Analysis Of Unbroken By Laura Hillenbrand

Western Nebraska is hot, and he would never make it to the Rocky Mountains. An unnamed German prisoner of war from Sgt. Oberdieck barracks headed for the highway and hitched a ride back to Camp Atlanta, where the work day was already over. No one had noticed the prisoner’s absence, and even the identity of the escapee was hidden by a mere pair of glasses. When the prisoner count proved all the men were present, the matter was ignored (Larson, 4). Unfortunately, most Prisoner of War (P.O.W.) camps were not conducted with such leniency and disregard. In the seed text Unbroken, a biography of an olympic runner Louie Zamperini written by Laura Hillenbrand, we see the horrors that P.O.W. camps can bring. Louie Zamperini: olympic runner, American

lost sixty-one pounds in captivity…. Tuberculosis, malaria, dysentery, malnutrition, anemia, eye ailments, and festering wounds were widespread…. Men had been crippled and disfigured by unset broken bones…. Some couldn't be saved.” (Hillenbrand, 346). The P.O.W.s were treated horribly by the Japanese. Disease, beatings, and even death was far too common. However, what caught my attention was Hillenbrand’s mention of American P.O.W. camps. “Among the founding members was Shoichi Ishizuka, a veteran who’d been held as a POW by the Americans and treated so kindly that he referred to the experience as “lucky prison life.” (Hillenbrand, 394). This raised the question: How did America treat its prisoners? I began to wonder how the treatment of P.O.W.s differed between Japan and America. When people hear about prisoner of war camps, they often think of young men working in poor, dirty conditions with maltreatment and inadequate nutrition. The truth is, not all camps were as extreme as this picture. In fact, some had rather good conditions. During WW II, thousands of soldiers from both Axis and Allied powers were interned in P.O.W. camps. Camps could be found anywhere from Australia and Canada to Japan and the United States. In the United States alone there were over 371,000 German P.O.W.s residing in the camps (Larson,1). And a majority of those prisoners would be treated with shocking

He also recognized the inexplicably short work day for these prisoners. Only ten hours a day with lunch included (Larson, 2). Despite common assumption, these prisoners were far from slaved laborers. They had only a ten hour work day with a provided lunch and salary. With this, they were able to buy food and cigarettes while in captivity (Larson, 2). This was not the only benefit of American camps however. Disease was less widespread due to increased hygiene and more food. “The army provided each prisoner with: rain coat, summer and winter clothing, underwear, wool cap,belt, denim work clothes, gloves, white socks, and GI shoes.” (Larson, 2). The prisoners were given multiple sets of clothes, socks, and warm winter clothing. They had separate clothes for work and leisure as well. These helped provide a more hygienic environment for the prisoners, preventing disease and outbreaks. Over all, life in American P.O.W. camps could very well be considered lucky prison life. Unfortunately, the soldiers suffering in the Japanese P.O.W. camps could not say the