“I thought back to a briefing I was given prior to _my_ deployment:
“Don’t get captured. Use your last round on yourself, if you have to.
We’ve seen what they do to our guys… Don’t get captured.”
But before… In previous wars and conflicts, people were captured and
survived. They may only have been held as prisoners for a few hours, or
for some, they were held for months and years.
And while their numbers dwindle, they still walk amongst us.
Norfolk, VA, has a large share, due mainly to its perpetual status as a
military hub and home. Few would recognize these individuals, if met on
the street or at Starbuck’s, as someone with an amazing tale to tell…
Yet, they walk amongst us.
And their tales are worth hearing. Not all military operations go as
planned (as anyone who’s been in will tell you, it’s amazing that they
seem to succeed at all!), and when they go wrong, it’s often horribly
wrong.
And these individuals still survived to come home…
Amazing, and well worth listening to their stories…”
http://hamptonroads.com/2008/11/our-pows-special-salute-veterans-war