illness associated with this malnutrition; in fact, many prisoners died of starvation.67

Stephen S. Jackson, Assistant General Counsel of the Defense Department, testified that the total personnel imprisoned by the United Nations Command in Korea was 173,219. The total number who died while in United Nations Command custody was 3,432. This percentage of death of prisoners in our custody is slightly less than 2 percent as opposed to the 38 percent who died in the hands of the North Koreans and Chinese Communists. The prisoner-of-war food ration established by the United Nations Command was designed to take into account the national diet of the prisoner and to be of such quality and quantity as to maintain the prisoner's weight and health. Approximately 21⁄2 pounds of food was issued to each prisoner per day and consisted of rice, barley and wheat, vegetables, fish, meat substitute for fish, dried beans or lentiles, and condiments.68

Major Anderson said that no supplementary clothing was issued to American prisoners captured in the summer of 1950. Housing for the most part consisted of typical small Korean farm buildings constructed of mud with a thatched straw roof. These houses had been abandoned by the North Koreans and were in an extremely poor state of repair. As a result, a number of prisoners froze to death ⚫ during the winter when temperatures got down to 30° below zero.69

American prisoners who were doctors were allowed to practice medicine during the first several months of their imprisonment, but only under the auspices of their captors. The medicine issued to them was totally inadequate. As an example, in one case enough penicillin was issued to treat only 1 individual for pneumonia, when in fact, there were 300 cases. Anesthetic equipment and surgical equipment was available rarely and then only for brief periods of time. As a result, operations were performed by American doctors in many cases without anesthesia. Surgery was usually done in a mud hut with no adequate preparation for the sanitation of the room. The medications that were available were never of sufficient quantity to be of any particular importance.70

The hospital compounds were totally inadequate. There was no provision for nursing of the men who were hospitalized. Cold air entering the hospital from spaces between boards resulted in an unhealthy situation. For all practical purposes, the hospital was the death house.71

In the spring of 1951 the American physicians were prohibited from practicing medicine and were subjected to indoctrination. The Chinese felt that they were not properly indoctrinated on how to cure illness and specifically, they did not know what types of people on whom they should practice medicine and try to save.

72

The Chinese doctors were not properly trained for their job. On the average, their medical training consisted of from no formal training whatever to approximately 6 months in a hurry-up aid-man course designed for bandaging, which is somewhat similar to the course we give to our aid men. Many experimental operations which are not recognized by the medical profession were performed.

07 P. 107.

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Many persons who would come to sick call complaining of a pain in any part of his body was treated by the so-called needle doctor. This treatment consisted of a short, rather blunt needle connected to a spring device and handle which was placed under the skin in various parts of the head of the patient. After the needles were so placed, the doctor would thump the handle of the needle so that the spring would' cause a vibration. This treatment was expected to cure almost any ailment. It had the practical result of keeping prisoners from reporting sick to Chinese doctors.

Another practice was the administration of chicken liver. In this case a piece of chicken liver, approximately the size of a 25-cent piece, was implanted in the prisoner under the skin on the right side of his chest. Allegedly, this treatment was designed as a cure-all. Prisoners selected for this treatment were men suffering for the most part from malnutrition and various diseases associated with malnutrition. The treatment was purely voluntary but many prisoners took it, even though the chicken liver might cause infection because the Communists increased the diets and the caloric and vitamin content of the food for those who would volunteer and to these soldiers who were virtually starving to death, it was worthwhile.73

AIR FORCE

Dr. Herman J. Sander, Director of the Maxwell Field Research Unit of the Air Force Personnel and Training Research Center, was in charge of a study of the nature of Communist exploitation techniques experienced by Air Force prisoners. Of 263 Air Force personnel who were captured, 235 were repatriated to the United States.74

Dr. Sander testified that most of the Air Force prisoners were not subjected to the same group indoctrination that the Army was. Practically all of the Air Force personnel were considered by the Communists as useful subjects for special attention. The primary objective of the Chinese was to use them for propaganda purposes, particularly in connection with germ-warfare confessions. However, they were also selected for a very thorough interrogation for military information.75

The reasons for the special emphasis placed by the Chinese appears to be threefold: (1) Air Force personnel would logically be selected as susceptible to charges of having dropped germ warfare, (2) amongst captured Air Force personnel there would be a higher percentage of officers and therefore a greater potential for propaganda purposes and for intelligence, and (3) Air Force personnel generally are more knowledgeable as to the military situation than ground force personnel and have a higher degree of training and technical skill. For these reasons Air Force personnel were subjected to special

treatment.78

During the early period of the Korean war, prior to the entry of the Chinese, Air Force personnel generally were placed in solitary confinement in crude shacks, holes, caves. The holes were often half

78 Pp. 111, 112.

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85761-57-3

filled with water. Neglect, malnutrition, and failure to provide medical treatment for wounds caused a large number of deaths."

With the advent of the Chinese into the conflict and their assuming control, the interrogations became more thorough, calculating, and rational. Each prisoner would have one interrogator virtually Aliving with him. There was a tremendous emphasis on getting detailed background information on the individual. The Communists desired to know to what organization or clubs the prisoner belonged, what his parents did, how much property he owned, and the kinds of recreational activities in which he participated."

78

The effects of political indoctrination as contrasted to interrogation upon Air Force personnel was practically negligible because so few were kept in the mass camps where it went on.79

Because the Communists wished to give them special intensive interrogation, most of the Air Force prisoners, both officers and enlisted men, were placed in a special officers' camp about October 1951. Here while being interrogated the prisoner would be placed in a hut with no contacts except his guard or interrogator. Interrogation sessions ran for as long as 61 hours without relief.80

Dr. Sander said that on February 21, 1952, the Communists' worldwide germ-warfare campaign went into high gear. Air Force prisoners, captured after January 1952, underwent a very severe treatment. Solitary confinement in small huts and caves, lack of medical attention, inadequate food existed, but the pressure from the standpoint of interrogation was constant.81

Forty-eight Air Force personnel were subject to this coercive interrogation after January 1952, primarily with a view to obtaining false confessions on germ warfare. A total number of 59 Air Force prisoners were subjected to some pressure; 38 actually made some kind of confession, and the Communists used 23 for propaganda purposes, publicizing them throughout the world. Films of statements of six were shown as part of their major propaganda effort.82

Fifteen percent of those pressured agreed to confess after 1 month or less. Others held out for an extremely long period of time, and many refused to give the Communists any kind of statement even after 24 weeks of interrogation.

83

Dr. Sander testified that the methods were so severe that if any blame was to be assessed upon the returnees it should be placed upon the Communists rather than upon the personnel who returned. He stated that the use of the word "brainwashing" has been greatly misinterpreted. He testified that the system used by the Communists in Korea was neither mysterious nor irresistible.84

An example that even the worst of Communist treatment could be resisted is the case of Capt. Theodore Harris who testified before this subcommittee.

On July 4, 1952, Harris' aircraft was shot down. As a result, Harris was in a severe state of shock and was very badly burned around the face, hands, mouth, throat, and back. The skin on his

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face was burned off. Within a short time he was captured by the Chinese Communists.85

For a period of several days until he reached the hospital compound in Pyongyang, Korea, he was in extreme pain because of virtually no medical attention. Maggots infested his burns and entered his ears and nose until his mental processes were being affected. Ultimately he was treated by a Chinese doctor. He remained in the hospital for approximately 52 weeks before his captors felt he was strong enough to be interrogated.86

He was then taken out and placed in a trench, dug on the side of a hill about 22 to 3 feet wide, and about 612 feet long. His interrogations now began and were virtually constant. The first interrogation ended after 5 weeks when the interrogator became angry and struck Harris on the side of the head with a board. Harris lost his temper and struck the interrogator, and as a result was put in handcuffs the rest of the day. The next morning he was taken out and instructed to dig a hole in the ground about 3 feet deep, the size of a grave. They then told him he had a choice of either signing a confession that he had been dropping bacteriological bombs on North Korea and agreeing not to strike any officers, for which they would let him go, or otherwise they would shoot him. He agreed not to strike any of their officers provided they didn't abuse him, but refused to sign a confession. They then put him before a firing squad but when they pulled the triggers their weapons were empty.s

87

A new interrogator appeared on the scene, and he lasted approximately 2 months, at which time he flew into a rage and had Harris put in handcuffs. During one period of time Harris was shackled for 30 days. On another occasion he was handcuffed behind his back for a period of 2 or 3 weeks. It should also be noted that during the entire period of time he was a prisoner of war, namely, 14 months, he was in solitary confinement. Except for the initial period that he was hospitalized he received no medical attention other than that administered by a corpsman who would come around once a week and take off his old bandages and replace them with fresh ones. While the interrogations were going on in the trenches, Captain Harris was forced to sit on the floor with his feet in front of him constantly. The only time he was allowed to walk was to go to the latrine.88

On one occasion during the winter he was moved to a lean-to outside a Korean house. The temperature was 20 or 30 below zero. He had been furnished with a regular POW Chinese winter uniform, but this was not sufficiently warm against the intense cold. His toes and fingers became frostbitten, and no adequate medical attention was afforded him.89

The food was rotten, and, in fact, often inedible. On one occasion Harris, because he resented the type of questions he was being asked, went on a hunger strike which lasted for 12 or 13 days. His Chinese captors ended the strike by agreeing not to ask him any more bacteriological questions. This agreement the Communists honored for 1 month.90

In January he was blindfolded, handcuffed, and taken on a long trip. He later learned that he had been transferred across the Yalu into Manchuria. After arriving at their destination, Harris was placed in a prison which was quite different from that in which he had been. He was given bedding, placed in a large cell, 20 by 30 feet, and was cleaned up. For the next 6 weeks he was interrogated daily, but more on a formal basis with a recording clerk present. The questions didn't vary from those previously asked, but the food and quarters were better. Occasionally they would vary the heat in his cell from over 100° down to about 30° below zero.

On one occasion, after a Chinese guard had wiped his feet on Harris' clothes, Harris struck him. For this Harris was handcuffed and placed in a box which was about 30 inches square. He was forced to sit in it for approximately 9 hours, and was temporarily paralyzed when he was removed. They then took him out of the box and handcuffed his arms to his ankles where they left him for 3 or 4 days, folfollowing which they handcuffed him in a conventional manner for about 6 weeks.92

About the latter part of March he was transferred into an old prison where the cell was very small. He was informed that he was to stand trial for his criminal activities. The so-called trial lasted about 6 weeks. Actually the trial was very little more than normal interrogation. He was allowed no counsel. He had no witnesses appear against him. They finally told Harris he had been found guilty and would be sentenced at a later date.93

While in this particular cell after a guard had been goading him, Harris punched him in his nose and broke it. This time he was placed in the same box for approximately 16 hours. While so imprisoned, they pounded on the lid all of the time. When they finally took him out, he could not walk and his mind was dazed."

94

Afterward he was returned to his original prison, where conditions improved. He was furnished a grass mattress, clean clothes, and given smoking material. The food was comparatively good, much better than it had been. He was furnished much literature. During this period, about every 2 weeks he was permitted to take a bath, and once a week he was allowed to wash his clothes.95

When he was informed that he was to be repatriated, he recognized voices of his crew who were apparently in the same prison. He had not seen or conversed with any of his crew members during the entire time of his ordeal. They were placed on a train and taken to Kaesong. There he not only refused to sign a document that they read wherein he admitted to engaging in bacteriological warfare, but he demanded a copy of it, which they refused to give him. The next morning the trucks arrived to take the prisoners to Panmunjong. Harris at this time informed his interpreter that he was not leaving until he got a copy of the statement with which the Chinese confronted him. The other prisoners left, but Harris just stayed where he was. After some time and after breaking the windshield of a jeep into which the Communists were trying to force him to take him back to the United States

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