Considered one of the most brutal shows of barbarism in the United States, the infamous Bataan Death March of World War II devastated the lives of thousands of Filipinos and Americans alike, completely and utterly blind in its disregard for human life and relentless in its desire for bloodshed. Mere days before the exhausting journey began, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii simultaneously as they began their vicious attack on the Philippines. With the Japanese extremely close to capturing the capital of the Philippines, Manila, the remaining Americans and Filipinos made a final push, hoping to resist Japanese fire until their promised back-up of nearly 130,000 American soldiers appeared to rescue them from the volley of bullets and explosives.
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Estimated to have taken the lives of an estimated 3,000 to 7,000 men, 2,500 Filipino, and 500 Americans, the March itself seemed excessive, if unnecessary, however, that was the Japanese’s way of asserting their dominance and recuperating for the countless amounts of extra men they had taken captive. After the March, at the camps, thousands died within their first few weeks, resulting in only a total of around 15,000 out of the 22,000 Americans that originally entered the Battle of Bataan surviving the horror. Of the American mortality rates between the imprisoned of Nazi forces compared to the imprisoned of the Japanese during Bataan’s march and imprisonment, it is 3% compared to the Japanese’s 40%. In the United States, news of the Bataan Death March did not become released to the public for a while in fear of the Japanese’s retaliation against the escapees. After survivors gained their freedom, many of them passed away immediately afterwards, with the remainder suffering from illnesses or trauma. Eventually, recognizing them as a 100% disabled for disability pensions and awarding them a Bronze Star for their sacrifices and suffering, the United States honored these brave
Estimated to have taken the lives of an estimated 3,000 to 7,000 men, 2,500 Filipino, and 500 Americans, the March itself seemed excessive, if unnecessary, however, that was the Japanese’s way of asserting their dominance and recuperating for the countless amounts of extra men they had taken captive. After the March, at the camps, thousands died within their first few weeks, resulting in only a total of around 15,000 out of the 22,000 Americans that originally entered the Battle of Bataan surviving the horror. Of the American mortality rates between the imprisoned of Nazi forces compared to the imprisoned of the Japanese during Bataan’s march and imprisonment, it is 3% compared to the Japanese’s 40%. In the United States, news of the Bataan Death March did not become released to the public for a while in fear of the Japanese’s retaliation against the escapees. After survivors gained their freedom, many of them passed away immediately afterwards, with the remainder suffering from illnesses or trauma. Eventually, recognizing them as a 100% disabled for disability pensions and awarding them a Bronze Star for their sacrifices and suffering, the United States honored these brave