Photo By Master Sgt. J.D. Strong II | Participants of the 30th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March trek towards the starting...... read more read more
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Members of Team Kirtland and more than 8,600 runners and marchers participated in the 30th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March, at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., March 17, 2019.
The Bataan Memorial event is a march through the high desert terrain of White Sands in honor of the heroic service members who defended the Philippine Islands during World War II.
“What the soldiers of the Bataan endured must never be forgotten, and what you are doing today helps keep those memories and that spirit alive," said U.S. Rep. Xochitil Torres Small, D-N.M.
On April 9, 1942, the U.S. and Filipino soldiers surrendered after seven months of battle combined with exposure to the extreme elements, disease and lack of vital supplies. The soldiers were deprived of food, water and medical attention, and were forced to march for days through approximately 65 miles through the scorching jungles of the Philippines. During the Bataan Death March, approximately 10,000 men died. Of these men, 1,000 were American and 9,000 were Filipino.
Honoring the March has been a long tradition in this state as New Mexico units made up large numbers of POWs from the 200th and 515th Coast Artillery units of the New Mexico National Guard.
“One of the things that meant the most to me, while marching along you see people have in remembrance signs or photos of military members that have been lost throughout the years and they are marching in their memory,” said Lt Col. Joseph Komensky, 377th Maintenance Group deputy commander. “It’s a great thing to make sure we always remember the tragedy that happened. We need to remember those sacrifices that were made.”
The Bataan Memorial Death March was first sponsored by the Army ROTC Department at New Mexico State University in 1989. Participation has grown from about 100 to about 8,000 marchers, from all 50 states and several foreign countries.
There are two courses: a 14.2-mile route and a 26.2-mile route. The 26.2 mile course travels northwest along I-70 to a small mountain known as Mineral Hill. The course then travels south becoming a paved road and veers west becoming an area known as the Sand Pit, featuring deep sand before transforming into dirt trails coming up the backside of the White Sands community and returning to the finish line.
The March featured nine different categories for marchers and runners to participate in varying forms from military and civilian individual light and heavy categories, team light and heavy categories and an honorary march category.
| Date Taken: | 03.19.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 03.19.2019 15:53 |
| Story ID: | 314867 |
| Location: | WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, NEW MEXICO, US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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