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Home  Foreword Introduction The Road to Bataan The Bataan Death March The San Fernando Train Ride Camp O'Donnell Clark Field Concentration Camp Bilibid Prison The Hell Ships Japan The Nomachi Express Camp Nomachi Surrender, Liberation, and Repatriation Epilogue Governor Pawlenty State of the State Address Tribute KSTP TV Newscasts Duluth TV Newscasts KTIS Radio Interview Rick P./Paulette K. Alf's Christian Faith Alf's Letter to God Memorial: Alf R. Larson In Memory: Alf R. Larson Star Tribune MN Representative Erik Paulsen's Tribute Bataan Death March Route Map Philippine Department of Tourism Star Tribune: March of Time ("Article of Interest" for 4-6 Grade Basic Skills Reading Test Prep) Post/View Comments |
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The Road to Bataan
The bulk of MacArthur's defense was the Philippine army. That's right. I can't fault them because they had it worse then we did and we had it bad. But General King couldn't see any reason to continue. When the Filipinos couldn't form another defensive line, that was it. We had no defense! The Japanese were coming! Believe me, they would have slaughtered us! He would rather surrender than see his men slaughtered. He didn't have authority from Wainwright, his commanding officer on Corregidor, to surrender. I wasn't there but my friend Tony Urban was. General King told them, "Men, I know you feel bad, but you didn't surrender, I surrendered you." "Don't feel bad for yourself." He went on his own to the Japanese and surrendered on April 9, 1942. How did you personally feel about the surrender? The night of the surrender, I couldn't figure out why we had to stop fighting. I was scared and I was mad. It was traumatic to know we were through. There were a lot of people who would like to have kept on. But it was no use. We had no defense. American War correspondent Frank Hewlett penned a poem that went through our units like wildfire: The Battling Bastards of Bataan We are the Battling Bastards of Bataan, No Mama, no Papa, no Uncle Sam! No Aunts, no Uncles, no Cousins, no Nieces, No Planes, no Pills, no Artillery Pieces! And nobody gives a Damn! The troops identified with this poem? Yes. It was a true assessment of our present situation!
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