In 1942, during the second world war, more than 70,000 American and Filipino prisoners were captured by Japanese forces, making a rough estimate of 140,000 of Filipino and American soldiers forced into an epic trek. Between 600 and 700 Americans and 5,000 to 10,000 Filipino soldiers died during a forced march under their captors' orders and threat of death. However, estimates of living and deceased soldiers vary; it is believed that more than 20,000 prisoners died before reaching their destination which was to be a POW camp. The 80 mile journey on foot was from Mariveles (southern tip of Bataan Peninsula) to San Fernando in the Philippines. It started 9th April and finished on 15th, during six (6) grueling and abusive days, plus without food or water. Deaths were caused by lack of food and water, already malnourished and suffering illnesses or wounds, and direct physical abuse and murder by the Japanese. About 120,000 survived. Of those, only 6 were living when the Japanese Government formally apologized decades later. The main reason the Japanese committed this horrific act was to demoralize America, e.g. simply because the Japanese chose to abuse their power in inflicting inhumane torture (they knew many of the men would die under such conditions) and direct murder (shooting them).
Chat with our AI personalities
The Bataan death march took place in 1942. The exact date the march started was April 3, 1942. Also, the march ended on April 9, 1942 when the Japanese surrendered.
The Bataan Death March.
As a result of the Bataan Death March, more than 7000 American and Filipino troops died.
It was in Bataan in the Philippines.
Americans and Filipinos
The Bataan Death march occurred in the Philippines and ended in Camp O'Donnell of the Philippines. Some POWs were taken to Japan.