The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-04-24
Released Americans Bring
Back Bitter Memories OF
Horrors In Prisoner Camp
BY ROBERT EuNsoN

srs died. of long march which
claimed 400 lives. and of more
than two years of misery.
Most of the Americans freed
yesterday by the Reds had been
recently wounded. But many of
the 30 who came back today we're
the "old boys" swept UP in the fall
Of 1850.
Time hadn't dimmed their mem
ory of death marches over frozen
North Korean highways, Of hunger,
brutality and poor medical treat
ment. And one refining prisoner
told of tiny cages where men were
punished "for just saying things
out Of the way at Communist lee
lures"
The men were pale and some
were emaciated. They limped or
we're carried from Communist
ambulances.
But even the most seriously hurt
tried to smile and answer questions
during this first stop on their long
trip home.
Today's group Of 40 Americans
was the biggest returned by the
Reds since the exchange began
Monday. It boosted % 119 the num-
Der liberated.
Some said they were treated all
right. But Pfc. Wayne Hubener Of
Franklin, N. H., found his captors
brutal. He related in calm voice:
II have actually seen only one
man killed. One OF our fellows was
CARRYING him and. sort Of went out
of his head. The man fell off this
guys back and we tried to help
him up again. He couldn't get up.
A Chinese guard hit him in the
back with the butt OF his rifle and
pushed him off the mountain side.
Hubener was captured April Is,
1851. He said he was suffering
from skin disease and bad teeth.
Another soldier told Of death
march In which 400 eaptiyes Of the
Communists died. Pvt. Paul Z.
= CIemenis, "a, from Indianapolis,
said the death march took place
in the bitter cold between Decem-
Der 3-26. 1850.
about 1900 started out" he
said. land close 10 400 died"
Clements said the men died from
the bitter cold and wounds. Glenn
ents was captured Nov 30, 1850. He
said the men had only field jackets
and thin fatigue clothes-American
" nter supplies had not reached
the front. II was then that the
United Nations was rushing pell
NEIL toward the YaIu River.
Clements said be thought the
Americans on the march died
mostly because Of their physical
condition rather than from the
cruelty Of the Red guards. Glenn
ents had shrapnel wounds in one
leg when he made the march.
He looked In GOOD condition to-
day. Asked II the Reds made any
attempt TO indoctrinate him, he
replied;
II most certainly would say they
did. II was well plGnned."
Pfc. James n. Dunn OF Ander-
son, S. G., said the Reds left him
b. the side Of a road 10 die.
Ten days after dis capture, Dunn
said, he was wounded By an Allied
air strike. The Chinese pulled out
and .ieft me and another guy
alongside the road, The next day
the other guy died. /"
Six days later some Chinese
picked him up and. although he
could not walk because of his
wounds.
"They rushed me along. pulled |
rifles on me: ! crawled uphill |
afraid they would ssoot.
Later be was taken to a hos.
pital.
Cpl. Joe Lindsay Jewell, q, OF |
Norwood. Ohio, told a story Of |
hunger and death in Death Val.
leya
II say 800 Of US went in there !
and 40 Of as went Onl
Most died Of malnutrition. The |
men got SO hungry VIC ate dog a
couple OF times"
Pfc. Virgil A. Kaver, 2S. Of |
MavthaSville, Mo-, said be had a
bad neck wound end was sick most |
cf the time in the mining camp /
at Death Valley.
~ was beaten hy the Chinese
because was unahle 10 carry q
load al wocd ThA Chinese beat me /
on the back with 4 rifle butt. "
Later conditions improved, he
said. when he was moved 10 Camp
One. But, he added. persons who !
talked back during indoctrination
lectures we're p'area ia s'iail. in
cages that sou ccaldat stand w in ]
ard you could be sent there for I
just saying things ont eF the way /
81 Communist lectures
Across tie road from Freedom /
Village IL TIE Renuhiic Of Korea i
Fifth Mobile Hospital wAich Is
processing returned South Korean /
soldiers. Az ofgieer WORKING there
said a R0k reMtnet told him the /
Reds prohibited p0Ns from dis /
playing POW camp signs in the /
hopes The camp woale BE his hy a
u ~ a. ~ak8