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On This Date (Feb 1, 1945) - Bataan Death March Survivors Rescued
Posted on 2/1/22 at 10:49 am
Posted on 2/1/22 at 10:49 am
Army Rangers rescue about 500 prisoners at Camp Cabanatuan in the Philippines, most of whom were survivors of the Death March. (Other survivors of the Death March had been sent to China and Japan in the "death ships" to work as slave laborers.) This rescue was dramatized in the 2005 movie, The Great Raid, which was based upon the book, Ghost Soldiers.
Somewhat personal, I knew two of the survivors. Five young men from Bogalusa endured the march. One died on the march, but the other four survived the war:
I had a long discussion with Dr. Daniel about his captivity and rescue a few days before I left for the Air Force Academy.
The Marine in the picture, Robert May, joined the Bogalusa Police Department and shortly thereafter was killed when he responded to a domestic violence dispute. His partner took care of the perp.
Somewhat personal, I knew two of the survivors. Five young men from Bogalusa endured the march. One died on the march, but the other four survived the war:
I had a long discussion with Dr. Daniel about his captivity and rescue a few days before I left for the Air Force Academy.
The Marine in the picture, Robert May, joined the Bogalusa Police Department and shortly thereafter was killed when he responded to a domestic violence dispute. His partner took care of the perp.
17
Posted on 2/1/22 at 10:56 am to blueridgeTiger
Death March is pretty awful.
They walk you till you can’t go anymore and then they shoot you.
They walk you till you can’t go anymore and then they shoot you.
Posted on 2/1/22 at 11:01 am to blueridgeTiger
One of the survivors from that brutal march was LA St Sen Jesse Knowles. What a horrible experience he and others endured.
Posted on 2/1/22 at 11:05 am to blueridgeTiger
My cousin was in that - made a movie about him
Posted on 2/1/22 at 11:08 am to blueridgeTiger
Wife's grandfather was a survivor.
Posted on 2/1/22 at 11:15 am to blueridgeTiger
quote:
Jesse Knowles
He wrote a poem about it, linked here LINK
I never met Mr. Knowles, but I knew someone who worked closely with him on several legislative projects. He was a strong advocate for education. As Steven Ambrose noted in Band of Brothers, many of those men who had seen the worst the world had to offer desired to do something positive with the rest of their lives.
Posted on 2/1/22 at 11:29 am to blueridgeTiger
The Filipino POWs were treated even more brutally than their American counterparts.
The Americans and their Filipino allies had already held out several weeks longer than anyone thought possible with very little supplies to start with, so they were in bad shape when they finally surrendered.
It wasn’t just the Japanese brutality, they were completely unprepared to handle any POWs, and they suddenly had tens of thousands. The march was an unorganized procession into hell.
The Americans and their Filipino allies had already held out several weeks longer than anyone thought possible with very little supplies to start with, so they were in bad shape when they finally surrendered.
It wasn’t just the Japanese brutality, they were completely unprepared to handle any POWs, and they suddenly had tens of thousands. The march was an unorganized procession into hell.
Posted on 2/1/22 at 12:07 pm to blueridgeTiger
Reading the book now...Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides.
Posted on 2/1/22 at 12:13 pm to blueridgeTiger
MEN
Posted on 2/1/22 at 12:24 pm to blueridgeTiger
Great story but damn that movie was sub-mediocare. Deserved better treatment on film.
Posted on 2/1/22 at 1:51 pm to blueridgeTiger
Many years ago I read a book on the Bataan Death March. One of the toughest reads I’ve ever done.
Posted on 2/1/22 at 1:58 pm to blueridgeTiger
My grandfather was one of the rangers that rescued the prisoners at camp cabanatuan..He was interviewed for the book and movie…he never really talked about it much, but I have a ton of respect/admiration for all of the pow’s and for the guys that went over there to rescue them.
Posted on 2/1/22 at 2:17 pm to blueridgeTiger
Had a friend in high school who's grandfather survived it. I was fortunate to listen to an audio recording his grandfather made at that time. Harrowing shite.
Posted on 2/1/22 at 2:18 pm to blueridgeTiger
Pretty good movie. Always get a bit misty eyed when they are in the camp liberating them. And on a personal note, the battalion surgeon was killed by a Japanese mortar round. To the best of my knowledge, the only American KIA (died of wounds during the exfiltration) from the mission.
Posted on 2/1/22 at 2:32 pm to blueridgeTiger
Posted on 2/1/22 at 2:53 pm to blueridgeTiger
quote:
Other survivors of the Death March had been sent to China and Japan in the "death ships" to work as slave laborers.
Those poor boys who got put on those ships truly went through hell on earth. I would’ve rather they just shot me than put in those hot cargo ships to die of thirst and disease.
Pitch black, piled in there with hundreds of guys, can’t move can’t breathe, no water, get strafed by American planes who don’t know the ships contain Americans, everybody just pissing and shitting in their pants.
frick the Japs
Posted on 2/1/22 at 5:14 pm to blueridgeTiger
Ghost Soldiers an incredible read on the subject
Posted on 2/1/22 at 5:22 pm to blueridgeTiger
This is a horrific and depressing book that covers the death march I read awhile back.
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