The Day of Valor

Major General King of the UnitedStates Army was compelled tosurrender his forces of nearly 76,000Filipino, Chinese, and American mento the Japanese at dawn on April 9th,1942. The Japanese, unprepared for thelarge number of detainees, opted towalk them 150 kilometers to a prisoncamp at San Fernando.On this march, about 20,000 POWsdied from malnutrition, weariness,or at the hands of the Japanese. The journey was dubbed the 'Bataan Death March.' While the holiday commemorates avictory for the opposing forces, the heroic defense of Bataan by thosesoldiers was viewed as a pivotal event in the war because it gave the allies time to prepare for later battles that halted the Japanese advance in the Pacific, eventuallyleading to a change of fortunes andallied victory.

On February 8th, 1945, Americanand Filipino forces reclaimed theBataan peninsula. 

The Japanese, unprepared for thelarge number of detainees, opted towalk them 150 kilometers to a prisoncamp at San Fernando. While the holiday commemorates avictory for the opposing forces, theheroic defense of Bataan by thosesoldiers was viewed as a pivotalevent in the war because it gave theallies time to prepare for laterbattles that halted the Japaneseadvance in the Pacific, eventuallyleading to a change of fortunes andallied victory.

On February 8th, 1945, Americanand Filipino forces reclaimed theBataan peninsula. The Battle of Bataan and the BataanDeath March are two of the PacificWar's most horrific stories.

While post-war justice is a difficult topic, it is vital to remember that commemoration is critical to nation-building and rehabilitation, as well as instilling pride in those who served and sacrificed during this period of the Pacific War.

Photos retrieved from:

https://www.filipinopod101.com/

https://images.app.goo.gl/UivgZjJADQK1Qunn7