After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, they also invaded Luzon, Philippines in January. American and Filipino troops fought bravely for three months, but eventually surrendered and were forced into the Bataan Death March with some of the most horrific war crimes of WWII.
60,000-80,000 Filipino and American POW’s (Prisoners of War) were force marched for 65 miles under the harshest conditions imaginable. They marched through tropical conditions, enduring heat, humidity, and rain without proper medical care. Those unable to make the march were beaten, killed, and sometimes beheaded. The Bataan Death March has a devastating legacy and should never be forgotten.
