Who was the longest held POW in ww2?

"Floyd James Thompson". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2008-02-02. Booknotes interview with Tom Philpott on Glory Denied: The Saga of Jim Thompson, America's Longest-Held Prisoner of War, August 5, 2001.

Who was the longest POW in ww2?

But in many ways, it is also the story of our country's painful growth in the 1960s and 70s. United States Army Colonel Floyd “Jim” Thompson, the longest held prisoner of war (POW) in American history, and his wife, Alyce, were products of the idealism of post-World War II America.

Who is the longest kept POW?

(WATE) — Across America, National POW, MIA Recognition Day will be observed on September 16. It honors those who were prisoners of war and those who are still missing in action, or MIA. The longest-held enlisted POW is Bill Robinson from East Tennessee.

Who was the longest held POW in American history?

Col. Floyd J. Thompson, who endured nearly nine years of torture, disease and starvation in Vietnam as the longest-held prisoner of war in American history, has died.

Who is the most famous POW?

John McCain spent 5½ years in captivity as a POW in North Vietnam. His first-person account of that harrowing ordeal was published in U.S. News & World Report on in May 14, 1973. Shot down in his Skyhawk dive bomber on Oct. 26, 1967, Navy flier McCain was taken prisoner with fractures in his right leg and both arms.

The Longest Held POW of WW2 (World War 2)

Are there any female POWs?

From Florena Budwin, a Civil War woman who disguised herself as a man to join Union troops and was held in a Confederate prison camp, to the 67 Army nurses who were taken captive by the Japanese in World War II, there have been less than 100 military women held as POWs throughout American history.

Who was the youngest POW?

Joseph Alexander became a POW at 15. He was a military and civilian worker at Kelly AFB. Joseph Alexander never got to enjoy his youth. At just 14 years old, and with his grandmother by his side, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, and is said to have been the youngest American prisoner of war.

Who were the longest POWs in Vietnam?

Floyd Thompson, USA Special Forces, POW for nearly nine years, and the longest held prisoner of war in American history.

What was the most famous POW camp?

The most famous POW breakout is the 'Great Escape' in March 1944 from Stalag Luft III, a camp which held Allied aircrew.

Are there still any POWs in Vietnam?

STATUS OF THE POW/MIA ISSUE: July 12, 2022

1,584 Americans are still listed by DoD as missing and unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War: Vietnam - 1,244 (VN-442, VS-802); Laos–285; Cambodia-48; Peoples Republic of China territorial waters–7.

How long did Russia hold German POWs?

The Soviet government kept roughly 1.5 million German POWs in forced-labor camps after the end of World War II through 1956.

What was the best POW camp in ww2?

Stalag Luft III had the best-organised recreational program of any POW camp in Germany.

Do POWs still get paid?

Captive or POW Pay and Allowance Entitlements: Soldiers are entitled to all pay and allowances that were authorized prior to the POW period. Soldiers who are in a POW status are authorized payment of 50% of the worldwide average per diem rate for each day held in captive status.

Did German POWS stay in America after ww2?

Although they expected to go home immediately after the end of the war in 1945, the majority of German prisoners continued working in the United States until 1946—arguably violating the Geneva Convention's requirement of rapid repatriation—then spent up to three more years as laborers in France and the United Kingdom.

How many American POW are still missing?

Our research and operational missions include coordination with hundreds of countries and municipalities around the world. As this map shows, at present, more than 81,500 Americans remain missing from WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and the Gulf Wars/other conflicts.

Who was the only German POW to escape?

Oberleutnant Franz Baron von Werra, known as 'The One that Got Away' was the only German prisoner of war during the Second World War who escaped and got back to Germany.

Did any German POWs stay in America?

It is believed that about 1 percent of Germans did stay, and an unknown percentage later came back to the United States, largely because of poor employment prospects in the immediate postwar Germany.

Who was the first female POW?

Robinson Military Women Veteran's Center on Saturday. Eighteen years after she was captured by Iraqi forces on March 23, 2003 — at age 19, becoming the first American prisoner of war and first woman to be rescued since World War II — former U.S. soldier Jessica Lynch still wrestles with post traumatic stress disorder.

Which war had the most POWs?

In the largest war of the Twentieth Century — World War II - thousands of Americans were held as prisoners of war. In Europe, nearly 94,000 Americans were imprisoned as POWs.

Were there any female POWs in Vietnam?

During the Vietnam War Monika Schwinn, a German nurse, was held captive for three and a half years - at one time the only woman prisoner at the "Hanoi Hilton". The following missionaries were POWs: Evelyn Anderson, captured and later burned to death in Kengkok, Laos, 1972.

What was the bloodiest day in Vietnam?

The deadliest day of the Vietnam War for the U.S. was 31 January at the start of the Tet Offensive when 246 Americans were killed in action.

Are there any American POWs left?

There are no known living POWs left in Vietnam from the American War. Many veterans and survivors of those terrible years have returned to the country to visit and pay respects to their peers left behind. A few have even returned to live there.

Who is the youngest ww2 vet still alive?

He was in fact, only 13 years old. SAN ANTONIO — On this Veteran's Day we are honoring the youngest living World War II veteran. Like many Americans, Bob Kelso signed up to fight in World War Two.

How many former POWs are still alive?

Only one fifth of America's former POWs since World War I are still living (about 22,641). More than 90% of living former POWs were captured and interned during World War II. About 15,367 former POWs are in receipt of compensation for service-connected injuries, diseases, or illnesses.