The fall of Bataan

They held a ceremony a couple days ago in Bataan, because the Death march anniversary was actually on April 10 (not in May when the last soldiers surrendered from Corrigador).

Most of those surrendering were local Filipinos. Here the day is called Araw ng Kagitingan,

Some 72,000 men of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) laid down their arms. On the Death March, 20,000 died. Of the 52,000 who survived the march (42,000 Filipinos and 9,200 Americans) and were imprisoned at Camp O’Donnel in Capas, Tarlac, 30,000 more died.

an account of the March through Filipino eyes can be found HERE.


but the biggest celebration in the US is in White Sands, because the New Mexico National Guard was sent to defend Manila shortly before December 1941. The NG was multiethinic, including "Anglos", "Mexicans" and Indians, including Acoma, Apache, and Navajo.

That is the reason for the Navajo codetalkers having to devise a double code, be sure their code could not be broken: because those captured included a few Navajo. Joe Kieyoomia was tortured to try to get him to translate it...

Here, there is a bit of amnesia about the war. For old folks, the memories are too painful, and for the young, they don't learn about such things.

Photos of the memorial here in the Philippines is HERE.

It says a lot about history that to commemorate the march they hold a marathon in New Mexico and now here in the Philippines.