetictransformation.” Drawn and developed from theliterature and thought of the Middle Ages, the idea oftransmutation in the spiritual sense has been appliedmore recently to one of life’s extreme circumstances,wartime captivity, by Admiral James B. Stockdale andProfessor Joseph Brennan of the Naval War College.What would i t mean tha t a soul would be“hermetically” sealed, possibly changed, in certainenvironments?

Alchemy may appear to be one of those subjectswhose origins and discoveries are too esoteric or toounscientific to be of any contemporary use. However,the practice of alchemy, which may have started withthe Chinese before spreading rapidly throughout theancient world, took on different forms and emphases,depending on the country and culture in which it waspracticed. In general, the chemistry of alchemyinvolved combining various metals and substances,and subjecting them to complex successions ofheatings, or to doses of mercury and sulfur. Underpressure, and in a tightly controlled, closed-off space,the end result of these procedures was, hopefully, somekind of “transmutation.” The new, transmutedsubstance was then featured as the key to a better stateof existence, e.g., sickness to health, old age to youth,or earthly to supernatural existence. The ultimate aimwas always a happy ending, in which some greathuman good would triumph. Because of its basis in

what is now studied as modern chemistry, manyalchemists were motivated to apply their findings tomedicinal cures.

Others persisted in unsuccessful attempts at“making” gold. Still others, particularly in the MiddleAges, sought to develop an “elixir of life” for overallhealth, well-being, and immortality, not only for thephysical body, but for the soul as well. The latter ofthese applications became known as the higheralchemy, because it aimed at something moreimportant than changing lead into gold: It aimed atmoral and spiritual transformation.

Most of the original value of the practice ofalchemy has, of course, been assumed by modemmedicine and chemistry, which, as disciplines, builtupon alchemy’s discoveries of new metals andsubstances (e.g., nitric, hydrochloric, and sulfuricacid). However, of enduring and intriguing value is thequasi-religious symbolism of the higher alchemy: thatthe soul, when subjected to pressure in one of life’scrucibles, “might undergo an alchemical change — ametamorphosis of the spirit in which the ordinary stuffof humanity could turn into something precious,emerging as if from a tightly sealed cocoon.”3

As Admiral Stockdale points out, “a prison is themost merciless case of sealing off a human soul in aconfined space.” The experiences of prisoners, andeven the events of SERE School, attest to the truth ofthis statement. But a prison cell is not the only crucibleof the soul; and, not all crucibles involve “bad”experiences:

The boundaries of a football field seal off twoteams in a test of strength, discipline, and will. Theactual physical space, defined as it is by ethics andrules, effects greatness (even in the losing team) byinvolving each side in a classic struggle betweenstrategies.The sea-going crucible of a deployed shiprequires Sailors to face one another daily and hourlywithin confined spaces. Successful transmutation ofthese individuals into a tight community with asingle-minded commitment to mission often results ina Battle “E.” A home is a sealed-off space in whichfamilies are made. The elements of a violent home arehighly corrosive, those of a happy home less caustic;but each environment requires transformation of thesouls who occupy that space. An unhappy marriage orchildhood can be an extreme circumstance on thenegative end of the scale, not unlike prison. Thecrucible of an abusive marriage can, potentially, bringabout radical changes for the better in a husband andwife, whether the abuse is resolved in favor of the

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marriage, or in the direction of divorce. All familymembers, even in the best of worlds, cope with lack ofprivacy, differing needs, and conflicting goals. Thespace of the home itself becomes sacred as those wholive within its boundaries are humbled, enlightened,and deepened spiritually.4

The most remarkable lesson that the extreme stressof captivity has taught us is that a human being does nothave to settle for physical survival alone when he or sheis cast into the pit. In fact, rather than physical survivalserving as the prerequisite for spiritual growth, therelationship between the two seems to be the other wayaround. While each experience of captivity is unique,every prisoner of the North Vietnamese at some pointreached a moment of decision when he said, “I’mgoing to make this thing because I believe that what mylife stands for is stronger than any attempt to exploit it.”

With this lesson firmly in hand, the question facingcommanders and those serving commands is, “How dowe prepare ourselves and our families to live life in thecrucible of extreme stress?” Assuming that someeffective preparation is possible, what form should ittake?

While the services train only those at high risk ofcapture (i.e., aircrews and intelligence personnel), theunpredictability of terrorist activity, especiallyoverseas, makes the captivity circumstance apossibility not only for a broader spectrum of military,but for their family members as well. Therefore, theareas of emphasis offered in the following paragraphare relevant to both service members and their families.

THE NATURE OF EVIL AND HOW ITIMPACTS CAPTIVES

Learning Objective: Recognize from yourbackground in ministry and life experiences that relatehow the constant struggle with perceived “evils” canbe used to benefit humankind.

Noted author John Sanford writes extensivelyabout the nature of evil in his book entitled, Evil: TheShadow Side of Reality. The explains that those whoespouse the Judeo-Christian faiths –– with theirteachings about justice, good deeds and the loving

kindness of God –– the presence of evil in the worldraises disturbing questions. For some, the reality ofevil is a roadblock that keeps them from a religiousfaith. Others believe that evil is a kind of instrumentused by the Divine to discipline and punish humanbeings. Given the variety of beliefs about the nature ofevil, one fact is evident, with evil comes suffering. It isthe element of suffering while being held captive thatholds theological implications for how chaplainsminister to military people who have, or may, findthemselves in the extreme circumstances of life. Fortraining purposes we will consider the nature of evilfrom the vantage point of religious experience.

Religious teachings enable us to form a spirituallife. It is this spiritual formation that undergirds us intimes of suffering. Spirituality helps individualssurvive the unknowns, the unexplainable, and thecircumstances of life that cannot be altered any otherway.

Among the better-known people who experiencedthe evils of suffering was the man known as Job. Thebiblical record tells how Job, being an upright andblameless man who had a great family, lost his wealth,his family, and his health. Estranged from all that wasmeaningful and important to him, he suffered morethan the loss of status, personal pride and integrity.There were times, it seems, when he almost losthimself –– even wishing he could die.

He discovered that even simple moral reasoningfail him. His understanding of retribution is shatteredwhen he sees that the wicked go unpunished while he, amoral man, suffers for no reason. “When I think of it, Iam dismayed,” he says, “and shuddering seizes myflesh. Why do the wicked live on, reach old age, andgrow mightily in power?” There is even more to Job’scircumstance to challenge the paradigms of what isnormal. His friends are accusatory and faultfinding.They lay blame upon him. Job is utterly alone in thecell of misery. He is held hostage by misfortune andsuffering. He is imprisoned by his inability to find away out of his situation.

Job survived his ordeal by clinging to the religiousteachings that formed his spirituality. He kept arunning argument with himself and his God regarding

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Religious teachings enable us to form a spiritual life. It isthis spiritual formation that undergirds us in times ofsuffering. Spirituality helps individuals survive the unknowns,the unexplainable, and the circumstances of life that cannot bealtered any other way.

the value of his own life. What is unique in his story isthe fact that he was able to acknowledge that hiscircumstances had made him a laughingstock to hisfriends. Even though he found himself in a situationwhere there was no mediator between himself and thepunishment he was suffering. He even, finally, admitsto himself that even his innocence and basic goodnessas a human being, cannot protect him from calamityand the suffering that goes with it.

Job concluded that no earthly power could rescuehim from his circumstances. Acknowledging the

spiritual help from God, he says, “on earth it has no

equal.” (Isaiah 41:33, NRSV) It is in his own personal

experience that God becomes a reality that offers true

freedom.

A strong factor in LCDR Gaither’s favor as one of

the Vietnam POWS was the strong spiritual formation

he held before becoming a captive. Though certainly

not every prisoner’s experience, he, a prisoner of war in

Vietnam for almost 8 years, recalls that he kept going

over the words of the song “Amazing Grace” in his

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As chaplains it is our cherishedprivilege to support, encourage, andreassure service members and theirfamilies who find themselves beset byextreme circumstances. In no way is ourinfluence more significant than inassisting them to engage their sense ofhope, plumb the spiritual depths of theirhearts, and, ultimately, live theirpersonal faith.

This book is dedicated to all Prisonersof War and personnel Missing in Actionin recognition of their great courage, theirgreat sacrifices, and their miraculoushumanity.

Let us join the POWs and MIAs inhope for the renewal of life, incelebration of hearts courageous. Let uscelebrate their lives. God be with us aswe seek to minister to them and to theirfamilies.

God be with them.

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mind. He cites the phrase “When we’ve been there10,000 years.” as especially significant to him.

He says that, “It wasn’t a voice or an angel. It wasnothing like that. My life changed, and I felt thechange in my mind. I knew it without any questions ofa doubt. I knew the Lord was with me and that hewould watch over me from that point on. I had aconfidence in my heart that told me God would give methe strength and the patience I needed…. That periodof prayer started the new trend in my life.”

Interned in a prison camp for 4 years.Never to see her husband again, a youngmissionary was forced to sign a confession toa crime she did not commit and face theexecutioner’s sword, only to be spared. In herown words, she describes her spiritualjourney during and after this ordeal duringWWII. Evidence Not Seen. Darlene DeiblerRose. SEE APPENDIX I, “FURTHERREADING.”

Other prisoners speak of using the discipline ofmemory to recall lines of poetry learned over the years.Anything to keep their minds busy, they worked toremember birthdates of family members, vocabularywords from another language, lyrics of old songs,speeches they’d heard dignitaries give.

Religious writings are replete with models ofspiritual survival, which mirror the real lifeexperiences of imprisonment. Find them –– read them.And use them in pastoral care moments, in preachingevents, and in teaching or directing scriptural studies.Nowhere is the growth potential more fertile than inhelping others to perceive their spiritual potential afterthey have done their best. They may be required to facetheir lack of perfection. Their survival may dependupon the ability to acknowledge in healthy ways, theirnature as ‘frail creatures of dust.’

American prisoners of war, in Vietnam forexample, were not usually afforded the luxury ofhaving a religious worship service. Buildingcommunity and mutual support among prisonerswas not an objective of the captor. By and large, theirspirituality and shared human needs had to beworked out alone or by ones and twos when theopportunity presented itself. All the more reasonthat the chaplain’s ability to correlate holy writ withthe suffering of captivity is a critical tool forministry.

A PARTICULARLY TOUCHINGSTORY ABOUT A MAN WHO BECAMEACQUAINTED WITH PRAYER AND THEPRESENCE OF GOD, IN SPITE OFHIMSELF, WAS DESCRIBED BY ONE OFTHE CHAPLAINS AS PART OF THESECOND BRIEFING:

He (one of the prisoners) gave me theimpression that religion had not meant toomuch to him before he went into the problemshe encountered. He wasn’t sure that he hadcome out with too much more than when hecame in although he felt a little stronger thanhe had. But he said one of the things in theprayer that sort of helped him was anotherman had asked him to pray for him. And hesaid, “Well since he asked I wasn’t going tolet him down.” It was his roommate. And hisroommate was in a rather tough situation, andhe felt that he was almost saved by a miracle.And he came back and made some ratherstrong thanksgiving to both God and to hisfriend for praying for him. It sort of put him ina bind, because he really didn’t feel that theprayers had helped any, but he couldn’t livewith this fellow and not accept it, becausethey lived in the same cell together. So hewasn’t quite sure how he stood on prayerbecause he had to accept the fact that prayerworked for quite awhile, and had almostbegun to believe this fellow’s miracle. It wasrather amusing in the way he presented it, butdeep down you could see that the facts as hesaw them really were putting him in a bind.His previous thoughts just wouldn’t fit thefacts. And the facts were that prayer workedand that the thanksgiving is effective and thatasking God for help is a viable opportunity inthe worst situations, and you’ll get it. So itreally was a funny situation. Here’s a manthat had had prayer proved. It worked for himand he was having trouble with it, ratherthan the other way around, as we often see it.

MORAL AND RELIGIOUS CONCEPTSWHICH INCREASE SURVIVABILITY

Learning Objective: Recall the aspects of ministry ofpresence that aided in the POW repatriation process.

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There are several practical and proactive ways toimplement religious ministry for the uniquecircumstances of captivity. Listen sensitively to thosewho have endured captivity. Provide proactive supportin advance to those at the command planning levelsthat have their own unique issues surrounding captureof a comrade. Might they harbor guilt that rescuecannot be achieved as planned? Family members facea variety of reactions and coping needs when theirloved one becomes a captive.

There is a Sanskrit saying, “Forgiveness is theornament of the brave,” which, when held inperspective of the captive, holds profound and oftenimpossible promise for healing and resolution. Nodiscussion of captivity is complete without addressingthis act in some respect. Forgiveness in its simplerforms is a means of encouragement to leave the pastbehind. Contemporary thinkers may ponder themaxim, “forgive and forget.” But prisoners of warmight well see the complex and horrifying aspects offorgiving one’s persecutor.

At the least, the inability to forgive taints theattitudes of others. In many cases the lack of it leaves abattle raging within the individual long after thephysical ordeal is over. It can cause a surge ofmurderous hatred to backwash over the one whocannot let go of the hatred and need for revenge. Theimportance of forgiveness is that, though thepersecuted may not forget, some mediation, somesense of leveling of life needs to occur to allow thatperson, their family and others who come after them, tomaintain normalcy.

Forgiveness comes slowly. It comes uniquely toeach person who has endured punishment and loss asdid the POWs who have been held captive over thedecades of the past. In his book, Forgiveness:Breaking the Chain of Hate, Michael Henderson writesabout dozens of remarkable people of many nationsand faiths who have been able to brake this chain ofhate. He has interviewed survivors of the Burma Road,the Siberian Gulag, Father Jenco and Dr. Yusef Moraal-Azhari, Leif Hovelsen and Irene Laure—all havedramatic stories of imprisonment and injustice at thehands of their captors.

Dr. Donald W. Shriver, Jr., has written extensivelyon the topic of forgiveness. The most well-known ofhis writings is in An Ethic for Enemies: Forgiveness inPolitics, which opens up a world of ideas regarding theconcept of forgiveness and how it effects nations andgovernment. Of his writing he says, “I have writtenthis book chiefly to address the frame of mind which

resists dealing with the leftover debris of national paststhat continue to clog the relationships of diverse groupsof humans around the world.” It is reasonable tobelieve that prisoners of war, religion as an element ofnational power, and the process of forgiveness willincreasingly be juxtaposed to impact military people inthe near and distant future. Now is the time to developdiscussion of these topics – to prepare of what willlikely happen tomorrow. See the Appendices of thismanual for periodicals for further reading and study.

The spectrum of ministry must necessarilyencompass the chaplain’s ability to encourageadditional venues of teaching survivability. Forexample, reinforce lessons of resistance by promotingreading programs developed to reflect institutionalcore values. A reading program does not have to be asformal as General Military Training (GMT) ; in fact,the more informal the structure and scheduling, and thesmaller the groups involved, the more effective andspontaneous the outcome.

Resistance tools, according to those who “werethere,” are within the person. Leadership’s response,therefore, to stressful circumstances by helpingindividuals identify their inner instincts and emotionswill make a lasting contribution to their survival andgrowth capability. Chaplains are uniquely suited toperform these functions!

Encourage Continuing Education –– Specifythe value of a classical education, especially to thoseinterested in working on an undergraduate or graduatedegree. The study of history and philosophy willanchor a person’s understanding of the world, and willsteer him or her away from the impression that theirown life situations are totally unique and withoutprecedent.

Highl ight those documents which arefoundational to the American way of life: theDeclaration of Independence, the Constitution, and theBill of Rights, speeches and polemics that illustrate thepatriotic, democratic values which under gird stronginner character and the nobler survival instincts.

Be Aware of Families and Family Issues ––Model a healthy family unit in your own life(applicable to any leader at any level). Whileobserving confidentiality and protecting the privacy ofpersonnel, caregivers who keep abreast of familyissues within the command, especially alcohol abuse,and alcoholism, family violence, social and emotionalisolation, are in a better position to recommend the

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kinds of on-going training and support needed in thegeneral training cycle provided to service members.

Continually emphasize legal and financialpreparedness, especially: wills, allotments, andmutual agreement between husband and wife onhousehold and family management matters, “just incase.”

It is always to everyone’s benefit that emphasis beplaced on Casualty Assistance Call Officer (CACO)training. The pertinent instructions for this and relatedareas of training are:

• DoD Instruction 1300.9 (Casualty CallsProgram Manual)

• NMPC Instruction 1770.1 (Casualty AssistanceCalls Program Manual)

• OPNAV Instruction 5400.24D (Command AreaCoordination and Command Relationships)

THE VIEW FROM THE CHAPLAINCY

Learning Objective: Recognize the differencebetween the mass production process of the Koreanwar repatriaton and the organized and systematicsystem employed for the Vietnam POWs.

Having reflected on some concrete things that canbe done in the ‘here and now,’ a look back at whatchaplains have done in the past is a good way to use‘lessons learned’ to prepare for what chaplains may becalled upon to do in the future.

In the recollection of Rear Admiral Richard G.Hutcheson, CHC, USN (Ret.), “welcoming prisonershome at the close of the Korean War was somewhatsimilar to an assembly line process.” The prisonerswere so eager to get back to their families, that many ofthem grew impatient with the elaborate screening thathad been set for them at the various repatriationcenters. This “mass production” aspect of the Koreanprisoners’ homecoming gave Chaplain Hutcheson

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misgivings at the time as to whether each man shouldhave been required to talk with a chaplain.

Sensitivity to people’s needs, and insight into theirfeelings, are qualities that make a chaplain effective forany ministry setting. These qualities are particularlyimportant in ministry with prisoners of war, with theirfamilies, and with families of those missing in action.Chaplain Hutcheson’s observations, made in the wakeof having ministered to thousands of returningprisoners in 1953, typify also the sensitive approach ofthose Navy chaplains who, under the direction of RearAdmiral Ross H. Trower, CHC, USN (Ret.) in 1973,welcomed home the 591 prisoners of war returningfrom Vietnam.

MEETING THE PRISONERS

Certainly the repatriation of a few hundredprisoners was a far cry from processing thousands atone time. Additionally, the prisoners who returnedhome in 1973 did not arrive in one large group, butwere released in waves, usually one to two weeks apart,over a period of two months (February and March).Given the concern at the time to provide theseprisoners with a “hero’s welcome” so that the nationcould express, in a positive way, their relief over theend of a painful, controversial war, OperationHomecoming was very carefully orchestrated topermit this expression, while at the same timeprotecting the needs of the prisoners.

Once they had departed North Vietnam, thereturning prisoners were flown directly to Clark AirForce Base in the Philippines. Here is where theyreceived their initial medical screening, including apsychiatric evaluation, and the opportunity to talk witha chaplain. From Clark they went on to the major

military medical facility closest to their home, wherethey were met by their families. Families were notallowed to meet the returning prisoners in thePhilippines. The screening at Clark was intended to bea re-entry “cushion” so that any “sensi t iveinformation,” i.e., bad news, could be shared with theprisoners before their arrival home. The screening wasalso an opportunity for the services to assess theprisoners’ physical and mental condition, which, untilthey actually stepped off the plane, no one knew.

Each branch of the service had appointed its ownteam of chaplains to the Operation Homecomingeffort. These teams worked cooperatively with oneanother, with those on the medical staff, and with thesponsors who had been assigned to assist eachreturning prisoner in a variety of administrative ways.The team of Navy chaplains reported their ministryexperiences to Rear Admiral Francis L. Garrett, CHC,USN (Ret.), the Chief of Chaplains at the time. Thesefour situation reports were taped, transcribed, andissued as oral history in 1982. They are fascinating andabsorbing reading for many reasons: not only do theyreveal the chaplains’ impressions of the returningprisoners, and the prisoners’ response to publicity andto religious ministry; they also model the ongoingevaluation of a methodology for ministry in a specificsetting.

Following are the chaplains who served on theNavy team under Chaplain Trower’s direction:

CDR Alexander Aronis, CHC, USN (Ret.)CAPT Samuel R. Hardman, CHC, USN (Ret.)LCDR John C. Keenon, CHC, USN (Ret.)CDR John G. Newton, CHC, USN (Ret.)LCDR Edward A. Roberts, CHC, USN (deceased)

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The four briefings for the Chief of Chaplains wereheld between returning groups of prisoners (16February, 7 March, 18 March, and 30 March 1973).As a result, the observations and stories of thechaplains carry an immediacy to the events ofhomecoming that would have been lost with thepassage of time. Some of the more significantlessons and observations from that oral history aresummarized and presented here.

The entire Operation Homecoming team was ableto spend two weeks together before the return of theprisoners. For everyone concerned, but particularly forthe chaplains, this was time well spent. Following thedeparture of the first group from Clark, the Navy teamobserved that learning each other’s styles of ministrybefore the actual homecoming had contributedimmeasurably to a smooth and successful first phase.

Chaplains assigned to Operation Homecomingwere assigned no other duties, so they could devote fullattention to this unique and specialized ministry. Thesensitivity to making this an exclusive assignment paidsubstantial dividends in the quality of ministry offeredto the returning prisoners, and in the opportunity forcritical reflection by the chaplains.

After much debate, it was decided that there wouldbe no ecumenical worship service(s) held for theprisoners. Instead, the ministry team opted forfaith-specific services, and, upon evaluation,considered this a wise move. “Distinct” worshipservices preserved privacy and individual inclinationsfor worship, without placing pressure on those whomight not want to participate.

In addition to providing the opportunity fortraditional religious expression, chaplainswere also the bearers of bad news. The Navyteam estimated, for example, that of the 43Navy and 4 Marine Corps returnees whoarrived with the first group, 25 to 30 percent ofthem were to receive some kind of sensitive, or“bad,” news. This was a difficult task for thechaplains, and not one with which any of themfelt entirely comfortable; but on the otherhand, as Chaplain Trower was to recall someyears later, “neither did anyone else.”3 Thenews that a man’s mother or father had diedwhile he was in captivity, or that his wife,whom he had idealized and dreamed about for6 or 7 years, had divorced him while he was inprison, spread rapidly through each group ofreturning prisoners.

After a while, the chaplain found that he couldnot casually visit a returnee without firsthaving to dispel the fear that somethingadverse had happened. Nevertheless, theNavy team fel t tha t , having a clearunderstanding from the outset that the deliveryof sensitive information was the chaplain’sdomain, made it much easier on everyone elseinvolved with the homecoming, in the longrun. Additionally, there was probably noonebetter to deliver sensitive information than thechaplain, as these occasions introduced animmediate need for religious ministry.

The returning prisoners were, for the mostpart, surprisingly strong, both physically andemotionally; but they were most vulnerable tothe crumbling of the family structure,especially a marriage.

A sizable majority of the prisoners describeddeeply felt religious experiences while theywere imprisoned. What par t icular lyimpressed the chaplains was the depth offeeling associated with these experiences.One man, in response to the chaplain’sreflection, “God really helped you to getthrough this,” said, “No, Chaplain, that’s not it.I’m not saying that he merely helped me; I’msaying that without God I simply would nothave been able to survive or make it.” Theseunequivocal statements of trust in God werealways expressed with great emotionalintensity — a clue not only to the pain ofcaptivity, but also to the perception that, in themidst of life’s most painful and tragiccircumstances, God is a powerful presencewho can be counted upon. As a result of theseexperiences, bearing witness to the power ofGod became more than a desire on the part ofsome prisoners; it was something they felt thatthey needed to do.

The chaplains heard very little, if any,bitterness or hatred. As one chaplaincommented, referring to the captivityexperience as a whole, “We look upon it as anexperience we feared and I presume that lateron they would look upon it as something to befeared in the future if it would happen to themagain, but they probably have a lot of comfortfrom their faith and they wouldn’t have toworry about becoming bitter.”

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The returning prisoners, both individually andas a group, took the initiative in conductingworship, particularly services of thanksgiving.The chaplain team responded positively totheir initiative, encouraging and honoring thereligious leadership that this cohesivecommunity of men sought to exercise.

In many cases, a person’s religious experiencein prison, far from being limited to that setting,was the first step in a faith journey thatculminated, eventually, in an orthodoxreligious commitment. Nearly every prisonercame away from captivity with a resolve toaccomplish certain goals. Some of these goalswere material or educational in nature; otherswere vows to make personal, spiritual changesin their lives. Captivity, as a whole, made thesemen more human. While some who had notbeen particularly religious before captivityrecognized a need within themselves toformalize their relationship with God, even ifthis was at the most basic level of inquiry,6

others who had been somewhat rigid in theirreligious convictions became more flexibleand forgiving.

All of the chaplains observed a striking qualityof humility about the returnees, almost achildlikeness. With all of the ceremonies anddinners and official welcomes held in theirhonor, the events which touched them the mostwere those involving children. As a group, themen seemed filled with wonder, awe, and apurity of gratitude that caused them to beespecially drawn to children, and in return, thechildren to be drawn to them.

The emotional “high” of homecoming wasgreatest for the first group who returned. Thechaplain team noticed that the groups whichfollowed, in late February and March, werecertainly joyful, but were also a little moresubdued. This they attributed to the fact thatthe later returnees had known for a longerperiod of time that they were coming home,and, as a result, they slept longer and betteronce they arrived at the hospital. The first twogroups seemed to be in “a rush to run aroundthe hospital and get things done.”7 As timewent on, each group appeared more relaxedthan the ones previous. The chaplains alsonoticed that they themselves were increasinglyrelaxed with each returning group: in addition

to experiencing some of the same emotionalletdown as the later returnees, they were alsomuch more certain of what to expect. Withfewer ambiguities, the practice of ministrycould become routinized (in a good sense), sothat critical reflection could take place on thisunusual and important ministry opportunity.

Chaplain Trower summarized most fittinglythe experience of captivity, as seen by anoutsider, and its effect on people’s lives:

Again and again I have heard the men say thatthey wouldn’t want to go through thisexperience again. I think that one of the thingsthat we have really been privileged to share in avery close and very personal way is themagnificence of their lives. The qualities ofkindness and the mutual support that they gaveto one another, the spirituality with which theyface life — are magnificent qualities.

MINISTERING WITH THE FAMILIES

Before chaplains were ministering with returningprisoners through the emotional highs and lows ofOperation Homecoming, they were attending toprisoners’ families during the long and uncertain yearsof captivity. Captain George T. Boyd, CHC, USN(Ret.) was one of many chaplains serving the familiesof men stationed aboard ship in Southeast Asia, manyof whom were POW/MIA families.

At Naval Air Station Oceana, where he wasserving at the time, he recalls that these were extremelydifficult years for the families, not only because theydid not know whether they would ever see theirhusbands and fathers again, but also because they werenot always sure whether they could depend on otherpeople’s promises of help. Chaplain Boyd remembersin particular the number of civic organizations in thearea that would offer to do something for the childrenof POW families, and then would never followthrough.9 When this happened repeatedly, families felthurt, angry, and frustrated.

The challenge in terms of ministry was how tosustain and nurture a sense of hope in the families overtime, given the lengthy period of captivity, and giventhe fact that many families felt the government was notdoing nearly enough to bring the prisoners home. Tobuild hope, the chaplains organized special ecumenicalprayer and communion services, for which every detailand appointment was meticulously attended to, and inwhich as many families as possible were included. The

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response to these services was very positive, because,as Jane Denton expressed it, “Everybody feels betterbecause we feel that people care. People do care.”

Two former POWs interviewed for this study,Captain J. B. McKamey, USN (Ret.), and CaptainGiles Norrington, USN (Ret.), attested strongly to theneed to include families in command activities.Captain McKamey, an A-6 pilot at the time of his shootdown, stressed the importance of “the little things,”noting that every opportunity to make the wives andchildren feel that they had not been forgotten by thecommand or by the Navy, was worth taking. Thedifficulty, as many a chaplain realized, was, over “thelong haul,” letting people drift away without taking thetime to follow up with them. The effort by thecgommand to bring families together had to beintentional, if it was to be done at all. CaptainNorrington mentioned that the chaplains often filledthe role of “inviter,” but noted that they should notalways have been the ones to do the inviting. Thecommand had an essential role to play in this area, butdid not always fulfill it as consistently as they couldhave. In these instances, the Commanding Officer orExecutive Officer needs to be reminded to bring thefamilies into squadron, unit, or base-wide functions.1 2

Rear Admiral Francis Garrett, CHC, USN (Ret.),the Chief of Chaplains during Operation Home-coming, and during much of the captivity, recentlyreflected on the events of the early 1970s. He recalledthat during the captivity, time became an enemy. Hewas greatly concerned that families not “get lost in theshuffle,” but on the other hand, he noted that it was wiseto know “when to drop it.” Knowing when to keep intouch, and when to leave someone alone for a while,required a special degree of sensitivity. How does oneachieve the proper balance of remaining available andopen, without becoming intrusive? That question wasan important one for the chaplains working withreturning prisoners in connection with OperationHomecoming; it was also an important question forthose working with the families. The problem was thatthose touched by captivity were vulnerable, and wereeasily taken advantage of.

Chaplain Boyd’s description of local civicorganizations making promises and then notdelivering, is an example of this. (The families’response in that instance was to meet as a group withcivic leaders, and then “let them have it” about notdoing what they had said they would). Families werealso taken advantage of by the media. While some feltcomfortable using the media to “get the word out”

about the prisoners’ plight, others felt exploited bydata-gatherers and curiosity seekers. Chaplain Garrettobserved that chaplains are in an excellent position tobe alert to exploitation, and can support families indeciding how to handle these situations.

One of the greatest assets chaplains have in theirministry with those affected by the ambiguous, oftenlengthy circumstance of captivity, is the nature of thepastoral relationship itself. As a result of reviewing thework which the Navy chaplain team did withOperation Homecoming, and which countless otherchaplains at home did with the families, ChaplainGarrett concluded that people who have experiencedthe extremes of captivity assess very quickly whethercontact is genuine, or whether it is artificial.Particularly damaging is the tendency to relate topeople as a “panel,” rather than as individuals.Because much of the focus on captivity, and mostrecently, on hostage taking, is as an event, few mayappreciate captivity as an ongoing circumstance, or asa condition of life that has long-term consequences.Constancy in follow-up and care allows people theopportunity to explore what they are experiencing inspiritual terms, thus freeing them to relate to theredemptive power of religion.

FOCUS ON SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCESAND RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION

“Operation Homecoming” demonstrates howChaplains are in a critical position to offer hope towaiting families in a POW/MIA circumstance; to listensensitively to those who have endured captivity; and toprovide proactive support in advance to those at thecommand planning level, to service members, and totheir families.

Obviously chaplains can help people put intowords what they experience in the spiritual life, andhow they express these spiritual experiences throughreligious belief and practice. Faith communities useworship as an opportunity to address and to teach suchbasic areas of expression as: prayer (what it is andwhat forms it can take), ritual (what spiritualdisciplines are, and why faith groups have adoptedritualized practice over the centuries), and they canlook for opportunities to address the valuablecontribution that spiritual disciplines make to one’sunderstanding of and attitude toward adversity.Whether adversity takes the form of everydaydisappointments, disillusionments, or broken dreams,the most basic awareness that, “God has not left me,and in fact still loves me,” is a powerful sustainer of

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physical strength, emotional stability, and intellectualjudgment. Chaplains can play an integral part withother caregivers to reconnect the service member andfamily with the reality of how they live their lives on adaily basis, outside the circumstances of separationand captivity.

CONNECTING “REAL LIFE”SITUATIONS WITH CAPTIVITY

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Recall the role ofchaplains for service members, POW families, and forchaplains themselves.

There are many ways to zero in on thoseindividuals in a command who are insecure, who craveattention, and who desperately seek love. Caregiverscan assist them by helping them identify their trueneeds, by encouraging them to avoid using others toprop themselves up, and by strengthening innerresources of which they may have been unaware ofpossessing.

One does well to by remembering to focusparticular care on those who, as children, were victimsof incest, physical abuse, or alcoholic parents. Leadingthem to a point of recognizing and admitting theirchildhood captivity circumstance, whatever this mighthave been, may mark the beginning of healing in theirlives, and of equipping them with strength for thefuture.

When making specific mention of prisoners of warin ceremonies of remembrance, be sensitive to those inthe command whose fathers may have been POWs, orwhose turbulent childhood’s make the prospect offuture captivity a terrifying ordeal. The realities ofmilitary service require an honest encounter with thetruth of captivity; many individuals will need healingfrom past wounds if they are to be adequate for futurechallenges.

Formulate Plans for Future Family Support ––by encouraging “pre-existing” relationships for thosefamilies who appear to be emotionally and sociallyisolated. Become aware early on of newcomers to thecommand, especially young couples, who are havingdifficulty forming friendships. Build into anyemergency support program the understanding thatfamilies are not just objects of curiosity, but hurtingindividuals who are living with a frightening void intheir life as a family, and as persons.

Coordinate Efforts with Other Professionals ––early on, and become acquainted with other military

and civilian professionals who provide support andcounseling to families. Let them know what yourinterests and strengths are with families, and develop away of working together as a team. In particular, anylocal disaster preparedness plan should include thePOW/MIA or hostage-taking circumstance, with plansfor follow-up support to families over the long haulshould the need arise.

What do you believe is the role oftradi t ion in character formation andsurvivability? Read “An Ethic WithoutHeroes” in Appendix I, “Further Reading.”

Understanding the Chaplain as “RetainedPersonnel” –– starts by becoming conversant with DoDDirective 1300.7, portions of which are reproduced inthis manual. The Code of Conduct applies to chaplainsand medical personnel, although certain articles allowflexibility for discharging one’s professional duties.You should seek out spiritual direction that will help youpolish your own tools of resistance. History hascertainly revealed that enemy captors do not necessarilytreat chaplains with greater mercy or leniency.

CONCLUSION

Designed to provide survival skills in the event youare captured or held hostage, the chapters within thiscourse have outlined the history and policy pertainingto prisoners of war and recorded survival scenarioswhich have excellent potential in helping you tosurvive extreme circumstances. Discussion questionshave directed your thinking inward to your ownmotivations, potential weakness and greater strengths.You were exposed to the philosophical burdens offorgiveness, personal ego needs and how these issuesimpact family life regarding anxiety and separation.And now, what might the future hold? What might weexpect to face in the coming years of military life in ourarmed forces?

Neal A. Pollard, Co-Director, Terrorism ResearchCenter, offers insight into an issue which will impactthe taking of hostages or prisoners in future years. Hisessay entitled, “The Future of Terrorism” follows:

Possibly, we will see a relative decline,perhaps even ext inct ion, of what wetraditionally considered “ideological”terrorism: namely, the phenomenon thatbrought terrorism to the global stage via

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hijackings and bombings beginning around1968, perpetrated by such groups as Red ArmyFaction, Red Brigades, Japanese Red Army,etc. The end of the Cold War has resulted in thedrying of the well of support for anti-Democratic/anti-Capitalist, Marxist-basedideologically motivated political terrorists.Although there are a few of these ideologicallymotivated groups still active (particularly inPeru), the world will see these groups becomeextinct one by one, though possibly notwithout each one perpetrating one lastparoxysm of violence before they disappear.

At the end of the Cold War, ideologicalterrorism lost its support and raison d’etre,however, the “depolarization” of the world hasallowed several ethno-religious conflicts,some centuries old, to manifest themselves interrorism, insurgency, regional instability, andcivil war. Ethno-religious terrorism will notdie away, and could respond to several futurestimuli. Examples of these stimuli include: anincreasing US presence in the Middle East andPacific Rim, Western development of the

Caspian oil reserves, and flourishing Westerntechnological development (and attendantcultural exposure) in the Middle East andPacific Rim. Former Soviet Republics(especially Transcaucasus) might grow lessstable as outside influences increase(economic, political and technological/media) , Russ ia’s abi l i ty to suppressinsurgency lessens, economic conditions inthose republics decline, and political powerbecomes a commodity for corruption andorganized crime. As stability weakens inCentral Asia, and Islamic fundamentalismgains political power the result of “protestvotes” in governments from Turkey toIndonesia, but especially in Central Asia,relations among countries in the region couldbecome more strained.

However, I believe relative to the above twoother forms of terrorism (ethno-religious andideological), single-issue terrorism will risedisproportionately, especially with USdomestic terrorism, including groups orientedaround or agains t technology (e .g . ,

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A POW/MIA VERSE FOR “ETERNAL FATHER”

O Blessed Father, high, yet near,Lend us Thy love and will to hear,Our call for mercy and concernThat missing ones may be return’d:O listen as we call for GraceTo give our loved ones resting place.

By Jim Van DelinderUSN 1944-1948

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neo-Luddites). In the post-print age, groups,even nationalities, will organize themselveswithout geographic constraints, bringingdiaspora together and uniting issue-orientedgroups and religions through the course ofglobalization, which will paint clearer picturesof who and what has the ability to affect andinfluence masses of people. This, coupled withthe general evolution of state sovereignty (inwhich many super- and sub-state organiza-tions, including corporations, could challengethe state-centered international system), willlikely drive terrorism and guerrilla warfareinto being more broadly rejectionist: attackingmore than just the general legitimacy of states,but also Non-Governmental Organizations,Multi- National Corporations, etc. Further-more, access to weapons and methods ofincreasing lethality, or methods targetingdigital information systems that attract wildlydisproportionate effects and publicity, willallow terrorists to be “non-affiliated” withlarger, be t te r financed subvers iveorganizations or state sponsors. This couldresult in terrorist cells that are smaller, evenfamilial, and thus harder to infiltrate, track, orcounter. Terrorism will be increasinglynetworked, wi th smal le r and moreself-sufficient cells, and will globally integrateparallel to digital global integration, and willpermeate geographic boundaries and statesovereignties just as easily.

Also, keyed in with the rise in single-issueterrorism will be the rise in “true” guerrillamovements within the US: that is, movementstha t seek the des t ruc t ion of the USgovernment, rather than movements that seekto influence government, a particular policy orpopulation. This also includes movements thatare geographically centered, rather than

cellular and sparse, operating in rural areasrather than urban centers.2

All of this information can be useful in ministry.Hopefully an awareness of what can happen willprepare us to live and model the spiritual valuesnecessary to guide all of the members of ourcommands. All humankind has innate spiritual values,hopefully, each of us can in some way strengthen thatreality for all to whom we minister.

Read Michael Walzer’s “Prisoners ofWar: Does the Fight Continue After theBattle?” It is an historical analysis of therights and status of POWs. See Appendix I,“Further Reading.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. After Vietnam, some flexibility was allowed inthe application of the Code of Conduct. Discuss howthe experiences of the Vietnam POWs allowed for this?

2. In what ways does “Operation Homecoming”reflect an “institution oriented” role of ministry versusthe traditional “chapel centered” role of ministry? Doyou think personnel who deny any belief in aninstitutional church program can benefit from careprovided by a military chaplain? How?

3. Recent hostage experiences and especiallythose of our Vietnam POWs, have given us access toimportant attitudes that are prerequisites for survival ina POW/hostage situation. Discuss three prerequisitesyou deem most important – for the service member;and, for yourself?

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