When New Mexico’s National Guard 200th and 515th Coast Artillery landed in the Philippines in the early 1940s, they thought they’d landed in paradise. Coming from an arid, landlocked state, few had ever seen beaches or tropical forests. Little did they know that it would soon become hell on earth.
On the day after Japan bombed the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, the Japanese invaded the Philippines. They captured the capital, Manila, in less than a month. American and Filipino defenders retreated onto the Bataan Peninsula, where they held out for three months despite dwindling supplies of food, medicine and ammunition and no support or resupply by naval or air forces. By April 9, starvation and disease had become so crippled the troops that the force of approximately 75,000 surrendered.
On the day after Japan bombed the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, the Japanese invaded the Philippines. They captured the capital, Manila, in less than a month. American and Filipino defenders retreated onto the Bataan Peninsula, where they held out for three months despite dwindling supplies of food, medicine and ammunition and no support or resupply by naval or air forces. By April 9, starvation and disease had become so crippled the troops that the force of approximately 75,000 surrendered.
The Japanese rounded up the surrendered soldiers and forced them to march some 65 miles in what became known as the Bataan Death March. The men, divided into groups of approximately 100, typically took around five days to march from the southern end of the Bataan Peninsula, to San Fernando where they were loaded in to cattle cars to complete the journey to prisoner-of-war camps. Exact figures are unknown, but it is believed that thousands of troops died because of the brutality of their captors, who starved and beat the marchers, and bayoneted those too weak to walk. More than 1,400 of those involved in the march were New Mexicans.
Shaking the hand of Bataan survivor William Overmeier, 2007 The Bataan Memorial Death March is a commemoration held every spring at White Sands Missile Range in Southern New Mexico. Marchers, many of whom are members of the military, complete either the 26.2-mile or the 14.2 mile course. Some carry heavy packs. All do it to honor those involved in the original march. Although their numbers are dwindling, some survivors attend this event. Now in their 90s, time is accomplishing what their Japanese captors could not.
I have done the march five times before: twice completing the short course and three times completing the long. I've accompanied friends, family members, Boy Scouts, and members of Team RWB, an organization that uses exercise and social activities to help veterans reintegrate into civilian life. This year the march is on March 20. This time I have trained and am leading ten others, including four 8th graders, their parents, and other staff members from the middle school at which I work. Five of us are doing the full course. Another six (including me) will complete the short course.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
I have done the march five times before: twice completing the short course and three times completing the long. I've accompanied friends, family members, Boy Scouts, and members of Team RWB, an organization that uses exercise and social activities to help veterans reintegrate into civilian life. This year the march is on March 20. This time I have trained and am leading ten others, including four 8th graders, their parents, and other staff members from the middle school at which I work. Five of us are doing the full course. Another six (including me) will complete the short course.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
