Duane Thorin passed away before he could finish this work. I have included his synopsis of the unfinished chapters, and included one chapter that I happened to have on hand, that Duane had planned on revising, and given to me many months ago. If any other chapters surface, then they will be added as well.
Members of Duane's family have located subsequent chapters to this work. I am including them where they belong. Because of the missing chapters, and that the last chapters did not under go revision, it may make this appear disjointed. It is the best we can do under the circumstances.
Preface
Prologue
Korea I
Pusan Perimeter
Interludes
Inchon
Korea II
The Praesae Incident
Summer Camp
Second Cruise Sendoff
Toodle-Dee-Doo
The Real Navy
Not Heroes, Just Good Sailors
Rope Yarns
Friend or Foe
Korea III
Pak's Palace
Pretending
Slave Camp
From Pak's to Pyoktong
The Little Schoolhouse
The Great Escape
Solitude
Back to School
Synopsis of unwritten chapters:
Big Compound: Schoolhouse group moved and joined with another group in area enclosed by primitive fence. Allowed to set up kitchen and other things more proper. Conditions generally improving—pettiness of some POW's increasing. Concerns about "stool pigeons." Maj Harris has help with internal discipline and sets up secret escape committee.
Butcher, Baker, Walkingstick Maker: Army Sgt buddy from Pak's and Slave Camp assumes charge of kitchen. Self as general handyman able to produce considerable of escape equipment while doing various things to improve facilities in compound.
Doctor, Laywer, Indian Chief: Meet Marine captain "Chief" Flynn, who appears to be natural leader in the larger group just joined. Quiet observation of each other, and some objective testing, draws us gradually into discussion of escape possibilities and eventual decision to team up for that purpose.
The Children's Hour: Return to platoon after interrogation finds Army Lt and little gang of dissidents demanding a bedtime story every night to lull them to sleep. Threatens breakdown of internal discipline, results in confrontation with several of dissidents.
Dignity and Dirt: Family group of 5 women and 4 men, political prisoners, are set to slave labor in the compound repairing buildings and many other projects. Kitchen crew and self manage to provide some food and soap to them, despite enemy supervision.
Probably an appropriate place to end the saga as far as detailed recounting is concerned. but a postlude might be in order re some problems resulting from the media blitz about something they called "brainwashing" which was represented as a possibly irresistable technique the enemy had developed for controlling a man's mind. Because of the long delay in my return to US (one of the last three to return with the others on the same flight) and no explanation for it other than "classified top secret," there was speculation including in my family that perhaps the delay was in order to "de-program" me from the enemy's supposed mind-control. After return to duty and my reporting directly to him my appraisal of the communists' purposes and techniques in their treatment of the POWs, Adm martin substantially wiped out any lingering doubts as to my sanity or dependability by assigning me to lecture to all squadrons and airgroups in ComAirPac and set up a training program on survival, evasion and escape, and resistance to enemy pressures in event of capture.
Note: This is as far as Mr. Thorin had gotten on his memoirs. If you are interested, then you may want to read A Ride to Panmunjom, a fictionalized account of the actual facts, written by Mr. Thorin.
©2002, 2003 by Lynn Waterman