What happens if you become a prisoner of war? After all, it is possible. Isolation, fear, injury-all work

Figure 6-13.-Death angel with gills, veil, stem, and cap.

in favor of the enemy to increase your chances of capture in spite of a determined effort on your part to evade. The surrender of your weapon, however, does not mean that you forfeit your responsibilities as a member of the fighting forces of the United States. The Code of Conduct of the armed forces directs you to begin planning your escape the minute you are taken prisoner. Escape is tough; making it work is even tougher. It demands courage, cunning, and much planning-of seeking ways out, a route to follow, and the location of friends. Above all, escape demands physical stamina- stamina that you must acquire under the worst con-ditions imaginable. Experience has proved that "model" camps, where rations are regular and treatment con-siderate, are the exception. But no matter what extremes you encounter as a POW, your aim should be-to keep yourself as physically able and sufficiently equipped-breaking out as soon as possible.

If you are captured, try to make your escape early.

You may never be in better physical condition to escape than at the moment you are captured. Prison rations are barely enough to sustain life, certainly not enough to build up a reserve of energy. The physical treatment, lack of proper medical care, and insufficient rations of prison life soon show their effects in morale and physical weakness, night blindness, and loss of coordination and reasoning power. There are other reasons for making your escape early.

Friendly artillery fire or air strikes may give you a chance to escape. The first guards you will have are not as well trained in handling prisoners as the guards that are farther back from the front lines. Some of the first-line guards may even be walking wounded and distracted by their own physical condition. You know something about the terrain where you are captured, and you know the approximate location of friendly units. Several days later and many miles away, you may be in strange territory.

The exact way to make your escape depends on what you can think of to fit the particular situation The only general rules are to make an early escape and to do it when the enemy is distracted.

To escape from a prison camp is much more difficult and requires more detailed planning. It must be organized and supported in the same way as other military operations.

Once you escape, it may not be easy to contact friendly units, even when you know where they are. Approach the solution of the problem in the same way as you would if you were a member of a lost patrol. Time your movements so you can pass through the enemy forward areas at night and arrive between the enemy and friendly units at dawn. A good plan is to find a ditch or shell hole where you have cover from both friendly and enemy fire. Attract the attention of the friendly forces by waving a white cloth, shouting, exposing or laying out a panel, or some other method. Doing this alerts friendly forces, who are prepared to accept any small group that appears willing to surrender or regain contact.

Alerted, they are not as likely to shoot you on sight.