Wednesday's warm, sunny weather set the stage for a couple hundred people, including servicemen, family and local dignitaries, to gather once again on April 9 to commemorate the anniversary of the fall of Bataan. This year marks 83 years since more than 1,800 New Mexican soldiers from the 200th and 515th Coast Artillery Regiments fought in the battle. Tragically, only about half came home alive.
The Battle of Bataan in the Philippines was the first major World War II military campaign in the Asian theater following the Pearl Harbor attack. From Dec. 8, 1941, to April 9, 1942, New Mexico soldiers fought alongside Filipinos and other Americans to fight off Japanese invaders on the Bataan peninsula. On April 9, Bataan’s military commanders surrendered. Many of those who survived endured the infamous Bataan Death March, which was 65 miles through the jungle as enemy soldiers used bayonets and bullets to kill the weak, wounded and defiant along the way. Those who survived the march landed in brutal Japanese prisoner-of-war camps. Survivors endured an enormous physical toll, and dealt with numerous mental and emotional scars.
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Hank Minitrez, NM National Guard Public Affairs Director, tells SFR that even though this was his third service, the gathering still makes him emotional.
"It gets you right here," he said, balling his fist and tapping his heart. “Most of us grew up hearing the story of these heroes, learning of their courage, struggle, and sacrifice. It’s important that we continue to honor them."
The ceremony included a Color Guard, Honor Guard and band. More than half of those in attendance were in uniform. The Color Guard raised a white flag for the duration of the remembrance. Letters from servicemen were read aloud and electric candles lit in their honor. A roll call of the fallen was read ahead of a three-volley salute from the Honor Guard. A lone bugler followed by playing "Taps" then "Amazing Grace" as a fresh wreath was placed in front of the statue in front of the Bataan War Memorial.
Santa Fe Mayor Allan Webber was among those who gave remarks.
"The story of our fellow New Mexicans at Bataan crystallizes in one moment of history a lesson that we can never afford to forget. It is so pure and so profound and so distinct and so important," he said. "And we should never allow that lesson to be lost. We remember the men, we remember their families, we thanked them for their services, we thanked those who served today. And behind all of those thank yous is a promise to keep the lesson alive, every single day, as we move forward in our lives and share it with those who come behind us. It is simply a great honor to be able to bear witness to what they did and what we must do to keep them with us in our hearts and in our actions."
The one-hour ceremony outside the Bataan Memorial preceded a gathering inside. Minitrez said the annual memorials in Santa Fe started in the 1980s.
Words by Dave Cathey; photos by Adam Ferguson
