[2banana]

Compare contract the treatment of American prisoners by the Japs to Abu Grab.

Naked pyramids vs death marches and starvation by forced slave labor...

[RexBeach]

How did that verse go?

“No mom, no pop, no Uncle Sam,

We’re the battling bastards of Bataan.”

God bless’em.

[MarineBrat]

[bert]

In my personal museum, I have fragmants of artillery round fuses from the Island.

I visited and studied the battlefield there and across the water on Bataan. Our troops both US Army and the Philippines stood with their backs to the wall.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

My grandfather’s brother was caught, too. Bataan, Camp O’Donnell, Cabanatuan, slave labor in the coal mines on the Japanese home islands, the whole nine yards. Rot in hell, Dugout Doug.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

[Hegemony Cricket]

I remember finding a book about Coregidor in my father’s library when I was about 11 or 12. I started reading it, but was too horrified to finish. Unbelievable brutality.

Salute to all our war heroes...

[Andyman]

My grandfather was 60 when he survived the Death March. I can’t imagine how great a man he was.

[Eepsy]

In case anyone is interested, “So Proudly We Hail”, a 1943 film about Army nurses stranded on Corregidor, was released on dvd for the first time last year. It’s a very good film, and nice to not be at the whim of TCM scheduling.

[prf]

My father was one of those captured when Corregidor fell. He remained a prisoner of war for over 3 years until liberated in the Great Raid on Cabanattuan. He was 6 feel tall, but weighed only 89 pounds when he was freed. He would have laughed at the uproar over Abu Grab. Always, to his dying day, he respected the Philippino people for their help and kindness during his captivity.

[vigilence]

For many those were the darkest days of the war. Sure, Pearl Harbor was devastating but, from what I’ve heard from my family who lived through it, the fall of the PI with absolutely no way for us to rescue our troops was a real psychological blow...and they didn’t even know what kind of treatment they were actually receiving but did know it wouldn’t be good. I’ve stood on Surrender Deck of the Mighty Mo now docked in Pearl and it was a very moving experience as I recalled in my minds eye the films of the surrender and the solemn voice of General McArthur as he directed the formalities in Tokyo bay. And when he called Wainright up you could see the man was only a shadow of his former self. It was the most touching moment of the ceremony and not only fitting but in no small part, a gesture to the Japanese (who had sent low level officials, an intended slight on their part I am convinced) that we, the American and Philipino people had taken all the Japanese could dish out and here, in the emodiment of that attitude stood General Wainright, accepting their unconditional surrender. Some say it was just the natural courage of the “greatest” generation and can’t argue with that. I would only add that it carries on from generation to generation and is an inherent trait of a free people and those that love freedom so much they’re willing to endure any hardship to defend it.

[backhoe]

Here’s some old stuff of mine ( the first link may require repeated “refresh” hits to come up )—

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b10d92a28d6.htm
Recalling Past Wars- the Bataan Death March, the Fall of Corregidor...
05-27-01 Author: the heavy equipment guy

http://www.freedominion.com.pa/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=976851#976851
Fort Drum, the Concrete Battleship of the Phillippines
Posted: 13 May 2007 08:56

[vetvetdoug]

My neighbor, S.T. Derryberry, survived the Bataan Death March and the three years of Japanese imprisonment. I heard when he came home he weighed 80 pounds. He passed away last year and was one tough old man. He later served out his twenty years in the USAF.

[trimom]

My husband’s uncle was among those surrendered on Correigidor. At over 6 foot tall and red headed, he was very short to survive at Cabanatuan. The cause of death was listed as dysentery. Reading over time has convinced us that might not be accurate. Who knows? All I am sure of is that he was one more life ended far too young.