The Bataan Death March
"Anybody that could walk, they forced 'em into line...If you fell out to the side you were either shot by the guards or you were bayoneted and left there." -survivor of the Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March started on April 9th, 1942 after the surrender of the American and Filipino troops on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines. The 9-day, 70 mile march seemed like it would never end. The Japanese forced 76,000 troops to walk to a detention camp where they were further tortured.
Along the March the Japanese tortured the American and Filipino war prisoners with sun treatment. They were seated on the groud with no water and no protection from the sun. Water canteens were gathered from all of the soldiers and the water was given to the horses. After many hours of sitting in the sun the Japanese told the soldiers to stand, and the strong were not permitted to help the weak. Those not able to stand, or those who collapsed while marching were shot, beheaded, or stabbed then left to die slowly. After the sun treatment a "clean-up squad" would come around and shoot the bodies not standing. Sometimes the bodies would be left there for others to see as the passed by. Other types of torture used by the Japanese were burying prisoners alive and setting fire to anyone, including civilians, who tried to aid the suffering prisoners.
The Americans and Filipinos created sacks to carry their weak comrades who were unable to go any further. Once the Death March was over there was only 54,000 soldiers left. Sadly, many of the march survivors died in the detention camp not soon after their arrival.
Along the March the Japanese tortured the American and Filipino war prisoners with sun treatment. They were seated on the groud with no water and no protection from the sun. Water canteens were gathered from all of the soldiers and the water was given to the horses. After many hours of sitting in the sun the Japanese told the soldiers to stand, and the strong were not permitted to help the weak. Those not able to stand, or those who collapsed while marching were shot, beheaded, or stabbed then left to die slowly. After the sun treatment a "clean-up squad" would come around and shoot the bodies not standing. Sometimes the bodies would be left there for others to see as the passed by. Other types of torture used by the Japanese were burying prisoners alive and setting fire to anyone, including civilians, who tried to aid the suffering prisoners.
The Americans and Filipinos created sacks to carry their weak comrades who were unable to go any further. Once the Death March was over there was only 54,000 soldiers left. Sadly, many of the march survivors died in the detention camp not soon after their arrival.
Along the March these prisoners had their hands tied behind their backs. They are stopped for a short rest to catch everybody up.
American and Filipino soldiers created sacks to carry their weak comrades who, from the lack of food and water, could not walk any further.