Fires:

The Chinese treatment of POWs in Korea was abhorrent for a multitude of reasons, and treating officers just as badly as junior enlisted was only one of their crimes. The degradation of morale and discipline among the POWs was the result of a multitude of factors, and the disregard for officer/NCO status is certainly one reason. By dehumanizing their POWs and insisting on treating the officers as no different from the men, the Chinese were able to undermine the enduring military chain of command among POWs. The American officers certainly hold some responsibility for this by failing to maintain the chain of command within the camp. As another poster notes, I do not believe it is entirely possible to halt the decay of morale among POWs even in ideal conditions. However, a clear purpose for a mission and the knowledge of a strong chain of command may contribute to higher morale among POWs. That is to say, if a POW knows that his sacrifice has a purpose and he knows that his chain of command endures despite harsh conditions, he is likely to retain some of his dignity as a soldier.