Photos: 29th Bataan Memorial Death March sees record numbers

Defense

Photos: 29th Bataan Memorial Death March sees record numbers

The 29th Bataan Memorial Death March welcomed record attendance in New Mexico on Sunday to honor survivors and victims of the 1942 Bataan Death March.

Amelia Brust@abrustWFED

March 26, 2018 1:21 pm

< a min read

ROTC cadets from Texas travel to the Bataan Memorial Death March, held in southern New Mexico on Sunday, March 25, 2018.

A record 8,471 people registered for the 29th Bataan Memorial Death March in New Mexico on Sunday, March 25. Held at White Sands Missile Range, against the backdrop of the San Andreas Mountains, the event commemorates the Bataan Death March.

On April 9, 1942, after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, American and Filipino soldiers in the Philippine Peninsula surrendered to Japanese forces and were taken as prisoners of war. Captives marched approximately 65 miles through jungle terrain, during which time about 1,000 Americans and nearly 9,000 Filipino soldiers died, according to march organizers.

The annual event has grown from about 100 participants to more than 8,000 since its creation, and survivors of the original march who were honored this year included Harold Bergbower, Oscar Leonard, Bill Overmier, James Bollich, Paul Kerchum and Ben Skardon, according to DoDLive.