The Fall of Bataan

My growing years in the Philippines were filled with beautiful memories. During those years, I remember playing patintero, tumbang preso, luksong tinik, taguan, pitik bulag, piko, at jackstone. Nung highschool na ako, naaalala ko pa ang mga paborito kong mga artista gaya ni Carmen Rosales, Tita Duran, Anita Linda, Lilia Dizon, Paraluman, Gloria Romero, Chichay, Aruray, Zeny Zabala, Bella Flores, Etang Dicher, Rosa Mia, Rita Gomez, Pancho Magalona, Leopoldo Salcedo, Luis Gonzales, at Ric Rodrigo. I enjoyed watching the movies like Madam X, Dalagang Ilocana, Cofradia, Bathaluman, at Tugtuging Bukid. Paglabas ko ng sinehan sa Pasay, amoy kubeta ako sa baho ng sigarilyo, pero enjoy naman sa panonood ng sine. Nung magtatapos na ako ng highschool, ang istambayan namin nuon ay Luisa & Sons at mga karnabal. Ang mga sikat na sinehan nuon ay Avenue Theater, Lyric, Opera House, Clover Theater, Gotesco, Odeon, at Galaxy Theater. Ang Ate Meding at Ditse Letty ko ay sosyal. Pag nagpunta sila sa night club naka-strapless, long gown ang suot nila. Ang sikat na club nung kapanahunan ng Ate at Ditse ko ay Sky Room ng Jai Alai. Sikat na sikat nuon ang banda ni Carding Cruz at Babat. Those were the days.

Unfortunately, I have no recollection of the Fall of Bataan because I was only 6 months old when this happened. Nevertheless, I could very well remember the vivid description of the historic events as told to me by my grandfather. At sundown, I remember my “lolo” gathering all the kids and would tell us stories about World War II.

I remember the Bataan death march characterized by wide-ranging physical abuse, murder, savagery, and resulted in very high fatalities inflicted upon the prisoners and civilians along the route by the armed forces of the Empire of Japan. I remember the stories about the prisoners that were attacked for assisting someone falling due to weakness or for no apparent reason whatsoever. Strings of Japanese trucks were known to drive over anyone who fell.

History tells us that at dawn of April 9, 1942, Major General Edward P. King, Jr. commanding Luzon Force, Bataan, surrendered more than 75,000 starving and disease-ridden men. The majority of the prisoners of war were immediately robbed of their keepsakes and belongings and subsequently forced to endure a 90-mile enforced march in deep dust, over vehicle-broken macadam roads, and crammed into rail cars to captivity at Camp O’Donnell. Thousands died en route from disease, starvation, dehydration, heat prostration, untreated wounds, and wanton execution.

Bataan Day Celebrations

Every year on April 9, the captured soldiers are honored on Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor), also known as the “Bataan Day,” which is a national holiday in the Philippines. This year, our veterans and leaders marked the 66^th anniversary of the Bataan Day of Valor in Washington D.C. They held a wreath-laying sunset ceremony at the National WWII Memorial on 17^th Street and Independence Avenue. Two Battle of Bataan Defenders, Pat Genio and Jesse Baltazar, both 87 years old now, led their comrades in commemorating this historical event.

Earlier in the week, there was a showing of an inspiring video documentary by Margaret Lacson-Ecarma, “In Servitude with Honor and Dignity.” This video documentary depicts the historic and inspiring military service of active duty Filipino men and women in the armed forces of the United States. Beginning in 1898, “In Servitude With Honor and Dignity” shows the wave and migration of Filipino joining the various American military services. The U.S. Navy is documented to be the largest military organization of service members from the Philippines and Americans of Filipino heritage.

Bataan-Corregidor Survivors’ Association (BCSA)

I attended recently the BCSA banquet and ball to commemorate the 66^th year of the Fall of Bataan and Corregidor and the death March. As usual, the event was a fitting tribute to the Bataan and Corregidor survivors.

Honored guest was Philippine Consul General in San Francisco, California, Marciano A. Paynor, Jr. The Consul General himself was a military man. He graduated from the Philippine Military Academy, class 1971. Paynor was introduced by Colonel (AFP Ret) Manuel H. Divina, overall chair, auditor, and board member of BCSA. Paynor’s message to the guests was an appeal to the more fortunate Filipinos in the United States to come and visit the Philippines. He encourages the members of the Filipino community to extend any help they could give to our kababayans.