[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

About 40 years ago I read something interesting in a survival book I had.

It said that after the surrender of US forces, the death toll was so high at the Battan death march because many of the prisoners were city boys who stood around waiting for someone to take care of them.
The country boys were not about to surrender to some "slant eyed g**ks" and took to the hills to join the gurrillas fighting the Japanese.

I don't know if this is true or not. I have known one survivor back in the early 1960's and he still had physical problems due to being a POW there.

[investigateworld]

Part of the reason for my incredible respect for the US Marine Corp is the fact they don't leave wounded.
At the USMC base in my hometown, there were a number of vet's, some had survived the Hell Ships (Marus), others were old 4th Marine guys from the P.I.s.
I still don't own or will ever own a Jap vehicle out of respect for their memory.

[vetvetdoug]

many of the prisoners were city boys...

I believe that statement is false. I knew of several that were surrendered because of a sense of duty and following the orders of their superiors. The men I know were from North Texas (Wichita Falls area) and rural West Tennessee. There is a museum dedicated to the men of Bataan in Wichita Falls that was destroyed by the April 10th, 1979, tornado (F-5).