A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. [a] Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a range of reasons.
prisoner of war (POW), any person captured or interned by a belligerent power during war. In the strictest sense it is applied only to members of regularly organized armed forces, but by broader definition it has also included guerrillas, civilians who take up arms against an enemy openly, or noncombatants associated with a military force.
On , news of the Normandy invasion spread through German prisoner-of-war camps like wildfire, igniting hope in Allied POWs. On , American prisoners of war from Stalag III-C were caught, tragically, in a firefight between German guards and Soviet troops.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day was established by Congress to honor those armed service members held captive, who returned or who remain missing, while fighting in the nation's foreign wars.
Life as a POW meant many forced marches in subfreezing weather, solitary confinement, brutal punishments and attempts at political "re-education." Here prisoners received their first systematic dose of indoctrination techniques by their captors.
Learn what makes someone a prisoner of war, the rights they're guaranteed under international law, and how the U.S. protects its captured service members. A prisoner of war (POW) is a person captured and held by an enemy force during an armed conflict between nations.
Prisoner of War (POW): The Ultimate Guide to Rights, Rules, and ...
What is a POW? A POW or Prisoner of War is an enemy combatant captured and held during wartime. Very specific rules govern who exactly is defined as a POW, and how POWs are to be treated by their captors. For example, governments must notify each other when they capture POWs.