And the Wind Blew Cold: The Story of an American POW in North KoreaKent State University Press, 2002 - 117 sivua A first-person account of the day-to-day struggles of an American held captive in North Korea. October 6, 1951. Richard Bassett remembers the day vividly. That was the day his platoon ran into an ambush near Kumwha. During the firefight many were wounded, four were killed, and Bassett, along with three others, was captured. During a month-long march to the POW camp the Americans frequently came under friendly fire. Surviving the march paled in comparison to what the captured soldiers had to endure at Camp-5-Pyokdong. Frostbite, dysentery, jaundice, and mental breakdowns dwindled their numbers. Starvation and squalid conditions took their toll on Bassett during his 21-month incarceration. Yet he pledged to himself that if anyone were to walk out of this camp alive, it would be him. When Richard Bassett returned from Korea on convalescent leave in 1953, he set down his experiences in training, combat, and captivity. Then he put the memoir away and tried to forget. More than twenty years later, hospitalized for acute Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, he once again faced his personal demons. Expanding the memoir to include his postwar struggles with the U.S. government and his own wounded psyche, the resulting comprehensive account is published here for the first time. Bassett captures in plain language and vivid detail those days of his captivity. He describes the shock of capture and ensuing long march to Pyokdong, North Korea, Camp 5 on the Yellow River, where many prisoners died of untreated wounds, disease, hunger, paralyzing cold, and brutal mistreatment in the bitter winter of 1950-51. He recounts Chinese attempts to mentally break down prisoners in order to exploit them for propoganda. Bassett takes the reader through typical days in a prisoner's life, discussing food, clothing, shelter, and work; the struggle against unremitting boredom; religious, social, and recreational diversions; and even those moments of terror when all seemed lost. Bassett's story is important to general audiences and scholars alike because it has not counterpart in the literature of the Korean War. And the Wind Blew Cold refutes Cold War-era propaganda that often unfairly characterized POWs as brainwashed victims or even traitors who lacked the grit that Americans expected of their brave sons. Bassett concludes his memoir with a candid discussion of the war's aftermath, his battle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, harassment by a government eager to impugn the loyalty of repatriated POWs, and his long struggle with the Veterans Administration to receive compensation for enduring physical and mental scars. This book will fascinate anyone interested in the Korean War era, in captivity tales, and in the resilience of the human spirit. |
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... ARMY MAP SERVICE CORPS OF ENGINEERS The circled area indicates where I was captured on October 6 , 1951. U.S. Army Map Service , Corps of Engineers . Introduction Why do the Heathen rage , and the people.
... Army . I was one of the lucky ones because I missed that first terrible winter when so many of our men died on those blood - soaked hills and in North Korean Pow camps . We take for granted our many blessings and our high standard of ...
... How would we react if , once again , we had to fight on our own soil , either against each other or some invading army ? Pray God it never happens . Basic Training Cling to discipline . Do not relax your Introduction.
... army man , he informs me , " You'll find out soon enough , and if you know what's good for you , you'll pay strict atten- tion to everything in basic training because someday very soon what you learn here just might save your life ...
... army's way of saying Far East Command . Far East ? Isn't that where Korea is ? Oh well , the Far East is a pretty large area and includes lots of places besides Korea . Anyway , the Korean mess would soon be over , probably before the army ...
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Brainwashing: The Fictions of Mind Control : a Study of Novels and Films ... David Seed Rajoitettu esikatselu - 2004 |