EVASION
According to the Code of Conduct for Members of
the Armed Forces of the United States, it is your duty to
evade capture by the enemy. Your job is to get back to
your unit. Your survival will depend on your ability to
apply the techniques of evasion. No other reason is more
important for making evasion techniques part of your
basic combat skills.
Evasion means traveling through enemy-held
territory without being captured. Falling into the hands
of the enemy is an event that no military person wants to
experience. However, at some point in your career you
may find yourself in a situation where capture is a
possibility. You need to know a few basic evasion
principles to decrease your chances of winding up as a
guest of the enemy.
During World War II and the succeeding actions in
Korea and Vietnam, many of our soldiers, Sailors, and
marines were able to avoid the enemy and safely return
to friendly forces. They were successful because they
applied some or all of the guidelines presented in the
following paragraphs. You need to learn this
information so that you know how to evade the enemy. It
could mean the difference between freedom or capture;
interrogation; and possibly, inhumane treatment by
enemy forces.
Obviously, the most important consideration in
evasion is knowing where the enemy is located. If you
don’t know the enemy’s location, watch for the
15-23
Student Notes:
Figure 15-16.—Water hemlock.
Figure 15-17.—Fly agaric.
Figure 15-18.—Death angel.
