Rigchick, current thinking has changed. During the cold war when it was expected that there would be dozens on POW it was advocated that one should be the 'grey man'.
Now, with relativelky few expected the thinking is that publicity will help. the more notable the prisonner the great the bargaining counter for the captor.
In some cases it would matter not as you could expect mutilation dead or alive with no mercy - one reason why casualties in AFG are recovered at almost any cost.