Looks like my friend Les Poitras and I will be going to New Mexico in March to participate in the Bataan Death March Memorial Hike, a 26-plus mile hike across the desert to honor the memory of the original Bataan Death March participants.
More details as they develop. Suffice it to say, Les and I have some serious training to do.
The Death March Memorial Hike website is http://www.bataanmarch.com/.
Men on the Bataan Death March, one of the most infamous mass war crimes against American soldiers in the Pacific in World War Two. Survivors will be at the march this March, and my plan is to conduct some interviews for my book Untold Valor: The Pacific
2 comments:
The Bataan Death March was something that I had probably learned about in U.S. History class in high school but did not pay much attention to, just like so many middle class American kids who have it easy in a free country and aren't aware of the price that has been paid for freedom.
It wasn't until I picked up Henry Commager/Donald Miller's "History of WWII" that I became aware of the March and then read Lester Tenney's "My Hitch in Hell". It was quite shocking to learn about what those poor soldiers endured and how they survived was a testimony about the very best (and sometimes worst) of human character. I just can't imagine going through such a horrific experience and surviving.
This march is going to be tough, but nothing at all compared to what these heroic men endured. We'll have our water packs, gels, granola bars, etc., they had nothing but torture, dehydration, starvation & death in the most horrific ways, yet we're going to meet some of those who amazingly survived, face to face. It's going to be tough but I'm looking forward to it!
I covered six very slow miles yesterday and it was clear to me that I have a lot of work to do!
It's great to hear that you've got another book going, Rob. I don't know how you do so many things at once!
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