1952 POW olympics

The 1952 POW olympics were held November of 1952 in Pyuktong North Korea. This was an event put on by the North Korean Army with the help of Chinese volunteers. They put these games on to show that prisoners of war were treated with respect and care. This may have been a propaganda effort, but this was a great morale boost for the prisoners of war involved. More than 500 athletes representing prisoners from; South Korea, Turkey, Great Britain, Australia, and The United States of America were represented in these games. These games help opening ceremonies on November 15th, 1952. The opening ceremony was a copy of the official Olympic ceremony. The Athletes marched in with flags representing their camps. There was a torch lighting ceremony, the torch bearer was Wilis Stone Jr. from the United States.

The POWs who participated in these Olympics were in very good shape and put on a good show. The events that the prisoners participated in were: Basketball, Boxing, Football, Gymnastics, Soccer, Track and Field, and Tug of War. They had an Olympic committee as well as awards for the top three finishing camps. These events portrayed the strength and endurance that the prisoners had. These events are often thought to have taken place because of the controversial treatment of the POWs. The Olympics gave the prisoners a chance to see their fellow soldiers and mingle while playing various sports and show that they were in good shape at the same time. With the soldier's cooperation in this event, it may have portrayed the image that everything was fine in the POW camps. Many accounts of the survivors mention that this may have been the only time they could go and see other camps, possibly to find their comrades, and that is why they went along with it.