The document provides an overview of the "Victory From Within" Teachers Guide, which accompanies a traveling exhibit about the American prisoner of war experience. The guide is divided into four sections that correlate with the exhibit: Capture, Prison Life, Those Who Wait, and Freedom. It discusses the meaning of sacrifice in wartime and provides examples of what POWs sacrificed. It also explains what happens when U.S. soldiers are captured, including the codes and conventions that govern their treatment as prisoners of war.

1. “Victory From Within:
The American Prisoner of War Experience.”
Table of Contents
Overview
Sacrifice
Capture
PrisonLife
Those Who Wait
Freedom
Support Documentation
Student Activities

2. Victory From Within Teachers Guide Overview
The Victory From Within (VFW) Teachers Guide is a companion middle/high school guide for
the traveling exhibit “Victory From Within: The American Prisoner of War Experience.”
Educating young people about the sacrifices made by American prisoners of war (POWs) is a
shared goal of the Friends of Andersonville, the American Ex-Prisoners of War, the Korean War
Ex-POW Association, Nam-POW, and the National Parks Service. This Teachers Guide is designed
to provide highlight information about the traveling exhibit, currently on display at the Frontiers of Flight
Museum. The VFW Teachers Guide is designed to provide a meaningful and powerful learning experience for
young people across the U.S. to understand and appreciate the sacrifices made by American
Prisoners of War (POW).
A recent study found that:
 Only 1 in 5 American youth are familiar with the Geneva Conventions.
 Youth are inclined to support illegal actions in times of war.
 Only 1 in 5 American youth know that the U.S. first adopted rules limiting how wars
should be conducted during the American Civil War.
The National Parks Service and the POW organizations mentioned above hope to address these sobering
statistics and bring the heroic and courageous stories of POWs to citizens across the country. The VFW
Exhibition utilizes historical documents, political cartoons, artworks, interviews, articles, and other primary
sources to provide a dynamic and active learning experience. By providing opportunities for young people to
work with these historical artifacts, they learn to view information with a critical eye and to ask probing
questions that lead to understanding. The hope is for lessons learned over time to come alive and be more
meaningful for our next generation of historians and history-makers.
This Teachers Guide is in four main parts to correlate with the Victory From Within Exhibit by following the
same layout as the exhibit. The exhibit is broken into four main sections: Capture, Prison Life, Those Who Wait
and Freedom. We will also discuss the Sacrifice and what the word means in terms of patriotism and freedom.
Finally there are some ideas of student projects to follow up their visit to the “Victory From Within: The
American Prisoner of War Experience.” exhibition at the Frontiers of Flight Museum.

3. Sacrifice
What is the meaning of sacrifice?
Webster definition:
sac·ri·fice
noun ˈsa-krə-ˌfīs, also -fəs or -ˌfīz
 the act of giving up something that you want to keep especially in order to get or do something else or to
help someone
 an act of killing a person or animal in a religious ceremony as an offering to please a god
 a person or animal that is killed in a sacrifice
Full Definition of SACRIFICE
1 an act of offering to a deity something precious; especially: the killing of a victim on an altar
2 something offered in sacrifice
3 a: destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else
b: something given up or lost <the sacrifices made by parents>
4 LOSS <goods sold at a sacrifice>
5 SACRIFICE HIT (BASEBALL)
What does it mean to do “the act of giving up something that you want to keep especially in order to get or do
something else or to help someone”? Could it be the act of going to war to defend the freedoms that all
Americans hold dear? No rational person wants war. Wars destroy property and lives. Unfortunately wars are a
fact of life from the biblical age until today. America has fought wars throughout our history. Our nation was
born from war. We fought a terrible war to free our fellow man from the burden of slavery. We Americans have
fought war after war to help other nations either defend their freedoms or regain those freedoms that were taken
away.
During war, sacrifice is expected of all people. Some will work harder to produce what goods are needed to
fight the war. Some will learn new trades or jobs to better help the nation during wartime. Some people will
decide to join the military and fight while loved ones wait in hopes that their loved one will return. Most will,
some will not, and some will be captured. Those that come home will remember the ones who do not, while
those that are captured will have the unique experience of being alive but unable to do what they desired to do
because of their captivity.
American POWs have had similar experiences no matter which war they served in: fear and uncertainty after
capture; strenuous and dangerous journeys to prison camps; horrific camp conditions; attempts at escape; a will
to survive and overcome; and repatriation after release.

4. Some examples of sacrifice the exhibit will cover were observed and documented. These examples include:
 Physical and mental harm
 Death
 Suffering
 Malnutrition, bad health
 Confinement
 Premature aging
 Harsh living conditions
 Torture
 Witnessing brutalization of fellow prisoners
 Loss of family

5. Capture
In this section, students learn what happens to U.S. military personnel when they are captured by the enemy
during war time. By analyzing video interviews and a variety of sources, students explore the different facets
related to capture—perspectives from POWs, laws and executive orders, and statistics. Specifically, students
learn about the Lieber Code, the U.S. Code of Conduct, and the Geneva Conventions.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 Students utilize multiple sources to analyze what happens when U.S. military personnel are captured.
 Students examine the Lieber Code, The Code of Conduct, and the Geneva Conventions.
 Students interpret the impact of the Lieber Code, The Code of Conduct, and the Geneva Conventions on
the POW experience.
During the tour, the students will see and hear about when and how some Americans were captured during the
various actions. Some were treated roughly but humanely while others were beaten and witnessed their fellow
prisoners murdered by their captors. Once captured, a prisoner is governed by various codes that have expressly
been established for the care and treatment of captured individuals.
The Lieber Code was developed by the Union Army in 1863 during the War Between the States to govern the
treatment of captured Confederate soldiers and interred civilians. This was the first attempt to establish
treatment guidelines for captured people. The Lieber Code outlined what was allowable and not allowable when
dealing with prisoners of war.
The Geneva Convention of 1949 established four international agreements called The Geneva Convention for
the Protection of War Victims. Three of the four Convention agreements are revisions of earlier international
agreements dating back about 100 years.
The first deals with the protection of sick and wounded soldiers on land.
The second covers those at sea or shipwrecked.
The third and most familiar covers the treatment of Prisoners of War.
The fourth deals with the protection of civilians during wartime.
These four agreements provide for the humane treatment of military personnel and civilians in times of conflict,
not just during wartime.
The 1949 Geneva Convention was follow-on of the original 1929 Geneva Convention. The 1949 Convention
was established to correct the harsh, brutal and violent acts committed by various parties during the Second

6. World War to the prisoners of war and interred civilians captured during battles and conquests. The brutal
treatment dealt by Japanese, German and Soviet soldiers to the captured POWs and civilians during World War
II mandated that the nations of the world establish proper humanitarian treatment of captured military and
civilian personnel.
The United States, along with over 200 other countries, is a signatory of the Convention and is legally bound to
conduct military operations humanely in accordance with the provisions established by the Geneva Convention.
The Code of Conduct for Members of the United States Armed Forces was established by President Eisenhower
in 1955. During World War II and the Korean War, POWs were coerced into giving statements that were used
by their captors. There were no definitive guidelines on how American service members were to conduct
themselves during captivity.
The Code of Conduct sets out those guidelines for the American service members on their actions if captured by
enemy forces. The general nature of the Code is that a soldier will never surrender themselves or any forces
under their control of their own free will; if captured, POWs will try, to their utmost ability, not give any
information to the enemy and attempt to escape if possible. The Code specifies that soldiers will continue to
recognize a command structure with the senior POW assuming command of the other POWs. The Vietnam War
saw the first use of the Code of Conduct during combat. The POWs captured by the North Vietnamese and later
by the Iraqi forces during Desert Storm, held tightly to the Code during their imprisonment and most all
credited it to being key to their survival.
The VFW exhibit tells of the bitter experiences of POWs that were captured during several wars. The most
heartbreaking tales are from the ex-POWs who had to endure capture by the Japanese at the start of the war in
the Philippine Island especially Bataan. These soldiers had already spent four months enduring disease,
malnourishment and constant combat when they were forced to surrender. The Japanese then marched the
prisoners over 60 miles in the heat and humidity without food or water to the prison camp. Along the way,
murder was rampant by the Japanese.
After captivity, the Japanese forced the POWs to travel in severely over crowed unmarked ships nick named
“Hell Ships” to different locations to work as slave labor in mines, building railroads and other dangerous
occupations. Many of these unmarked ships were sunk by American submarines that unknowingly drowned
many of their countrymen.

7. POWs in Europe were usually better treated than their Pacific brethren but were also exposed to dangers
especially during the latter part of the war. As the Allied forces closed in on Germany, prison camps were
moved to the interior of Germany. Many POWs were transported on trains which were not marked as POW
transports and were attacked by Allied aircraft trying to destroy the rail transport system in Germany. When
trains were not available, the POWs marched from camp to camp often in terrible winter weather with
temperatures below freezing and tremendous snowfalls. Many of these marchers fell to the sides of the roads,
never to be seen alive again.

8. Prison Life
In this section, students learn about the factors which have historically made an impact on the POW experience.
By examining POW interviews and reviewing the exhibit, students gain an understanding of how POWs were
treated, the physical and emotional tolls on prisoners, and how ingenuity and creativity played a role in survival.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 Students analyze multiple primary sources to learn about the daily life of a POW.
 Students critique the POW experience during the wars of the 20th century.
 Students identify and evaluate the factors which impact the POW experience
Upon arrival at the prison camp, POWs experienced the “essence” of their captors’ “benevolence“.
Early in the American Civil War or War Between the States, captured soldiers could be exchanged for opposing
soldiers of equal ranks but this practice soon was discontinued. Soon, prison camps began to appear to hold the
large numbers of captured solders from both the North and South. Conditions quickly became horrendous; mud
and stagnant water bred disease, poor quality food and lack of medical facilities for the overcrowded camps
contributed to large numbers of deaths to the prisoners. The Andersonville prison camp in Georgia was known
as the most deadly Confederate camp holding over time, over 45,000 Union prisoners of whom 12,913 or over
40% of all Union prisoner deaths occurred. Camp Douglas near Chicago, Illinois was the largest Union prison
camp having over 26,000 Confederate soldiers passing through the gates with 4,454 known deaths while at
Point Lookout in Maryland, over 14,000 Confederates died due to disease, malnutrition and overcrowding.
World War II POWs who were captured in the European Theatre of Operation (ETO) were treated by their
German captors as individuals and fellow soldiers as Germany had been a signatory of the 1929 Geneva
Convention. POWs were treated fairly humanely, given food, water and medical care, and housed in buildings,
which, while not comfortable, that were at least adequate shelter to the European rains and snows. ETO POWs
were able to establish the camp command structure necessary for everyday work and military discipline, set up
camp recreational activities and even organized social events like plays and musical recitals.
POWs who were captured by the Japanese in the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) or Chines/ Burma/India
(CBI) theater were suddenly propelled into what many stated, “Hell on Earth.” The Japanese had not signed the
1929 Geneva Conventions so had no respect for captured soldiers or civilians. Surrender of a soldier was
unheard of by the Japanese warrior code of Bushido. It was more honorable to die for the Emperor than be
caught by the enemy. Thus, the Japanese felt that the surrendered POWs were not honorable and did not deserve

9. to have what warriors deserved and, as such, treated their POWs as “sub-humans”. Beatings, torture, mutilations
and even beheadings were not uncommon in the Japanese POW camps. Little and poor food, as well as jungle
diseases along with the mistreatment lead to the death of most captured prisoners and the poor health of many
survivors.
During the Korean War, American and other United Nations POWs were captured in the harsh mountains and,
in many cases, the bitter cold of the Korean winters. Even though the 1949 Geneva Convention had been signed
in 1949, the North Koreans and Chinese Communists did not adhere to the terms of the Convention. The POWs
were usually walked along by captors many miles until separated into groups and then walked further to the
POW camps. The POWs under communist control were subjected to poor food, torture, constant political
propaganda, and little in terms of entertainment. The intent of the Communists was to convert the POWs away
from their beliefs in America and to accept the communist way of life. Very few Americans did.
North Vietnam had signed the 1949 Geneva Conventions but declared that since the American pilots and air
crews were bombing civilians, that they were not Prisoners of War but rather War Criminals and not subject to
the terms of the Conventions. POWs who were captured by either the North Vietnamese or South Vietnamese
Viet Cong could expect similar hash conditions; torture, beatings, solitary confinement, and brutal
interrogations were virtually daily occurrences for these men. The Viet Cong placed captured soldiers in
bamboo cages barely long enough to lie down in and too small to stand up in. POWs in North Vietnam were
usually shackled in their beds at night and not allowed to communicate with other POWs. The POWs developed
a unique secret code called the “Tap Code”. Captives would tap out letters on their walls and listen to the return
taps by using their tin cups as amplifiers against the walls. Some American POWs spent seven (7) years or
longer in the North Vietnam prisons.
Prisoners captured during Operation Desert Storm (ODS) against Iraq were captured by another enemy who had
signed the 1949 Geneva Conventions but did not always follow the rules. POWs were beaten, shackled and
brutalized to the point of having bones broken. Many were confined in solitary confinement but were usually
fed and had medical treatment when needed. Since ODS was a relatively short war, most POWs were quickly
released by the Iraqis at the end of the conflict.
Common to all the POW stories are how the POWs coped with their captivity. Most accepted that the
conditions they were now under were beyond their control and were determined to do what they could to remain
and get home alive. Many of the videos display a common theme of “I will survive and go home”. John McCain
stated that you had to believe in three things: belief in God, belief in your country and belief in your fellow

10. prisoners. If any of these beliefs slipped, the prisoner lost the will to continue; only by constant reassurance
from their fellow captives would these prisoners bounce back.
America never forgot our POWs and in several instances instituted rescue attempts to free them. After word had
reached the Americans of a large massacre of POWs on Palawan Island, Philippines, there were plans made to
rescue any POWs that could be found. On January 30, 1945, American Rangers and Filipino guerillas marched
30 miles behind Japanese front lines, raided the Japanese POW camp at Cabanatuan on the island of Luzon and
successfully rescued 550 emaciated, weakened, and diseased POWs. On February 3, 1945, an American tank
force rescued over 3700 interned civilians. Another American force parachuted into a mixed POW/ civilian
prison camp at Los Bano, Luzon Philippines and rescued 2,147 POWs and interned civilians.
Not to be outdone, in Europe, On March 27, 1945, there was a rescue attempt at the Hammelburg POW camp
that was 50 miles behind German lines where a tank task force moved to rescue 350 American POWs. The task
force fought its way to the POW camp, discovered that they did not have enough transport to evacuate all 1500
POWs and then fought its way out. The task force was only able to move less than 3 miles when it was stopped
and defeated, the survivors becoming POWs themselves. Hammelburg POW camp was successfully liberated
on April 5, just 10 days after the failed raid.
During the Vietnam War, American military intelligence tried to keep track of where the POW camps were
located. The idea was if camps could be located in isolated areas, the potential of a rescue mission existed. This
is what occurred at Son Tay POW camp about 23 miles from the North Vietnamese capitol of Hanoi. From May
until November 1970, intelligence, Air Force and Army Special Forces worked together to plan and execute a
rescue mission for the estimated 61 American POWs suspected of being held there. The plan was for four
helicopters to land at the POW camp and rescue the POWs supported by a helicopter gunship and five A1
Skyraider close support aircraft. On the night of November 21, 1970, a HH3 Jolly Green Giant helicopter
deliberately crash landed into the central compound at Son Tay POW camp and 14 Special Forces troops rushed
the POW barracks while two HH53 Super Jolly Green Giants deposited two teams of 42 additional Green
Berets to support the attack. No POWs were found during the 27 minute attack; a heart breaking mission failure.
The POWs had been moved several weeks earlier. When the POWs returned to American control, they said that
the raid had caused the North Vietnamese to consolidate their prisoners into fewer locations and allowed them
to be in groups and out of solitary confinement, increasing morale and their spirits. The POWs were given better
treatment, food and better mail services after the raid. Even failed missions can result in better treatment of
POWs.

11. Those Who Wait
This segment will have students learn about the families and friends of POWs at home. Specifically, how they
coped, the sacrifices they made, and the challenges they endured while their loved one was imprisoned. The
module emphasizes the proactive actions of families and friends to ensure the safe and timely return of their
loved ones.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 Students analyze primary sources to explore the different ways people learned about POWs.
 Students construct an understanding of the realities of families of POWs.
 Students analyze how families of POWs challenged and changed government protocols.
Imagine during World War II you are sitting with the rest of the family in your living room listening to the
radio, reading the latest letter from your service member loved one (dated over two weeks earlier) when a knock
happens at the front door. You go to the door and see the Western Union telegraph messenger silently holding a
yellow message envelope in his hands. Panic grips you as you slowly open the door. This is how the Military
Services notify loved ones that a loved one has either been wounded, killed or is missing in action. You take the
envelope in your shaking hands as the other family members’ crowd around you. Crying starts with some and
tears well in your eyes as you slowly open the letter.
“The Secretary of War desires me to express his deep regret that your husband Sergeant
Theodore Bristoll has been reported missing in action since 23 January over Germany. If
further details or other information are received you will be promptly notified”
You and your family’s world has now been turned topsy turvy. The long days of wondering if your loved one is
alive and captured or is dead is just starting to weigh heavily on your mind.
For families of Missing in Action (MIA) soldiers, the uncertainty of what has become of their loved ones is a
feeling that continuously gnaws at their souls and emotions. Notifications of being Killed in Action (KIA) at
least had finality to it. Your loved one was dead and now life had to begin anew. But those who were missing or
captured would have to wait for months or even years before knowing the outcome of this horrible nightmare.
During World War II, the Germans would sometimes announce the names of and, occasionally interview, newly
captured POWs and transmit those messages over short wave radio which were picked up in the United States
by HAM Radio operators. These operators would either telegraph or send postcards to the POWs family
reporting what they had heard about their POW. Sometimes these notifications would reach the families before
official word came from the military about their change of status from MIA to POW.

12. In the Pacific and during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the capturing powers were hesitant if not negligent
about providing names of POWs to the Red Cross for notification of families. Many families did not know their
loved ones were alive until the war was over and repatriation of prisoners had begun.
During the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese liked to photograph and televise captured American POWs to
prove to the world how well they were treating the POWs. These televised moments were the first for many
families that their loved one was alive. Most POWs reluctantly went through the motions but several were able
to pass messages by blinking their eyes in Morse Code with one continuously blinking the word “Tortured”
which was picked up by an alert intelligence officer.
Wives of captured American aircrews in Vietnam banded together and formed the National Association of
Families of American Prisoners in Southeast Asia. This group continuously met with American political and
military official as well as Allied officials to continue to pressure the North Vietnamese to provide information
on the health and wellbeing of their loved ones. These brave ladies were able to keep the plight of their captured
loved ones in the public eye and insure that they were not forgotten.

13. Freedom
Students explore the concept of freedom within the context of the POW experience. Listening to interviews and
exploring a variety of primary sources give students an opportunity to learn more about repatriation and how
coming home after being a POW can be difficult.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 Students synthesize primary source documents to develop an understanding of repatriation.
 Students summarize how repatriation impacts POWs.
 Students construct and defend their position on the cost of freedom.
Freedom came to POWs in many different ways. As mentioned previously, in World War II, it could have been
a tank with a big, white star crashing through the main gate of the camp; it could be when you awoke and
looked out and saw that all the camp guards had left during the night or it could have been when the camp
commander surrendered his sword to the senior POW officer and declared the war was over and the POWs were
now free. After medical checkups and needed rest, freedom became a boat or plane ride back to America!
For the Korean War POW, freedom happened when the camp guards forced you into a truck for a ride to who-
knows-where and then as the tailgate is dropped; you see Red Cross and American troops waiting to receive you
back. In Vietnam, freedom started when B-52 bombers began nightly raids into Hanoi railroad yards and
industrial plants during Christmas of 1972. American POWs had not heard this level of bombing in several
years. Within days, the North Vietnamese began to treat the POWs better; no more torturing or beatings, better
food and they were able to wash themselves and their clothes more often. Then in February and March, 1973 all
591 American POWs held in North Vietnam and 69 Americans held by the Viet Cong were repatriated into US
hands.
Freedom transmitted many emotions to those who were released. From joy and exhileration, at being alive and
free to rage and anger at their captures, tears would freely flow and laughter would ring. Most homecomings
were emotional and loving while some were not so good with news of deaths and divorce greeting the released
prisoners. Many ex-POWs would experience nightmares and bad dreams, some even today; others settled back
into their lives and adjusted to the changes they could not have known prior to their captivity. Most ex-POWs
are quiet about their experiences unless asked about them. Many ex-POWs have written books of their
experiences. Several ex-POWs have become successful politicians such as John McCain and Sam Johnson.

14. Support Documentation
Below is some supporting documentation that you may desire to use to better assist your students in discovering
the POW experience.
Internet sites:
“Victory From Within: The American Prisoner of War Experience” Exhibit Curriculum Guide -
http://www.nps.gov/ande/forteachers/classrooms/curriculum-vfw.htm
Civil War Prison Camps - http://www.civilwaracademy.com/civil-war-prison-camps.html
1945 Raid on Cabanatuan - http://olive-drab.com/od_history_ww2_stories_1945cabanatuan.php
Vietnam War: Raid on Son Tay - http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/vietnamwar/p/sontay.htm
The Los Banos Raid - http://www.thedropzone.org/pacific/Ringler.html
Task Force Baum: The Hammelburg Raid - http://www.taskforcebaum.de/index1.html
National Alliance of Families for the Return of America’s Missing Servicemen - http://nationalalliance.org/
If your class is interested in how German POWs were treated in American POW camps, the Handbook of Texas
has an interesting article at: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qug01
Movies:
Andersonville (1996 TV Movie) highlights the events that went on at Andersonville prison camp during Civil
War.
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) is a fictional account of the building of the Siam/Burma railroad by Allied
POWs under brutal conditions during World War II.
The Great Escape (1963) is a fictionalized account of the largest mass POW escape from a German POW camp.
The Great Raid (2005) is the factual story of the Cabanatuan raid with a fictional love story thrown in.
Hanoi Hilton – (1987) is a drama focusing on the treatment of the American POWs by the North Vietnamese.
Rescue Dawn (2007) is the true story of Dieter Dengler, a Navy pilot shot down over Laos during the Vietnam
War and his escape from a Laotian prison camp.
Stalag 17 – (1953) is a fictional account of life in a World War II POW camp.
Three Came Home (1950) is the true story of Agnes Keith internment by Japanese from 1941-1945 with her
small son.

15. Books:
List of the Amazon recommended books on the Vietnam POW experiences -
http://www.amazon.com/Recommended-books-POW-MIAs-Vietnam/lm/1K1LYJLF7TDGG
Passing of the Night: My Seven Years As a Prisoner of the North Vietnamese. Robinson Risner; Ballantine
Books (Reprint 1989) The true story of Robinson Risner and what occurred during his capture in North
Vietnam.
Five Years to Freedom: The True Story of a Vietnam POW James N Rowe; Presidio Press (1984) True story of
Army Lieutenant James Rowe who was prisoner of the Viet Cong for 5 years.
Is Anybody Listening? A True Story About POW/MIAs in the Vietnam War. Barbara Birchim; AuthorHouse
(2005) This is the story of Barbara Birchim who has been searching for her missing husband, Captain Jim
Birchim since 1968 and the frustrating battles she has waged to find out any information.
List of recommended books on the World War II POW experiences -
http://www.mansell.com/pow_resources/books/books_pows.html
Unbroken: The World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption. Laura Hillenbrand; Random House
(2010) The true story of the life of Louie Zamperini, street tough, Olympic runner and Air Force crewman
whose bomber crashed in 1943 starting a two year fight for survival first against the seas and then the Japanese.
Escape From Davao: The Forgotten Story of the Most Daring Prison Break of the Pacific War John Lukacs;
NAL Trade (2011) Story of the escape of ten American POWs and two Filipinos from a Japanese POW camp in
the Philippine Island and their tales of brutality and torture that the American government forced them to never
tell.
Attached Documentation
Victory From Within Timeline
Prisoners of War in American History: A Synopsis
Bataan Death March Map
Code of Conduct for Members of the Armed Forces of the United States
Lieber Code
Prisoners of War (Chapters 1-3)
Veterans Administration – Former Prisoners of War
Student Activities

16. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 Students explain how POWs have sacrificed for our country.
 Students use their creativity to create memorial designs to communicate the American POW experience.
 Students utilize a variety of media and presentation strategies to convey designs and plans.
Enclosed in your Teachers Guide packet, there will be a student handout. Students will be able to write down
things that they experience and items they want to remember about the exhibit. You may copy and distribute the
handout as well as copies being available at the Museum.
VICTORY PROJECT(Optionalat school)
The Victory Project allows students the opportunity to synthesize what they have learned throughout the entire
VFW exhibit experience and complete a final project based on their personal passion and strengths.
Students may design and create plans for projects that honors and communicates the story of the American
prisoner of war experience. These may include a term paper, art project, video, poetry or other related activity
that personalizes the student’s experience at the “Victory From Within” exhibit.