포로신문
보/고/서

ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO - 3040　29 January 1951

The following information was obtained from recovered American military personnel, who were interrogated upon their arrival in JAPAN from KOREA, by Central Interrogation Center, ATIS. Interrogation was conducted by Lt FUSCO.

The above listed men were captured by North Korean troops near CHUGU-RI on 3 January 1951. They were held for 7 days before being released about 7 miles southeast of CHECHON on 9 January 1951. They shared the same experiences and corroborated each other’s statements. Sgt MARSHALEK will be used as the source not only because he had been treated as the leader of the group and therefore had more contact with their captors, but also because he was much more observant than the rest. However each of the above was interrogated separately.

Source states that immediately following capture, the Americans were shaken down. All valuables were taken from them as well as their personal papers such as ID cards, social security cards, passes, address books and photographs. All had their coats taken from them while one also had his shoes taken. They were led to the rear to a CP and after a short rest, were moved again 5 miles to a house where they were fed. The officer in charge whose rank was unknown could not speak English but could speak Russian which he said he had learned at PYONGYANG. Source understood Russian and was told that the group was to be turned over to an English-speaking officer.

The following day they were interrogated for the first time by a North Korean Major name CHO IK CHOON. This man who wore glasses was described as 49 years old, 5’6” tall and weighed about 150 lbs. His face was oval and the skin was beginning to wrinkle. His hair was greying along the sides of his head. He claimed to have been an instructor of English at TAEGU although he wrote better than he spoke it. He wore a field uniform with long black boots and bloused trousers. He carried a pistol as a sidearm. He stated that his son is now in the UNITED STATES studying at a university which he did not name.

Maj CHOON interrogated each man separately for about 30 minutes and assured them that they would not be harmed. His first action was to procure the individual’s dog tags. Then he asked the prisoner’s name, rank, serial number, home address, marital status, number of children, civilian occupation and whether or not his mother was living. After these individual interrogations, the group was subjected to constant indoctrination for 4 days by the Major. On the day following the individual interrogation, an officer who was said by the North Koreans to be a South Korean lieutenant, was added to the group. Source believed that this man was put there as a “plant” to gather information not divulged to the North Koreans and to observe the result of the indoctrination. He disappeared after one day. Throughout their stay of 4 days in this house, there were many visiting officers. As a result of observing the number of officers who came there and also listening attentively to what was said, source believed that it was part of the North Korean Fifth Corps CP.

On the second day at this CP a Senior Colonel, introduced as a Division Political Officer, came and visited for 7-8 hours. He could not speak English but through Major Choon communicated his ideas to the prisoners. He stated that the UNITED STATES was an imperialistic war-mongering nation that had already succeeded in colonizing JAPAN, was trying to enslave KOREA, was planning to conquer MANCHURIA and then the world. He praised Henry Wallace as the outstanding political figure in AMERICA. On the other hand he made derogatory remarks about President TRUMAN, General MacARTHUR and Senator Joseph McCARTHY. He tried to depict the Communist way of life as better than the American.

On 7 January the group was told that they were to be released. Each man was given a pass to permit him to get through the lines and 3 propaganda leaflets. These pamphlets were taken from them upon return to the American lines. Two of them concerned intervention by the UN in KOREA. The third concerned racial discrimination. All three were composed of from two to three paragraphs of two to three sentences each. There were no sketches, pictures or caricatures on these leaflets. The general idea expressed was that President TRUMAN was fooling the people and that he and General MacARTHUR were capitalist war-mongers. They urged the Americans to throw down their guns and go back to their families. The leaflet on racial discrimination asked why colored people fight for the UNITED STATES when they do not have civil rights in the States.

Each was given a 1,000 won note, for which he had to sign a voucher. This was to help them in case they needed food or cigarettes. Source, as leader of the group, was given a letter written by Major CHOON to be given to the Company Commander upon arrival back to their lines. The major’s parting speech was to the effect that the men should get back home as quickly as possible and get into politics to help spread the doctrine of Communism. A copy of the letter as written by Major CHOON follows:

“Dear Sir: (to the Company’s leader)

We send you 6 American War prisoners back to you.

Because they are not our enemy, Our real enemy is the American War-mongers, monopolic Capitalists and their clique.

We are peace loving people, therefore We advice you to stop the war soon.

We are fighting for our self-government and our independence.

We hope that American Army will go back home as soon as possible.

Throw away your guns and try to go back home.

I think your parents and wife are waiting for you very eagerly.

Remember me kindly to your all soldiers.

Yours truly

Korean people’s army,

No. 745

political officer

Cho ik choon”

The group was then led to a main highway accompanied by the Senior Colonel, Division Political Officer who after shaking hands with all, pointed out the direction in which the American lines were located. They started off without any guide and after proceeding along the highway and through a small deserted village unmolested were finally challenged the following morning by a North Korean patrol. Source produced the passes for the group. The patrol leader tore them all up and took them to a nearby CP telling them they were going to be taken to WONJU.

On 8 January, source was interrogated by an officer who claimed to be a graduate of Tokyo University. This man appeared to the source to look more Japanese than Korean. He spoke perfect English. He was in charge of the CP where they were printing a one sheet newspaper in Korean. This was called the “Army Newspaper”. It was publishing articles on world events with a Communistic slant. One of the articles read to the source was an announcement that the UN was to consider the Korean question on 10 January (2 days later). Source stated that the paper seemed to be publishing news of very recent happenings throughout the world.

This officer who was in charge of not only the small headquarters but also the newspaper printing was very friendly and understanding upon hearing the story of the source. He called in the man who had torn up the passes and reprimanded him strongly. Then he made one new pass for the group, gave it to source and the next day released the group. He permitted a guide to accompany them until they made contact with the American forces.

For the CO TIS: