Abstract
During World War II, U.S. airmen circulated pernicious rumors about the motives of the hundreds of aircrews who landed in neutral countries. Although investigated and disproven by the leadership of the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF), the rumors persisted in popular memory and ultimately stigmatized the veterans who endured neutral captivity. This essay examines the motives of some airmen who landed in Switzerland, and argues that the stigma associated with neutral captivity resulted in denials of benefits and military decorations to deserving veterans.
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Cite this article
Dwight S. Mears, “The Catch-22 Effect: The Lasting Stigma of Wartime Cowardice in the U.S. Army Air Forces,” The Journal of Military History 77, no. 3 (July 2013): 1025–1054.