Volume 10 , Issue 12

Bataan Death March Memorial - WWII

"The numbers of World War II veterans is dwindling rapidly, and their heroics deserve to be remembered. One group is being remembered next weekend, March 30, 2008. They are known as The Battling Bastards of Bataan. No Mama, No Papa, No Uncle Sam."

This event is a remembrance of the April 10, 1942, Bataan Death March. For anyone who is unfamiliar with this, the Bataan story, a google search will produce quite a bit of information. There have been movies chronicling the events of Bataan, the most recent was a movie released in 2005, The Great Raid, which told the story of a raid to free some of the prisoners from one of the labor camps. bataanmarch.com and history.sandiego.edu.

While I am not certain just how many survivors of the Death March are still living, I have been privileged to know two of the only three surviving members who are still living in Dona Ana County. The one who has become the closest acquaintance is Weldon Hamilton, originally from the Salina, Kansas area. He is one of the most remarkable men I have ever known, and I feel fortunate to have had him pass thru my life.

One of my other acquaintances who has been very instrumental in the annual memorial event, is the son of a prisoner who was killed on one of the hell ships which transported prisoners to slave labor camps in Japan.

While this may not really be in the vein of your weekly ezine, a mention would be appreciated." -- Marvin Henry - Email: nmfigment@yahoo.com
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