 The latest weapons, coupled with the fighting skill of the American soldier, stands ready on the alert all over the world to defend this country. View the American people against aggression. This is the Big Picture, an official television report to the nation from the United States Army. Now to show you part of the Big Picture, here is Sergeant Stuart Queen. I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense. Sergeant Queen has just read the first article of the new code of conduct for members of the armed forces of the United States. The code is intended as a guide to strengthen the hearts of those American fighting men who may be taken prisoner by the enemy in any future war. For if there is a next war, it will be a total war in which ideologies as well as armies will be in conflict. The war will not end for the soldier taken prisoner. On the contrary, his individual battle to maintain his dignity and his honor as a free man will just be commencing. But let's listen to more of the code and let's listen closely. I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command I will never surrender my men while they still have the means to resist. If I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy. If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way. When questioned should I become a prisoner of war, I am bound to give only name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause. Today, the Big Picture presents a unique experience. Escape from within an enemy prisoner of war camp. The scenes are recreated, but based on actual experiences. Men on the march, but not against the enemy. These men are prisoners of war, American soldiers who have been captured by the enemy, now being marched back to a prison camp. Not a pretty picture, not a pleasant subject to think about. But still our men do get captured through no fault of their own, in spite of all they can do to prevent it. And when they are captured, they end up in places like this. A prison camp, deep within enemy territory, miles from nowhere, feeling lonely, depressed, and useless. Useless to themselves and to anyone else. But even when a man is captured, he needn't always end up here. And once he is here, he needn't always stay. Take Sergeant James J. Anderson, for instance. He's had opportunities to escape, some of them very good ones. But here he is. Why? Part of the reason is psychological. When a man is captured, he is usually in a state of shock. His fortunes have changed so rapidly that his mind cannot make the adjustment. If the odds are ever in favor of the prisoner, it is here, in the midst of front-line area confusion, where everyone, including the guards, is forced to consider his own safety first. This is it. A tailor-made chance for escape. The man who is on his toes is ready to grab the first opportunity. The sooner, the better. There may not be another as good for a long time. There are always chances for the prisoner who has resolved to escape and is looking for the right moment. The difficulty is that only a few men are psychologically prepared to take advantage of these opportunities when they present themselves. Only a very few. Unfortunately, Sergeant Anderson was not one of them. Looking back, I can remember other opportunities, which I might have seized as well as the next man. There was that sergeant from C Company who was next to me on the march. He was a smart cookie. Stretch out to call him. Stretch it out. Stretch out. He really had it figured. As we approached a curve in the road, he got us to stretch out the column because he knew this would momentarily put him out of sight of the rear guards as we went around the curve. When the time came, he knew what to do. He was never missed. Sometimes it's hard to remember how long I've been here. Those guys that made their escape, they must be back in the States by now, eating steak and ice cream and sleeping in beds with clean white sheets. Well, this is hardly a place I'd choose for a vacation. It's not exactly a pleasure resort. The accommodations leave something to be desired in the way of comfort. The food is bad and there isn't much of it. About the only thing a man has plenty of in this place is time. Time to think of all the people you haven't seen for months or years. Time to think of all the things you might be doing if only you were somewhere else. Time to rot if you don't watch yourself. Time to remember the guys who had guts enough to break out of this place. And there were some who did. Fred Wilson was one. His plan was so simple that the guards are probably still trying to figure out what happened. He simply waited until a work gang had been formed and when the guards' back was turned, he joined in with the other men. In that way, he was able to get outside the gates without being listed on the roster. Abrams. Green. White. It was customary for a roll call and a head count to be taken by the guards at the end of a day's work. When each man on the list was accounted for, they were ready to march the detail back to the PW compound for the night. Since Wilson's name was not on the list, he was never missed. Then there were the surveyors. That's the name everybody remembers those three fellows by. They really had a lot of guts and even more imagination. Somehow they managed to get a hold of an engineer's tape, a sledge and some wooden stakes. With these, they set to work measuring out a center line for a road. The guards assumed, of course, that they had been told to stake out the area because they knew that prisoners never did any more work than they had to. A fantastic plan, maybe. But it seemed to be going well while they were still inside the compound. Even the guards at the gate were taken in. There was one, however, who did seem a little suspicious. That was their most anxious moment. But by keeping their heads and not getting rattled, they were able to keep right on going. While they were sweating it out, the guards were joking about the prisoners asking them to work. But it was no joke to the guards later when they began to realize what had really happened. Of course, these escapes had some repercussions. You're cooked! Agbes, that is. Cigarette? Please, I hope you men find our camp reasonably comfortable. Yes? Yes? Now, forward, please. What is the complaint? We need more chow. What is this? Grab each food. Oh, yes, of course. Your American expressions are so drawn. Please make arrangements for more chow. Any other complaints? Step forward, please. I need a new pair of shoes, sir. Oh, yes. I'm sure we can do something about that. His name, please. Yes? I think your men have been intercepting our Red Cross food packages, sir. Oh? I think you are mistaken. But I shall certainly look into the matter. Any other men? I need more straw from a mattress. Straw? How many men need more straw? It will be arranged. More straw for these men. Now, men, I want you to do me a little favor. As you know recently, several of your men have escaped. That is not good. Not good for me? Possibly not good for you. Such occurrences may suggest to my superiors that my discipline is too lax. In fact, they might even decide to replace me. We would not want that, would we? Now, all I want you men to do is to sign this paper, giving me your word you will not attempt to escape. Come, come, step forward, please. You can't sign that. What is that? You can't sign that. It's a parole. And why can't you sign it? It's against our regulations. But you happen to be under our regulations now. That doesn't matter, sir. We can't force a man to do something against the regulations of his own country. Is that so? Not legally. Not according to the Geneva Convention. Oh, yes. The Geneva Convention. Very well. If that is how you choose to repay my kindness, we shall have to try other measures. These men who complain, do you have their names? Yes, Cruton. Place them in solitary confinement for seven days. The charge in subordination. Oh, yes. And include the sergeant who quotes the Geneva Convention. As for the others, put them on bread and water for three days. It so happens, Sergeant, we are not at Geneva. Perhaps it was the punishment, the cruelty and the rank injustice of it, which made me decide that I couldn't stay here any longer. I simply had to get out. All kinds of ideas were running through my mind. Then suddenly it clicked. That's it. A ladder. And then I thought the ladder we used would be black. But the ladder to be used as a decoy should be light-colored. So the guards can spot it without any trouble. Say, I think I can get one ladder from the toolhouse. Okay, Tex. Smitty and I will dig up some boards and make the other one. See this? What is it? A key to the toolhouse. A light-colored ladder there. Thanks, you're a wizard. But the ladder I can shove back to fall down so the guards can't tell where we go over the fence. But what are we going to do with that plank? I've got that figured. We'll tie a rope to the far end and pull it from the other side when we get out. Yeah, that'll get rid of it. That'll work fine. Guys, let's have some noise. It's Smitty. Boy, you sure gave us a turn. Pretty good, huh? Looks just like a native. Here, put these on. Where'd you get them? Swiped them from the farm about a mile back. Look what I got. What are we going to do with them? These will give us an occupation. We can work on the roads. Thanks, I think you got something there. That way we can travel by day. Just across that open field. The border and freedom. But even with freedom in sight, anything can happen. This isn't the time to be over anxious. Not now more than ever. Keep the odds in your favor. Wait for darkness and concealment. This is the moment every man taken prisoner hopes for. Freedom ahead for those who dare to make a try for it. Let's go. You'll never forget that I am an American fighting man, responsible for my actions and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America. The Big Picture is a weekly television report to the nation on the activities of the Army at home and overseas. Produced by the Signal Corps Pictorial Center. Presented by the United States Army in cooperation with this station. You, too, can be an important part of the Big Picture. You can proudly serve with the best equipped, the best trained, the best fighting team in the world today, the United States Army.