Grim aftermaths of the war..

LIFE AFTER BATAAN FOR SOME SURVIVORS...

A tribute to the "Bastards of Bataan"

When Bataan fell to the the Japanese, there were about 7,500 POWs both Filipinos and Americans. By the end of the war about 500 were left.

Survivors who were interviewed explained the deaths and dissapearance of the 7,000 with so many harrowing episodes..The most common execution then was decapitation. Then starvation ( even the Japanese right after their surrender were not given any more food ). They vented their frustration on their captives. Many of the marchers survived because they did not give up their hope that someday, they would go back to their USA hometowns. So they had to keep despair from creeping into their minds even if what they saw around them was hatred, barbarism and wanton disregard for human life. Those who survived  the death march without being rescued by US armed forces faced another death sentence: they were packed into "ghost ships" Japanese cargo ships bound for Japan. The survivors were marked to be transported the the Land of the Rising Sun as workers for the different Japanese factories. But not very many ships survivied the long voyage home. Once out in the open, US warplanes bombed them not knowing there were POWs inside. Some lucky ones jumped out of a burning Japanese ship, and by miracle, he was able to swim to shore into the arms of some Filipino and American rescuers!

 

One of the "ghost ships" that planned to transport US POWs..

Around the '70s, I was able to chat with an Asinganian who claimed he was in the Death March. It was already 30 years after the war, yet he was still suffering from stomach disorders. He was very thin. I asked him if he was receiving any pension: "Not a penny," he said. "But I know there are a few people in Asingan who are receiving some $ and benefits, but they never saw any action during the war.."

His American comrades did not fare any better. They received pensions, but the horrorof the Death March rendered psychologically maimedfor the rest of their lives ( like some Desert Storm veterans ). Some would wake up in the middle of the night screaming. One related that his Mom came to touch his face to check if he had some fever. The ex-soldier started choking her. When he was fully awoke, he implored his mom never, never to touch him if he was having a bad dream like that---#