Remembering April 9, 1942: Bataan Death March

[wackychick]

WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M.(Army News Service, April 9, 2008) - Wounded Warriors led an all-time record of more than 4,400 marchers at the start of the 19th annual Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range March 30.

A total of 28 Wounded Warriors who served in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq participated in the annual march, which honors a special group of heroes.

On April 9, 1942, about 75,000 Filipino and U.S. Soldiers were surrendered to the Japanese forces. The Americans were Army, Army Air Corps, Navy and Marines. Among those seized were members of the 200th Coast Artillery, New Mexico National Guard.

The prisoners were forced to march about 100 kilometers north to Nueva Ecija to Camp O'Donnell, a prison camp, in the scorching heat through the Philippine jungles.

Prisoners of war were beaten randomly and denied food and water for several days. Those who fell behind were executed. Thousands died. Those who survived faced the hardships of a prisoner of war camp. Others were wounded or killed when U.S. air and naval forces sank unmarked enemy ships transporting prisoners of war to Japan.

Read about the historic march and its remembrance here.