1942 Bataan Death March
THEY MARCHED* for miles in blistering heat
THEY MARCHED with nothing to drink or eat
THEY MARCHED as soldiers, Filipinos alike,
THEY MARCHED over trails others had hiked
BLOOD FILLED the path of those who balked
STOPPING MEANT death--thus, they walked
THEY MARCHED through mud caked to the thighs
THEY MARCHED on stones and hills that rise
SOME DROPPED from heat and thirst combined
SOME FROM slashes to throats from behind
THEY MARCHED together or marched alone
THEY MARCHED and marched into the unknown
Present-Day WSMR Bataan Death March Memorial
Each windy March over mountainous paths,
men and women brave Spring's gusty raths
Military groups join those walking alone--
a veteran in wheelchair, pushed by his son.
For exercise class, short march is their pick
others, with heavy packs, march twenty-six
Almost ten thousand from around the world
Many with their banners proudly unfurled.
Some view it a contest, some endurance test,
some view it a chance to perform their best.
Finally, they do it to honor those souls
who marched to death in war's bitter tolls.
*In April, 1942, approximately 20,000 New Mexico Guardsmen, from
all branches of service, and 50,000 Filipinos, were force-marched 66
miles across Bataan Island by the Japanese military near the end of
WW2. They endured extreme hardship and no food or liquid. 16,900
died during the march. Many others later died of dehydration or star-
vation. They are honored each year with a march. Often, many Japanese
join the march.
Copyright © Ann Peck | Year Posted 2023
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