The Philippines Is a Country With Extended American Ties

The Republic of the Philippines is an island nation made of more than 1000-islands. After the Spanish-American War in 1898, the country came under United States rule and then became a commonwealth in 1935. Full independence was not achieved until the end of World War II and became English the nation's dominate language.

During World War II the small rocky island of Corregidor, at the entrance to Manila Bay became the origin of the single largest surrender of a military force in American history and one of the worst horrors of man's inhumanity to man - the Bataan Death March.
In reality the Death March was a series of marches each lasting from five to nine days. 2012 will be the 70th anniversary of the marches that began April 9, 1942 after the United States and the Philippines surrendered to the Japanese, resulting in 70,000 POW's being taken and led on the infamous 60-mile "Bataan Death March," also known as "The Death March of Bataan."

Americans and Filipinos, civilian and military were taken captive on Corregidor after the three-month Battle of Bataan on the Bataan Peninsula. The island of Corregidor is approximately 4-miles long and barely 1 ½ miles at it's widest.
Today, Corregidor is a major Philippine visitor attraction. The Pacific War Memorial built here is a tribute to both American and Filipino forces that fought in World War II. The memorial was created out of steel shaped in a circle symbolic of a wreath with an eternal flame of freedom. To visit Corregidor is poignant. To become aware of the lack of nature's sounds leaves one taken aback, it is ethereal.
"For the young, war is stolen youth." The POW's were cruelly marched 60-miles inland on Luzon to the Camp O'Donnell, the Japanese POW camp where allied prisoners were held. Prisoners walked day and night in tropical heat. The march characterized by sweeping physical abuse and murder, resulted in high fatalities along the way. One former prisoner phased it, "It was like going from the frying pan into the fire."
Falling down or the failure to continue moving was an automatic death sentence. Beheadings and shootings were the most widespread actions, along with bayonet stabbing, rifle butt beatings and the intentional denial of food or water. The death marchers were all in the prime of their life.

Many of them died en route from disease, starvation, dehydration, heat prostration, untreated wounds, and wanton execution. Consequently, the sides of the roads became littered with dead bodies and many pleading for help. If an allied prisoner helped another solider falling due to weakness both were attacked and killed. Enemy trucks often drove over anyone who fell.
The exact death toll has never been determined, but estimates have placed it at one in four up to two in seven of those brutalized by the forcible march. Internment camp deaths from the postponed effects of the march are uncertain, but thought to be high. Some prisoners were later sold to Japanese factory owners and spent the rest of the war in Japan working in Japanese war effort industries.
After World War II American military bases were reestablished in the Philippines and until our government withdrew from those installations in the 1990s, the Boy Scouts of America troops made up of sons of military members stationed in the Philippines would reenact the march along a portion of the initial route in Bataan taken by the Japanese. For Filipinos, April 9th is "Bataan Day" or "Day of Valor" and a national holiday.
Officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, the Philippines is a beautiful country. During the time my family lived on Luzon, there were many times that we drove by and sometimes stopped to visit and pay respect at a memorial built to commemorate the Bataan battle and march. Bataan is seldom remembered by Americans today, because of both its lessons in both inhumanity and valor the Bataan Death March should not be forgotten.
Kathy Manney is the nationally recognized author of autobiographical, lifestyle and travel articles and the travel columnist for "The Vegas Voice," a monthly regional senior lifestyle newspaper. She spent two years living in the Philippines, where she enjoyed visiting historical memorials.
As the travel expert-at-large for the "Voice" Kathy has seen a lot of the world, she enjoys traveling to new and interesting places and in the process of becoming an adventure Diva, finds some of her articles. Kathy's "must see before I die" travel adventures continue, each filled with enthusiasm.
Kathy is open to freelance work in the fields of non-fiction writing and editing.