The
Bataan Death March
Kaitlin
Walsh
History
348: World War II
Professor
Gary Oedewaldt
July
14, 2012
Over the last few centuries in
wartime there have been different examples of abuse and misconduct relating to
the mistreatment of the enemy soldier. For World War II the Bataan Death March is
a prime example of a gross, perverse and exploitative injustice by the Japanese
towards American and Filipino soldiers.
The
Bataan Death March followed the grueling Battle of Bataan fought between
January to May of 1942. For the United States, the Battle of Bataan turned from
a strong defense against the invading Japanese on the beaches north of Manila
to a retreat deep into the heart of the Bataan Peninsula where they would fight
a last stand in hopes of lasting long enough for a rescue from the United
States Navy. General Douglas MacArthur commanded the forces at the Battle of
Bataan and it was contested that, “he or any other general could [not] have
prevented the outcome in the Philippines but his errors and those of his
subordinates put his forces at great risk from the beginning.”[1]
During the early defensive part of the battle MacArthur’s mistakes were his, “underestimation
of the Japanese, [his] overestimation of the capability of the Philippine army,
[his] failure to stockpile supplies north of Manila when he abandoned the
original defense plans, and [his] disregard for the Japanese force in the south
doomed his defensive plans to failure.”[2]
These mistakes led to the retreat onto the Bataan Peninsula. Other mistakes
MacArthur made were, “His indecision about the positioning of aircraft resulted
in most of them being destroyed…the fact that his forces did not have an
adequate stockpile [of] the supplies needed [to] defend Manila…[and] he failed
to maintain effective contact or control of the forces in Bataan.”[3]
“General Douglas MacArthur’s, “role in the Battle of Bataan demonstrated his
unique leadership style: when he was good, he was very, very good, and when he
was bad, he was horrid.”[4]
Although a valiant effort was made by the U.S and Philippine forces, defeat was
inevitable and on April 9, 1942 under Major General Edward King’s orders, they
surrendered. Russell A. Grockett recalls the surrender, “When the surrender
came, men were waiting in huddled groups. Many weeping unashamedly, Filipino
and American alike.”[5]
On April 10, 1942 only one day after
the defeat, the Japanese forces transferred almost 80,000 POW’s (about twelve
thousand American troops and an estimated sixty-eight thousand Filipino troops)
sixty-two miles on foot to the rail station and then six miles by train to Camp
O’Donnell. The Death March was a blood bath leaving a trail of bodies in its
wake. An important thing to note is that the Japanese had no respect for men
who would rather surrender than to die in battle. This is one of the main
reasons the treatment of the soldiers was so harsh on the Death March. The
Death March was not just a long line of 80,000 men. They were grouped into sections
of about three hundred men and taken one at a time. Alf R. Larson (who departed
on April 12, 1942) recalls the first scene of brutality on day one of his
march, “On the first day, I saw two things I will never forget. A Filipino man
had been beheaded. His body lay on the ground with blood everywhere. His head
was a short distance away. Also, there was a dead Filipino woman with her legs
spread apart and her dress pulled up over her. She obviously had been raped and
there was a bamboo stake in her private area. These are instances I would like
to forget.”[6]
There are lines in war that should not be crossed and during the Bataan Death
March the Japanese crossed too many to count. Alf R. Larson’s first sight of
brutality was only the beginning.
Larson goes on in his interview to
mention what a typical day was like for the soldiers on the march, “We walked
all day. At night, the Japanese took us to a field to sleep. You would lie down
and pass out right there.”[7]
Larson talks about the “Oriental Sun Treatment” which was a punishment for the
POW’s in which they would be forced to sit smoldering in an open field for
hours on end with the hot sun beating down on them and no shade to protect
them. Some of the soldiers had helmets but some of the others were not so
lucky. Often when soldiers were captured all of their possessions would be
taken including their supplies and uniforms. Food was also scarce for the soldiers;
some groups were given one to two rice balls (about the size of golf balls) for
the entire six-eight day journey. Japanese soldiers also cooked food in front
of the POW’s and ate it while they watched. It was often that there would be
fresh springs nearby that the Japanese would drink from, however, they would
not allow the POW’s time to stop and drink. Richard Gordon recalls the water
shortage for the soldiers, “Others dying for water, would prostrate themselves
along the side of the road and drink water from puddles. All this water was
contaminated with flies and fly feces and brought on death from dysentery.
Thousands of Filipinos and several hundred Americans died this way. The
Japanese beat any who attempted to break ranks and obtain water, killing a
number of them in the process.”[8]
Gordon also recalls seeing his dead battalion commander, “I passed my battalion
commander, Major James Ivy, and he had been tied to a tree and he was stripped
to the waist and he was just covered with bayonet holes. He was dead obviously.
And he had bled profusely. He had been bayonetted by many, many bayonets. And
that's when I knew we had some troubles on our hands.”[9]
Often times men in high power in the military would be killed in a brutal way
and left on display to set an example by the Japanese to show their victory
over the U.S. and Filipino forces.
Captain William Dyess recalls the
growing ferocity of the Japanese soldiers throughout the march, “they were no
longer content with mauling stragglers or pricking them with bayonet points.
The thrusts were intended to kill.”[10]
Alf R. Larson recalls American soldiers being buried alive, “They were buried
alive in slit trenches, which we used for bathroom facilities. When the
trenches were almost full, the Japanese would take a detail of prisoners to
fill them up with dirt. On one occasion I saw a soldier who had diarrhea really
bad and went to the bathroom. After he finished, he could barely get up. He
slipped and fell backwards into the trench. The Japanese ordered the prisoner
detail to cover him up right there, which they did. They had no choice!”[11]
Larson ends his interview with, “Once the march started, everything just sort
of froze in my mind. I was pretty numb the whole time. I didn't think and I
didn't feel. I was like a robot and just kept moving. Other than daylight or
dark, I lost all track of time. I had to blank everything out and focus
straight ahead. I lived from day to day, in fact, hour by hour. The only thing
I thought about was the moment and, "The good Lord willing, I'll get
through the day."[12]
Russell A. Grockett remembers the
March vividly. Helmets, canteens, and abandoned packs lined the road, “Occasionally,
they would pass a naked corpse, the face swollen and covered with maggots. The
body stiff and beginning to blacken in the intense heat.”[13]
For laughs, the Japanese soldiers would push Americans and Filipinos off of
cliffs. Grockett recalls the treatment of the Filipinos even worse than the
Americans, “Young girls were pulled out of ranks and raped repeatedly. Anyone
who resisted was shot. Frightened
mothers would rub human dung on their daughters' faces to make them
unattractive to the guards.”[14]
Grockett remembers large tractors running over the men, women, and children
left for dead on the roads. Once Grockett reached the camp he faired a little
better than others: he was prepared. He scuffed up his shoes, watch, and other
small items so the Japanese would have no need for them. He also sewed almost
two thousand dollars into his jacket which bought food and medicine while in
the camp. Grockett was also moved to coal mines via the “Hell ships” in October
1942 where he stayed until the Japanese surrender in 1945.
Elias Coloma was a Filipino soldier
that lived through the Death March. He remembers the ride on the train to Camp
O’Donnell, “No one could sit down, there was no place to defecate, no bathroom,
nothing, it was so hot and so filled that some people died on their feet.”[15]
On the way to the camp where Coloma would be a POW, a Filipino civilian pulled
him out of line and snuck him into the crowd. Eventually, Coloma found his way
home where he regained his strength and rejoined the fighting as a guerrilla
soldier. He then joined the American army where they promoted him and when the
war was over brought him over to America where he retired in 1962 as a Master
Sergeant. His family urges him to talk about his time in the war so people will
know what a hero he was. One thing is for sure, he was certainly a survivor.
Alf R. Larson recalls his time at
Camp O’Donnell, “What a miserable place. Because of the conditions, American
prisoners died like flies!”[16]
He mentions that they had nicknames for the guards like, “the Scarecrow, the
One-Armed Bandit, the Snake, and the Toad…the damn Japanese commandant, who was
nicknamed "The Scarecrow," was a real SOB.”[17]
He talks about how they were made to stand out in the sun for hours on end
while the commanders loomed at them from platforms above. Most Japanese soldiers
did not speak English so some POW’s would bow and say, “Good morning, Shit Face,”
most times they wouldn’t understand what you were saying but if they did, you
were in big trouble.[18]
There were rumors daily from people on work detail talking about relief from
allies and the Red Cross; men would go crazy listening to them. The Japanese
would torture the men in the camps by turning off their water supply, “When
they wanted to harass us, the damned Japanese would shut the thing off for no
reason! They would leave it off for hours at a time. You would have to stand
there and wait for them to turn it on again.”[19]
Larson mentions the etiquette of the camp, “You bowed. And you better bow! They
would club you if you didn't.”[20]
They ate a gruel compiled of rice and water to thin it out, so it would pour
easily, once a day. There were no medical tents in the camp so when you got
sick they sent you to the “death ward” where you stayed until you died. The
Americans and the Filipinos were separated into different camps. The Filipinos
had even worse conditions than the Americans and were dying like flies.
Eventually the Japanese began to pardon them so they could go home. Sleeping
conditions were harsh, “There wasn't enough room in the barracks for everyone.
If you weren't in a barracks, you slept right out in the open. If it rained,
you got wet!”[21]
There was nothing to do all day so they sat around with men they knew before
the march and mostly kept quiet. Eventually Camp O’Donnell was closed because
of the inadequate facilities. Alf R. Larson was transported to Clark Field
after ten days at Camp O’Donnell and he was very happy to leave.
Another man at Camp O’Donnell was
John Mims who is still alive today. His story at the POW camps is a little more
gruesome than Alf Larson’s. Mims was so weak when he finally reached the camp,
the Japanese soldiers beat him and hung him up from a yard rail. Mims said, “My
feet wouldn't touch the cement and my hands were tied behind my back. My neck
broke in three places, but the good Lord spared me.”[22]
Mims was eventually transferred to Clark Field where he regained his strength
and tried to escape. Mims was unsuccessful in the escape and the Japanese
caught him and broke both of his legs with a bulldozer. He recovered once again
and went to work for the Japanese in a coal mine, “near Japan, traveling by a
"hell ship." Of the 3,000 prisoners who left, only 500 survived.”[23]
He was still a POW when the Japanese surrendered in 1945. Mims said that they
just let all of the POW’s go; to fend for themselves until American help could
arrive to pick them up. Luckily, Mims could speak Japanese and wanted to live
to tell his story, and the story of his friends, so he held on until help
arrived. Mims ended the interview with, “Fortunately, the good Lord loved some
of us, but He took a lot of my buddies.”[24]
Almost ninety percent of my findings
on the Bataan Death March portrayed the Japanese soldiers as horrible people.
On the contrary, one story I found on the Stars and Stripes webpage told a
different story. The interview recalls the Bataan Death March from the point of
view of an eighteen year old American Soldier named Richard Francies. During
the Bataan Death March, he was so tired he found a bush to lie in for a few
moments while he regained his strength. A Filipino man saw him hiding in the
bushes from fatigue and left only to bring back a Japanese medic. Francies
thought he was a dead man. Instead of killing Francis on the spot like so many
others, he gave him a shot (Francies was never sure what the shot contained,
morphine perhaps) that allowed Francies to carry on. Francies told the
interviewer, “That shot probably saved my life.”[25]
An interesting point Francies brings up is the fact that when the soldiers got
home from the Bataan Death March (those that survived) many people didn’t
believe their stories, “When we came home, people didn’t believe us, they told
us, ‘no group of men could be treated that badly.’ So we stopped talking.”[26]
When soldiers bottle up their experiences and do not talk about them, they
often find themselves faced with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Many of
the men who survived the Bataan Death March found themselves faced with this
tragic disorder. However, there were people who knew the atrocities were true
and it sparked true outrage in the U.S. Coupled with the anger still being felt
from the attack on Pearl Harbor Americans wanted revenge.
In 1946 after the fall of Japan
Lieutenant General Homma was charged as a War Criminal for his participation in
and during the Bataan Death March. He was executed. There were also several
other officers that were directly involved with mistreating soldiers as well as
giving orders to mistreat soldiers who were executed soon after. Smaller
sentences (between 5-25 years in prison) were given to members of the Japanese
army who were indirectly involved with the Bataan cruelty.
In reading survivor stories I have
noticed one common denominator for the men who lived to come home: Japanese
racism. For example, when asked about the cruelty of Japanese soldiers, Alf
Larson said, “I'll tell you, everything you have read or heard about those
little yellow slant-eyes happened on the march!”[27]
Political correctness would determine this sentence as racist; however
considering what these men went through, is it justified in their eyes? This
was also during a time when racism meant less harm that it does now, or should
I say less people cared about political correctness? We will never truly
understand exactly what the American and Philippine forces went through on the
eighty mile trek to Camp O’Donnell and the world is never solely in black and
white. There are shades of grey that can encompass all manner of feelings. It
wasn’t until May 2009 when Japan finally issued a formal apology for the
soldiers, “We extend a heartfelt apology for our country having caused
tremendous damage and suffering to many people including prisoners of war,
those who have undergone tragic experiences in the Bataan peninsula the
Corregidor Island, Philippines and other places.”[28]
In my opinion it was too little too late. Sixty-seven years after the atrocity
took place the Japanese finally wanted to apologize for the Death March? They
did not even go into detail about what they were sorry for which begs the
question…Do they even know what happened? Do they care? If I was a survivor of
the Death March I would also find it difficult to forgive such heinous acts on
myself, my fellow survivors, and those that didn’t make it home.
The Bataan Death March left a large
legacy behind. Albert Brown was the oldest survivor of the Bataan Death march
and he died at the age of 105 on August 16, 2011. There was a monument
constructed in Las Cruces New Mexico in April 2001 that was dedicated to the
victims of the Death March. There has also been an Annual Bataan Memorial Death
March every year since 1989 in New Mexico to remember those that made it home
and to those that were left behind. There are also several monuments in the
Philippines dedicated to the memory of the Bataan Death March.
The Bataan Death March has been a
very difficult topic to research not because there is a lack of information but
because of the stories that are told. I have read over fifteen firsthand
accounts on the Death March and they seem to hold worse and worse information.
There are also thousands of pictures on the subject that absolutely must be
incorporated in study because they allow you to see a part of history that you
would never be able to see yourself for text alone. Throughout this research I
feel like I have gotten to know a few certain soldiers, Alf R. Larson
especially. I count myself lucky that men like Alf and so many others fought
for our country and died for our country. I will never forget the soldiers who
risked their lives and died trying to make it home. I will never forget the
Filipino men and women who tried to help the soldiers on the march by giving
food and water. I will never forget.
We're 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!
-Frank
West Hewlett
U.S.
American Journalist during WWII
Elias Coloma
Alf Larson
Richard Gordon
John Mims
Richard Francies
Russell A. Grockett
Elias Coloma
The Bataan Death March
Surrendering
Getting ready to March
Marching
Dead POW's
Surrendering
In Remembrance for the
fallen soldiers during the Bataan Death March and the whole of WWII
Bibliography
American Experience. Capture and
Death March. (Accessed July 12, 2012). http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/macarthur/sfeature/bataan_capture.html.
Aviles, Elaine. "Bataan
Recalled." Airman 45, no. 7: 38. MasterFILE
Premier, EBSCOhost (Accessed July 12, 2012).
Berg, Tom. Interview with Elias
Coloma. Death March Survivor finally tells story. The Orange County Register. May 16, 2012. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/coloma-354477-says- one.html
Burgess, Lisa. Veteran recalls
horrors of Bataan Death March: Richard Francies. Stars and Stripes. May 30, 2004. Accessed July
12, 2012). http://www.stripes.com/news/veteran- recalls-horrors-of-bataan-death-march-1.20427
Cervone, John P. "Remembering
the Bataan Death March." Military History 16, no. 5 (December 1999): 30. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost
(accessed July 12, 2012).
Grockett, Estelle. Tweleve Hundred
Days: Russell A Grockett’s story. Accessed July 13, 2012. http://home.comcast.net/~rgrokett/POW/contents.htm.
Las Cruces Convention and Vistors
Bureau. Bataan Death March Memorial. (Accessed July 21, 2012). http://www.lascrucescvb.org/html/bataan_death_march_memorial.html.
Murry, Williamson and Allan R. Millet. A War to Be Won:
Fighting the Second World War. Cambridge:
The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2000
National
Museum of the US Air Force. “Bataan Death March.” (Accessed July 12, 2012.) http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=15183.
National Museum of the US Air Force.
“Imperial brutality: Bataan death march.” (Accessed July 12, 2012.) http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3667.
Oedewaldt, Gary. Week
3 Summary. Week 4 - The Allied Fight for Survival in Europe. Posted May 5, 2012 6:45AM.
Peterson, Rick, “The Bataan Death
March: Interview with Alf R Larson” Composed by Rick Peterson. (Accessed July 12. 2012.)
http://www.bataansurvivor.com/content/the_bataan_death_march/1.php
Udenans, Vija. Japan Apologizes for
Bataan Death March. May 30th, 2009. http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=7717227&page=1.
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the
United States. Annual Bataan Memorial Death March. (Accessed July 12, 2012). http://www.bataanmarch.com/default.htm.
Wheeler, Lydia. Interview with John
Mims. Bataan Death March survivor story at memorial walk. Hampton Roads. April 15, 2012. http://hamptonroads.com/2012/04/bataan-death- march-survivor-shares-story-memorial-walk
Photo
Bibliography
Berg, Tom. Interview with Elias
Coloma. Death March Survivor finally tells story. The Orange County Register. May 16, 2012. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/coloma-354477-says- one.html
Brooke County Public Library. Richard
Gordon POW. Accessed July 14, 2012. http://philippine- defenders.lib.wv.us/html/gordon_richard_bio.html.
Burgess, Lisa. Veteran recalls
horrors of Bataan Death March: Richard Francies. Stars and Stripes. May 30, 2004. Accessed July
12, 2012). http://www.stripes.com/news/veteran- recalls-horrors-of-bataan-death-march-1.20427
Brooke County Public Library. Richard
Gordon POW. Accessed July 14, 2012. http://philippine- defenders.lib.wv.us/html/gordon_richard_bio.html.
Brooke County Public Library. Richard
Gordon POW. Accessed July 14, 2012. http://philippine- defenders.lib.wv.us/html/gordon_richard_bio.html.
Wheeler, Lydia. Interview with John
Mims. Bataan Death March survivor story at memorial walk. Hampton Roads. April 15, 2012. http://hamptonroads.com/2012/04/bataan-death- march-survivor-shares-story-memorial-walk
WWII Letters. Blogspot. Accessed July
14, 2012. http://wwiiletters.blogspot.com/2009/01/bataan-death-march-1942-photos.html,
[1] Gary Oedewaldt, Week 3
Summary, Week 4 - The Allied Fight for Survival in Europe, Posted May 5, 2012
6:45AM.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Williamson Murry and Allan
R. Millet, A War to Be Won: Fighting the Second World War, (Cambridge: The
Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2000), 185.
[5] Elaine Aviles, Bataan
Recalled, Airman 45, no. 7: 38, MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost, (accessed July
12, 2012).
[6] Alf R. Larson, “The Bataan
Death March”, Composed by Rick Peterson, accessed July 12, 2012,
http://www.bataansurvivor.com/content/the_bataan_death_march/1.php.
[7] Ibid.
[8] John P. Cervone,
Remembering the Bataan Death March, Military History 16, no. 5, MasterFILE
Premier, EBSCOhost, (accessed July 12, 2012).
[9] American Experience,
Capture and Death March, Accessed July 12, 2012,
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/macarthur/sfeature/bataan_capture.html.
[10] National Museum of the US
Air Force, “IMPERIAL BRUTALITY: BATAAN DEATH MARCH,” (Accessed July 12, 2012.) http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3667.
[11] Alf R. Larson, “The
Bataan Death March”, Composed by Rick Peterson, accessed July 12, 2012, http://www.bataansurvivor.com/content/the_bataan_death_march/1.php.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Estelle Grockett, Tweleve
Hundred Days: Russell A Grockett’s story, Accessed July 13, 2012,
http://home.comcast.net/~rgrokett/POW/contents.htm.
[14] Ibid.
[15] Tom Berg, Interview with
Elias Coloma, Death March Survivor finally tells story, The Orange County
Register, May 16, 2012,
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/coloma-354477-says-one.html.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Ibid.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Ibid.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Ibid.
[22] Lydia Wheeler, Interview
with John Mims, Bataan Death March survivor story at memorial walk, Hampton
Roads, April 15, 2012,
http://hamptonroads.com/2012/04/bataan-death-march-survivor-shares-story-memorial-walk.
[23] Ibid.
[24] Ibid.
[25] Lisa Burgess, Veteran
recalls horrors of Bataan Death March: Richard Francies, Stars and Stripes, May
30, 2004, Accessed July 12, 2012,
http://www.stripes.com/news/veteran-recalls-horrors-of-bataan-death-march-1.20427.
[26] Ibid.
[27] Alf R. Larson, “The
Bataan Death March”, Composed by Rick Peterson, accessed July 12, 2012, http://www.bataansurvivor.com/content/the_bataan_death_march/1.php.
[28] Vija Udenans, Japan
Apologizes for Bataan Death March, May 30th, 2009,
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=7717227&page=1
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