Indiana Guard Soldiers march in Bataan memorial, take first place

Photo By 2nd Lt. Brian Weitzeil | Indiana National Guard 1st Lt. Brendan G. Williams, 25, Elkhart, Ind., runs the 20th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March in White Sands, N.M., on March 29. Williams, a member of the 2nd Battalion, 152nd Long Range Surveillance, along with his team mates finished first in the National Guard light division.  

WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, UNITED STATES

04.02.2009

Story by 2nd Lt. Brian Weitzeil 

Indiana National Guard Headquarters

WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. - More than 5,300 service members and civilians, including Indiana National Guard Soldiers, marched in the 20th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March.

The race is held in remembrance of the thousands of American and Filipino prisoners of war who were forced to march through the jungles of the Bataan Peninsula of Luzon, Philippines, during World War II.

"Each of you is here for your own reason. It may be the challenge of the course, or it may be to honor a loved one or friend, or it may be just to honor those who sacrificed so much some sixty-seven years ago to protect our freedoms and our way of life," said White Sands Missile Range commander Brig. Gen. David Mann before the march. "Whatever that reason, you will leave here a changed person."

Hoosier Soldiers said they marched in remembrance of those World War II Soldiers and looked to them for inspiration.

"When you're doing a long march, and you want to quit, there's nothing that will keep you motivated like thinking about the guys in Bataan and what they had to go through," said Indiana Army National Guard Capt. Shawn Eaken.

Eaken competed in the 26.2-mile march with other Indiana Army National Guard Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 152nd Long Range Surveillance.

"When you start whining about a blister or start to think I'm all cramped up, you know, you can stop and think 'Hey, if I was at Bataan, they [Japanese soldiers] probably would have shot me if I stopped right there,'" said Eachen.

Two teams from the unit competed in the National Guard division - one in light division and one in the heavy division with 35-pound rucksacks. The light team placed first and the heavy team second.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who served during World War II, coined Indiana's 38th Infantry Division "the Avengers of Bataan" when he returned to the Philippines. The division Soldiers freed those POWs who were held by the Japanese soldiers.

• Date Taken: 04.02.2009
• Date Posted: 04.02.2009 17:10
• Story ID: 31930
• Location: WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, US