"I could feel the heat of the muzzle, and I said, 'Well this is it.'" (Video Interview, Part II, 5:24)

Jose Mares

Jose Mares, Ft. Lewis, Washington, 1950 War: Korean War, 1950-1955; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Army Unit: 38th Field Artillery, 2nd Infantry Division Service Location: Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Fort Lewis, Washington; Korea; China Rank: Corporal POW: Yes Place of Birth: Prescott, AZ

Infantryman Jose Mares was eating his Thanksgiving dinner on November 24, 1950 while on duty in Korea, when North Korean troops attacked his unit, killing soldiers seated on either side of him. Five days later, he was captured, beginning almost three years of brutal treatment. Mares wouldn't break, even after he was nearly executed for simply refusing to offer any more information than his name, rank, serial number, and date of birth.