As a young man, John Dunn made a name for himself bare-knuckle boxing for money. When World War II began he tried to join the Marines, but was rejected because of his flat feet, so he entered the Army as an enlisted man. He volunteered for “a dangerous, secret mission” in Burma just to see action. During the Korean War he was captured in North Korea after being shot in the jaw. He was the highest-ranking officer among 737 American of whom only 275 survived the 38-month captivity.