We rely on cell phones for just about everything today – especially when it comes to getting from one place to another.
During World War II, things were less high-tech. American POWs held in Germany relied on Bicycle Playing Cards to help them find their way back to freedom.
"Our prisoners of war were allowed to receive care packages inside the prison camps," explained United States Playing Card Company President Michael Slaughter.
The Defense Department and British Intelligence came up with the idea to implant maps into the layers of the cards that would help POWs escape; they were distributed by the Red Cross into POW camps inside Germany.
"You take the cards and when you would rip them apart and placed all the cards together it provided you a map of how to get from that particular prisoner of war camp behind enemy lines," Slaughter said.
The cards potentially saved thousands of lives, according to Slaughter. The card company also provided spotter decks depicting both enemy ships, tanks and aircraft to American troops during World War II.
Spotter decks were handed out to troops fighting in Iraq during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, he continued. This time, instead of enemy planes and tanks, the cards depicted Saddam Hussein and his commanders.
"We put millions of decks into Iraq," Slaughter said. "Consumers in the U.S. bought five million decks."
Bicycle Playing Card Company was started in 1885 by two entrepreneurs who set out to make the world's best cards, he said. With a nod to that entrepreneurial spirit, the company recently introduced its Frontline Leaders card deck, which celebrates the impact of the military entrepreneurs on the business world.
"They came back and are making a significant contribution, not just being successful in business, but are giving back to veterans that need that support reintegrating into society," Slaughter said.
The company will donate $1 from the sale of every Frontline deck to the 22 charities it features.
"We're just proud to have been in the rucksack or in the hands of just about everyone who has served in the military," said Slaughter.
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