The Trial of a Korean War 'Turncoat': The Court-Martial of Corporal Edward S. Dickenson

摘要

On 4 May 1954, a court-martial sitting at Fort McNair, Virginia, convicted Corporal (CPL) Edward S. Dickenson of "collaborating with the Reds" while held as a prisoner of war (POW) in North Korea. Dickenson was also found guilty of "informing on his prison camp buddies" while a POW. As a result of this conviction for aiding the enemy and misconduct while a POW, Dickenson was sentenced to ten years confinement at hard labor, total forfeitures, and a dishonorable discharge. Dickenson's trial was the first court-martial of a Soldier for misconduct as a POW to come out of the Korean War, and the proceedings received widespread coverage in the media. While this alone makes it a story worth telling, United States v. Dickenson also is worth examining for a second reason: for the first time in military legal history, an accused sought an acquittal on the basis that he had been so mistreated and "brainwashed" while a POW that he was not responsible for any acts of collaboration with the enemy.