Albert Caron

An Island Dies Albert Caron

"I can imagine it is very easy for some armchair commanders sitting with a full stomach in a plush chair, dictating to a beautiful secretary in a lavishly decorated air-conditioned office, rules that came to them in some pipe dream, on how American Prisoners of War should conduct themselves in a concentration camp. But what about the man behind the barbed wire that has to face daily, the bayonet, torture, and starvation? I speak not of the oriental soldier who can survive on a handful of rice a day, plus the fact as our prisoner he never had it so good. I speak of the American man who are used to three square meals a day. Who suddenly finds himself incarcerated by the enemy; having no idea how long he will have to rot in some vermin-infested camp. Drastically cut in ration, medical care, freedom and no sex. Wondering if he will live to see the sun come up the following day. I have often wondered about the man who set up these standards what would they do in the same situation. Did it ever occur to you how you would act? I credit my survival by mimicking the enemy in the only practice they knew. Ruthlessness. I had excellent teachers."In reference to the Code of Conduct - Albert Caron.