Friends (Nonie, Christy, Dee, and Precillia) will march the Bataan Memorial March at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico on March 20, 2015. Sponsor our march by pledging a donation. Click DONATE (Note to Seller as: “Bataan-Friends” on PayPal).
All proceeds will go towards printing bronze copies of the Congressional Gold Medal (once the bill is passed) to be given to WWII Filipino Veterans and the ongoing education of their contributions to American history. Our goal for the march is $2000.
The Bataan Memorial Death March, held at the White Sands Missile Range, was created to honor those approximately 75,000 Filipino and American troops who received the order to surrender on the island of Luzon, April 9, 1942. It was there that these troops were taken prisoner by the Japanese and were forced to make the grueling 65-mile march to prisoner-of-war camps. The memorial march honors the sacrifices of those soldiers taken prisoner, and in many cases, gave their lives during captivity.
The memorial event is a challenging trek through the high desert and mountain terrain of southern New Mexico. Participants can choose from two routes. The Green route, which is the full 26.2 miles, and the Blue honorary route which is 14.2 miles. Dee, Christy, and Precillia will walk the 14.2 mile Honorary portion.
The routes allow participants to experience a small portion of what the soldiers endured during their long march through malaria-filled jungles in the Philippines.
Please write your Congressman and Senators to sponsor the Filipino Veteran WWII Congressional Gold Medal House bill H.R. 2737 and Senate bill S.1555 or sign the petition.
To learn more about the project go to: FilvetREP.org
Source: http://www.holloman.af.mil/news/story.asp%3Fid%3D123442507
Filipino American National Historical Society 