Since the conditions in various POW camps differ, it is impossible to provide a specific survival plan for each situation. What you need is a guide so you can make the best of what you have. Here is one such plan that you can remember by the word S-A-T -Save, Add to, Take care of.

Save

What can you save in a POW camp? Everything- clothing, pieces of metal, cloth, paper, string-anything. A piece of twine may mean success or failure when it comes time to breakout. Hide these items under the floor or in a hole in the ground. If these items are discovered, they may appear harmless and little or nothing will be done to punish you.

Wear as few clothes as possible. Save your shoes, underwear, shirts, jacket, and any other items of clothing that protect you from the elements when you begin your trip back.

Save any nonperishable foods you receive from the Red Cross or your captors. Candy, for example, comes in handy as a quick source of energy when you are traveling. If you do not receive candy, save each issue of sugar given you by the enemy. When you get enough, boil it down into hard candy. SAVE it until you buildup your supply. Canned foods that you might receive are ideal for storing. However, if the enemy punctures the cans to prevent your saving them, you may still preserve the food by resealing the cans with wax or some other field expedient. It maybe feasible for you to save this food by recooking it and changing its form. Other foods to hoard for the day of your escape include suet and cooked meat, nuts, and bread.

Save pieces of metal no matter how insignificant they may seem. Nails and pins can serve as buttons or fasteners. Old cans are excellent for improvised knives, cups, or food containers. If you are fortunate enough to have a razor blade, guard it. Use it for shaving only. Devise ways of sharpening it-rub it on glass or stone or some other hard surface. A clean shave is a good morale booster.

Save your strength but keep active. A walk around the compound or a few mild calisthenics keep your muscles toned. Sleep as much as you can. You will not get much rest on your way back after you escape.

Add To

Use your ingenuity. Select those items that you cannot get along without and supplement them; for example, your rations. There is more to eat in and around your compound than you think. When you are allowed to roam around the campgrounds, look for natural foods native to the area, such as roots, grasses, leaves, barks, and insects. If possible, add these foods to your escape cache. They will keep you alive when the going gets tough.

Supplement your clothing so the more durable garments are in good repair when you escape. A block of wood and a piece of cloth make good moccasins; they will save your boots. Rags can substitute for gloves; straw can be woven into hats. Do not forget to salvage clothing from the dead.

Take Care Of

Probably the most important part of any plan for survival is the "take-care-of" phase. Maintain what you have. There will not be reissue when your shoes wear out or your jacket is lost. Also, it is easier to maintain good health than to regain it once you lose it.

Put some of your clothing into your escape cache. Watch the rest for early signs of wear and repair it with improvised material, if necessary. A needle made from a thorn, nail, or splinter and threaded with unraveled cloth can mend a torn pair of trousers. Wood, canvas, or cardboard bound to the soles of your shoes can save them from wear. Even paper can suffice as a reinforcing insole when your shoes do wear through. Good physical health is essential to surival under any circumstances. It is especially important in a POW camp where living conditions are crowded and food and shelter inadequate. This means you must use every device possible to keep yourself well. Soap and water is a basic preventive medicine; so keep clean. If water is scarce, collect rainwater, use dew, or simply rub yourself daily with a cloth or your bare hands. Pay attention to areas on your body that are susceptible to rash and fungus infection-between your toes, your crotch, and your scalp. Keeping clean also applies to your clothing. Use soap and water when you can spare it. Hang your clothes in the sun to air if soap and water are not available. Examine the seams of your clothing and hairy portions of your body frequently for lice and their eggs. Lice infected with disease can kill you. A possible way to get laundry service or even a bath is to tell your guard that you are infested with lice, whether or not your complaint is true. The prison authorities, fearing that lice on prisoners may cause an outbreak of disease among the civilian and guard population, might provide this service.

In the event you become ill, report your condition to the camp authorities. The chance that you could receive aid is well worth the try.