POWs (Prisoners Of War) are persons lucky enough or in some cases unfortunate enough to be caught by the “Enemy” during times of war. In some armed conflicts POWs are treated well, most of the time they are  not. Even with the arrival of the 2^nd Geneva Convention held in 1949( directly following WWII) human rights did not cease to be an issue during armed conflicts.

Vietnam, a war that symbolizes changein America and a growing mistrust of a Man- in- Uniform, was not without its heroes. The North Vietnamese were a particular brutal enemy, possessing no qualms about torturing and maiming American servicemen. A famous soldier who went through these ordeals is Lt. Cmdr. John S. McCain. During his five years in captivity he was malnourished (eventually dropping to 100 pounds), subject to filthy conditions (such as living in feces), and had his bones broken multiple times (even walking with a limp to this day). This is but one example of how POWs have been mistreated.

On a different note is the Iraqi\Abu Ghraib Prison incident. America service men had violated the Geneva Convention by forcing prisoners to pose in compromising positions. The U.S. Governments official apology “It was un-American. And it was inconsistent with the values of our nation. ”Like so many other Americans I believe that this apology does not do the Iraqi’s justice.”

The above mentioned event chronicles extreme occurrences of POWs abuse. It would appear that this abuse not only comes from violent lawless nations but also the worlds “Protector” the United States of America.