Surviving as a prisoner of war takes courage. While no longer in combat, POWs are at the mercy of their captors, who try to control prisoners through intimidation, physical harm, or simply crushing their spirits.
Career Marine Chief Warrant Officer Felix McCool understood the challenges facing POWs better than most. First captured by the Japanese in World War II, McCool was also a POW during the Korean War.
The Chinese captured McCool at Chosin, and took him to a Communist POW camp. His captors attempted to indoctrinate prisoners and turn them against the United States.
McCool's letters home, poems, and speeches describe the pressures applied to prisoners, their hardships, struggles, and how the men managed to remain dedicated and loyal to their country.
Edited by McCool's grand-nephew Scott Marckmann and Marckmann's mother, Let's Face It is an inspiring collection of thoughts on war and freedom by a true patriot.
About the Author: Felix J. McCool was born on Flag Day in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, and joined the Oklahoma National Guard when he was twenty-two. In 1938 he enlisted as an infantryman in the US Marine Corps. Four years later he became a prisoner of war when Corregidor Island surrendered to the Japanese. He would survive brutal conditions in Japanese work camps until his release in 1945.
McCool volunteered for service with the First Marines when the Korean War began. Captured during the fierce battle for Chosin, he spent another three years in a Chinese POW camp.
After the Korean Armistice, McCool returned home and lectured about his experiences as a POW, and the military code of conduct. He later taught at a Miami High School, continually extolling the virtues of our freedoms. In 1957 he appeared on Ralph Edward's This is Your Life television show and published a book of poems. McCool passed away in 1972.
