Gerald Cavagnaro
Bio
Gerald Cavagnaro was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, in 1928. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1946, serving as a 75 mm recoilless rifle operator. He landed in Busan, Korea, on August 29, 1950. During his service, his unit was attacked and captured, which led him to endure four different enemy POW camps from November 1950 to August 1953. As a prisoner of war, Gerald faced harsh living conditions, subsisting mainly on millet and soybeans while battling lice infestations. Eventually, he was released after being transferred by train and ambulance to the North and South Korean border. In 1989, Gerald returned to Korea and was amazed by how much the country had changed and prospered since the war.
Video Clips
Captured Near Pyongyang
Gerald Cavagnaro recounts the harrowing experience of his unit being cut off during an attack by the Chinese forces. He describes how they ran out of ammunition and the subsequent capture of himself and around 150 other men in November 1950. He shares the details of a march they endured to a place the soldiers referred to as "Death Valley."
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAsaA2GOkZY&start=805&end=1007
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/gerald-cavagnaro#clip-1
Embed:
Stopping the Spread of Lice
Gerald Cavagnaro recounts his experiences in a POW camp, detailing the pervasive lice infestation that affected everything. He notes that other countries later added their prisoners of war to the camp. He discusses the Communist indoctrination sessions to which he was subjected during his time there.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAsaA2GOkZY&start=1229&end=1322
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/gerald-cavagnaro#clip-2
Embed:
Release for POWs
Gerald Cavagnaro recounts his experience of moving to the last POW camp. He describes being transferred by train and ambulance to the border for his release as a prisoner of war. He details the delousing process and shares his experience of taking his first real shower in thirty-three months. He mentions having his fingerprints taken, getting a photo taken, and receiving a laminated card with his information upon returning to the U.S. Army.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAsaA2GOkZY&start=1585&end=1758
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/gerald-cavagnaro#clip-3
Embed: