WASHINGTON - As the 67-year anniversary of one of the darkest periods in World War II approaches, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M. today again introduced legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to veterans of the Bataan Death March. He was joined in this effort by Senators Kit Bond, R-MO, and Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M.
On April 9, 1942, approximately 12,000 American soldiers, suffering from a lack of supplies, malnutrition, malaria and starvation, fought bravely to provide U.S. commanders with the breathing room needed to prepare for the full Pacific war. With no resources left to continue, and no reinforcements able to arrive, the troops were surrendered to the Japanese forces in the Philippines.
Immediately following their capture, the troops were forced to endure a torturous 65-mile, five-day march in tropical heat without food or water. Thousands perished along the way, and those who survived were held as prisoners of war in squalid encampments for over three years.
In captivity, the soldiers were made to do hard manual labor, given inadequate medical treatment and nutritional rations, and often threatened and beaten. One third of Bataan's 12,000 defenders never made it home.
Soldiers from New Mexico made up roughly 1,800 of the American forces in the Philippines. Only half returned home-and nearly a third who did return home died within a year after leaving captivity, most often due to complications from health issues directly attributed to their time in the POW camps. Many of those who survived suffered for the rest of their lives with physical and mental reminders of what they had endured.
The legislation introduced today would bestow a collective gold medal to the American soldiers involved. It would be housed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington and made available upon request for ceremonies and events commemorating the march.
Udall said "This is an honor we should have bestowed on these brave veterans years ago. For more than six decades, the world has enjoyed the freedom their sacrifice helped secure. It is time to give them the recognition they deserve."
"This is a long-overdue recognition of these veterans' courage and heroism in the face of unimaginable conditions," said Bond. "The veterans of our Armed Forces have made possible the liberties we enjoy today and it is our duty to honor their sacrifice."
"Minting a Congressional Gold Medal to recognize the New Mexicans and other Americans who endured the Bataan Death March would serve as a constant reminder of the heroism they displayed during this brutal chapter of the war. I am pleased to join Senator Udall in introducing this bill," Bingaman said.
The Bataan bill originated when a group of senior New Mexico military officers began working with then-Rep. Udall to produce legislation honoring Bataan Death March.
In a letter highlighting the need for a Congressional Gold Medal to honor the Bataan veterans, Generals Leo Marquez, Edward Baca, Melvyn Montaño, Gene Chavez and Kenny Montoya wrote, "The ‘Battling Bastards of Bataan' as they are affectionately called, have not received the nation's recognition deserved to other ethnic groups in WWII."
The generals also noted the historic exclusion of Hispanic war veterans, "from not only recognition for their performance in combat, but for participation in our nation's wars and conflicts...Hispanics participated in WWII with an estimated 500,000 members of our armed forces. Prior to the Korean conflict the U.S. Armed Forces did not officially track members by their ethnicity and the number of Hispanics participating in WWII is closer to 800,000..."
Udall said he was also compelled to introduce the bill to honor the 200th and 515th Coast Artillery units from his home state which were largely comprised of Hispanic solders.
"These soldiers were treated as second-class citizens, even when they wore their country's uniform," said Udall. "Yet they fought without hesitation. They were the first to fire on the enemy, and their remarkable courage in holding off the enemy helped make Allied victory in the Pacific possible."
The Bataan Gold Medal initiative is also supported by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, Secretary John M. Garcia of the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services, and the New Mexican Hispanic Culture Preservation League.
VFW National Security and Foreign Affairs Director Michael Wysong noted the Bataan bill's importance for all American veterans.
In a letter to Udall, Wysong wrote, "Your initiative will recognize the special sacrifices made by these courageous men and will serve as a solemn reminder of the cost, in human terms, made by our military to preserve our freedom and liberty."
Secretary John M. Garcia also emphasized New Mexico's role in the events at Bataan.
Said Garcia, "New Mexico's 200th and 515th Coastal Artillery Regiments shot down 86 enemy aircraft over 4 months protecting Bataan and then endured death, starvation, disease, the Bataan Death March, and forty months of barbaric captivity. The Congressional Gold Medal will pay tribute to these men and their descendents, and record their legacy for all time."
Conchita Lucero, President Emeritus of the New Mexican Hispanic Culture Preservation League, also expressed support for the Gold Medal legislation.
"The New Mexican Hispanic Culture Preservation League is dedicated to correcting omissions of valor and honor to the historical records and we are pleased that Tom Udall is helping us with this project," said Lucero. "The Bataan veterans walked in the shadows and are examples of our ancestors who fought to help the 13 colonies gain Independence but have been over looked in American History. New Mexico lost more men per capita than any other state in WWII. The 200th, and later the 515th, was named the best anti-aircraft regiment in the U.S. Army in 1941 and they were the first to fire on the Japanese after the attack at Pearl Harbor."
The Congressional Gold Medal was first awarded in 1776 in recognition of the "wise and spirited conduct" of George Washington, and the officers and soldiers under his command, in the siege and acquisition of Boston. It is the nation's highest and most distinguished civilian award.
Senators Udall and Bingaman are members of the Senate Hispanic Task Force.
