Photo By Cashmere He | WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, New Mexico -- Soldiers representing the 704th Military...... read more read more
It was April of 1942, when U.S. Gen. Edward King Jr. surrendered to Japanese forces, leading to approximately 75,000 Filipino and American troops on the Bataan Peninsula, being forced to march 65 miles across the Philippines to prisoner-of-war camps.
The 65-mile trek typically took five days to complete in the intense heat, with thousands perishing along the way. This became known as the Bataan Death March.
To honor the fallen and those that survived the march, Capt. Brandon Peer, Sgt. Luke Grays and other Soldiers of the 742nd Military Intelligence Battalion, boarded a flight bound for White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, just hours after completing a grueling week-long Best Warrior Competition here at Fort Meade, Maryland. The Soldiers also had the opportunity to link up with their sister unit, the 743rd MI Battalion out of Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, who proudly honor the tradition as an organization annually.
The Bataan Memorial Death March is a challenging march through the high desert terrain of the White Sands Missile Range. The memorial march is conducted in honor of the heroic service members who defended the Philippine Islands during World War II, sacrificing their freedom, health, and, in many cases, their very lives.
In addition to memorializing those who had fallen during the original march and in the prison camps, three survivors from the event were present for this year's memorial march.
Peer, whose team placed fourth during the event said, “The race is a great tribute to those that were forced to march 65 miles to prison camps in 1942. This year was the 30th annual Bataan Memorial Death March and being able to meet one of the very few survivors remaining is humbling and an amazing experience; one of which all the teams said immediately they would be honored to do again, even while nursing the bumps and bruises from the ruck.”
| Date Taken: | 03.17.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 03.18.2019 11:21 |
| Story ID: | 314649 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 177 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Electron Recon Brigade Soldiers participate in 30th Bataan Memorial Death March, by Cashmere He, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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