Bataan Death March

[Andy HoboTraveler.com]

Bataan Death March

I was on a bus between Angeles City or Clark Airport, I was on the way to Olangapo, Philippines when I spotted these markers along side the road. The seem to be about one kilometer apart. Very difficult to time it correctly to take a photo from a moving bus, however I would count off a minute and then turn on the camera. This is a blow up of an even worst photo, but a great benefit of a digital camera, I can choose a photo inside a photo and manipulate the picture.

(2) Bataan Death March

-- Homma, Masaharu (1888-1946), Japanese lieutenant general in World War II (1939-1945), who was responsible for the Bataan Death March. Thousands of American and Filipino prisoners of war were abused and killed during the 101-km (63-mi) forced march. Homma was born in Niigata Prefecture. He served as commander in chief of the Japanese invasion forces in the Philippines until August 1942. On April 9, 1942, soldiers under Homma’s command forced American and Filipino prisoners of war to walk from the Bataan Peninsula to the city of San Fernando. Many were mutilated, beaten, and bayoneted by their captors along the way. The prisoners were taken by railroad to Capas, and forced to walk to imprisonment at Camp O’Donnell. Of the 70,000 prisoners who began the journey, only 54,000 arrived at Camp O’Donnell. After Japan surrendered, Homma was found responsible for the Bataan Death March by a U.S. commission and executed by a firing squad in 1946. --

I tried to imagine this walk, this to me looks like swamp, yes there is a road now, there is a way to travel, however in 1942..., I am not sure what existed. I believe these Soldiers were trudging in a swamp. I think of the Iraq War, although very serious, it is hard to imagine the sacrifice of WW II, over 15,000 people died on a March, over 50 Million people died in WW II.

I wonder if sometime people try, do they try to feel.

Bataan Death March