WASHINGTON (April 9, 2021) – On the anniversary of the start of the Bataan Death March in World War II, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) are announcing the bipartisan Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Congressional Gold Medal Act to honor the heroic veterans who endured the Bataan Death March.
The Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Congressional Gold Medal Act would bestow a collective Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest and most distinguished civilian honor, to the troops from the United States and the Philippines who bravely defended Bataan and Corregidor and endured one of the most harrowing prisoners of war experiences in history, in recognition of their personal service and sacrifice.
“Tens of thousands of Americans and Filipinos—including many New Mexicans— demonstrated incredible and courageous fortitude during the Bataan Death March,” said Heinrich.
“Bataan veterans deserve the recognition of our nation’s highest and most distinguished honor for their perseverance and patriotism. We must never forget their undaunted heroism in the face of unthinkable conditions and horrific abuses.”
“America owes its Bataan veterans a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. These brave soldiers demonstrated courage in the face of captivity and inhumanity,” said Luján. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort to ensure that Congress gives these heroes the recognition that they deserve for their service and sacrifice.”
On December 8, 1941, hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese bombers attacked U.S. military stations in the Philippines. Despite being cut off from supply lines and reinforcements, thousands of American and Filipino forces mounted a courageous, months-long defense of the Bataan Peninsula and then Corregidor Island in Manila Bay. This brave defense changed the momentum of the war, delaying the Japanese conquest of the Philippines and providing the Allied Forces with critical time to mount a campaign to liberate the Pacific.
On April 9, 1942, after the Battle of Bataan, approximately 75,000 troops from both the United States and the Philippines were taken prisoner by the Japanese. They were forced to endure a torturous march of more than 60 miles that came to be known as the “Bataan Death March" to prison camps throughout the Philippines. The marchers endured intense tropical heat without food, water, or medical care. An estimated 10,000 men—including thousands of Filipinos and hundreds of Americans—died from starvation, exhaustion, and abuse.
Survivors of the Bataan Death March were held captive in Japanese prison camps for over three years, where they were subject to further torture, undernourishment, and forced labor. Others died when they were transported out of the Philippines, by way of unmarked Japanese Navy “hell ships” that were targeted by Allied Forces. Out of the 1,816 New Mexico National Guardsmen in the 200th and 515th Coast Artillery who were originally sent to defend the Philippines in the fall of 1941, 829 never returned home.
The full text of the legislation is available HERE.