I was to discover that these three foot high symbols, were the route markers for the Bataan Death March.
In the 1950s, visiting survivors of the Death March along with US Marine Corps personnel based in the Philippines started a project of constructing these markers. This was then continued by the non-profit organization FAME (Filipino-American Memorial Endownment).
Much has been written about atrocities carried out during World War II, historically, militarily, inaccurately and controversially along with many harrowing personal accounts. I do not wish to comment on these views or the theories. You can judge for yourself at some of the links below.
Death March - US Archives
US Archives
My main aim in putting this blog together, was to trace the route of the Death March from a purely personal interest point of view – albeit from the comfort of an air-conditioned car.
A brief potted history of the events leading up to the Bataan Death March:
US Archives
On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbour. The US Pacific Naval Fleet was incapacitated.
Eight hours later, on Dec. 8, 1941, Japan launched an aerial attack on the Philippines. Most of the US Air Force in the Philippines was destroyed.
A few days later, Japanese forces, landed on the Philippines.
Gen. Douglas Macarthur, Commander of the Filipino-American forces decided to meet the Japanese at their points of landing. This course of action deviated from the original War Plan, devised prior to WW II, which called for the US forces to withdraw into the Bataan Peninsula in case of attack.
Inexperienced troops failed to stop the Japanese at these points of landing. Macarthur had to revert back to the original plan, withdrawing the Filipino-American forces into the Bataan Peninsula.
Their mission was to stall the Japanese advancement, by forcing them to use much of their troops and resources in the capturing of the Philippines, for as long as possible. This would buy the necessary time needed to rebuild the US Pacific Fleet.
The Filipino-American Defence of Bataan was hampered by many factors:
Shortage of food, ammunition and medicine.
Most of the ammunition was old and corroded.
Tanks, Trucks, and other vehicles were in short supply, as was fuel.
Poorly trained Filipino troops, most of who never fired a weapon, Americans from non-combatant outfits and, in some instances, even civilians, were thrown into frontline combat against highly trained Japanese veterans.
The Defenders of Bataan continued to hold their ground, but disease, malnutrition, fatigue, and a lack of basic supplies took their toll.
On 9 April 1942, Gen. King surrendered his forces on Bataan.
The Japanese assembled their captive Fil-US soldiers in the various regions of Bataan, but mainly at Mariveles, the southern most tip of the Peninsula. Although US trucks were available to transport the prisoners, the Japanese decided to march the Defenders of Bataan to their destinations. This march came to be known as the "Death March".
The "Death March" was really a series of marches, which lasted from five to nine days. The distance a captive had to march was determined by where on the trail the captive began the march.
Death March Route.
The route of the "Death March" was a 55-mile march from Mariveles to San Fernando. At San Fernando, the prisoners were placed into railroad cars, and railed to Capas, a distance of around 24 miles. Dozens died standing up in the railroad cars, as the cars were so cramped that there was no room for the dead to fall. They were, then, marched another six miles to their final destination, Camp O'Donnell.
Several thousand men died on the "Death March". Many died, because they were not in any physical condition to undertake such a march. Once on the march, they were not given any food or water. Japanese soldiers killed many of them through various means. POWs were repeatedly beaten and treated inhumanely.
Camp O'Donnell did not have the sanitation sub-structure or water supply necessary to hold such a large amount of men. Many died from diseases they'd had since Bataan, many more caught new diseases during the march and whilst at the Camp. There was little medicine available. Their inadequate diets also contributed to the high death rate. Diseases such as dysentery from a lack of safe drinking water, beriberi and malnutrition were common to the POWs.
US Archives
US Archives
US Archieves
US Archieves
US Archieves
After the war, little was made of the plight of these men. There were many reasons for this: by the time the Defenders of Bataan came home, the US had already heard a multitude of war stories about the great battles in the Pacific and in Europe. These forgotten souls became known as the Battling Bastards of Bataan.
No mama, no papa, no Uncle Sam.
No aunts, no uncles, no cousins, no nieces,
No pills, no planes, no artillery pieces.
And nobody gives a damn.
Nobody gives a damn.
(by Frank Hewlett 1942)
Mariveles, which was the starting point of the Death March, is where I start my journey. Now an industrial economic zone, with a busy fishing fleet.
Starting point.
Memorial Garden Mariveles
The first half a dozen or so miles is up a very steep road. On reaching the 6 Km markers, I stop to look over the mountainous jungle terrain. Looking back over the bay, the island fortress of Corregidor is easily recognised. It must have been within easy reach of artillery shells.
6 Km marker.
Nowadays the road is asphalt. Once over the initial mountainous climb the landscape becomes rolling rural countryside, with plenty of paddy fields full of rice, irrigation ditches, and reservoirs. The temperature was easily 100oF.
At the top of the first climb.
Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, devastating many villages and roads were destroyed in this area. The Death March route becomes confused with very few original Death March markers evident for a good few miles.
Eventually I arrive into bustling San Fernando, it is from here that the POWs were transported in railroad boxcars to Capas. I drive through the ever-present bottleneck of jeepneys and trikes and reach the area of San Fernando rail station. I find a final Km marker at the back of the derelict railway building.
Mariveles Memorial Garden
War Memorial Bataan
Although my journey was by car and took the best part of the day. It was easy to imagine the already weak and malnurished prisoners staggering along this route with the temptation to drink the muddy water from ditches, and faltering with exhaustion in the blistering sun.
I'm glad I took the time to find out about the white markers. Next time I head to the airport, at least I'll be more aware of the atrocities carried out along this strecth of road in the Philippines.
The Bataan Death March
A Bataan Survivors Story
From a Japanese Perspective
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