'The Korean War was a tipping point in American military history. In every war before Korea, the conduct of military personnel when captured and held in enemy prison camps presented no unforeseen problems to the armed forces, and gave rise to no particular concern in the country as a whole. The Korean War was different. Twenty-one of the Americans captured as members of the United Nations forces decided to remain with the enemy. Collaboration with the enemy was widespread. One out of three prisoners aided the enemy. Two out of five died, many at the hands of their fellow Americans. Following the Korean War, US military leaders allowed writer Eugene Kinkead unparalleled access to Korean War military records. His 1959 book, In Every War but One, describes the sobering details. His book was widely read, and contributed to renewed interest in youth physical, mental, and moral fitness that eventually spiked under President John F. Kennedy’s leadership. In 1961, our President wrote an article called The Soft American. It warned against the dangers of becoming physically, mentally, and morally unfit. Many Americans welcomed the challenge, but most were not interested. Physical educators by then were not trained in the methods used in previous generations and preferred almost total emphasis on sports. The effort died soon after JFK’s assassination, and Kinkead’s book was eventually forgotten.'
Tags: youth fitness , military fitness , army fitness , Army physical fitness , korean war , youth physical fitness , in ever war but one , fit to fight , United State Army physica fitness , Eugene Kinkead
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