WHEN HELL FROZE OVER: THE MEMOIR OF A KOREAN WAR COMBAT PHYSICIAN WHO SPENT 1010 DAYS IN A COMMUNIST PRISON CAMP - Softcover

Shadish, William

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0595468993 ISBN 13: 9780595468997

Publisher: iUniverse, 2007

Synopsis

Dr. William Shadish was a Korean War combat physician and prisoner of war. His descriptions of medical care on the front lines differ considerably from those found in the popular fictional television series, M.A.S.H., or in most Hollywood films. Even more important is his portrayal of the North Korean POW camps, where his captors, in preparation for their indoctrination programs, deliberately sought to weaken the physical and mental well-being of their prisoners. Dr. Shadish fought valiantly, and often successfully, against these so-called "brainwashing" sessions. He also stubbornly demanded better food, shelter, clothing, and medical care for his men. Such aggressive tactics earned him the enmity of the Chinese camp officers, as well as several trips to the punishment hole. Despite his courageous efforts, William Shadish, like all returning American prisoners, faced accusations of collaboration on his return to the States. That such charges reflected the Red Scare tenor of the times more than they did reality mattered little to these men who had sacrificed so much for their country.

About this title

About the Author:

William Shadish is a retired plastic surgeon who spent twenty years in the U.S. Army. He served as a combat physician during the Korean War before being captured in 1950. After liberation and his return to active duty in the States in 1953, he specialized in plastic, reconstructive, and hand surgery. Following his army retirement in 1966, he went into private practice in Redding, California, from which he retired in 1992. Today, he and his wife Karen care for their prize-winning roses and an extensive fossil collection.Lewis H. Carlson is a retired professor of history at Western Michigan University. Among his eleven books are Remembered Prisoners of a Forgotten War: An Oral History of Korean War POWs and We Were Each Other's Prisoners: An Oral History of World War II American and German Prisoners of War. He lives in Austin, Texas, and Ludington, Michigan.

About this edition

• Publisher: iUniverse
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0595468993
• ISBN 13: 9780595468997
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 186