During my military career, I was constantly drilled on the provisions of the Geneva Conventions. I have been extremely proud that the United States has led the world in upholding treaties governing the status and care of enemy prisoners. As a former POW in Vietnam, I know what life in a foreign prison is like. To a large degree, I credit the Geneva Conventions for my survival. While the Vietnamese rarely abided by the rules, the international pressure on them to do so forced them to walk a line that ensured they did not perpetrate the sort of shocking abuses at Abu Ghraib. All material found on Utah Online is copyrighted The Salt Lake Tribune and associated news services.