Milsurp After Hours

This is a pic of the Bataan Death March Memorial in the Plaza of Taos, New Mexico. A NM Coastal Atry Unit (NG) was in the Phillipines when WWII started. After capture, the remains of the Unit were forced on the "march". There are a few surviors still living in the area. The city convention center is called Bataan Hall to this day.

Intersting note** Taos Plaza flys the American flag 24/7. One of the few authorized places outside Ft McHenry, MD to do so. It goes back to the Civil War days in the West when Confederate agents tried to take it down and the place was defended by Kit Carson and others to prevent it from happening...

When I was a kid, the guy that lived across the street was a Marine vet of the Death March. He, my Dad and the other WWII vets on our block would get together most Friday nights to listen to the professional boxing on radio (no TV yet!). They'd have a few beers and listen to Marciano, Floyd Patterson or whoever was fighting that night. The broadcasts were sponsored by Gillette. I remember this guy saying that he always filled his water jug with ice & water and set it on the porch while mowing his lawn. He said as far as he knew he'd never gotten a drink out of the jug yet....but that he'd sworn to himself he'd never be anywhere again where he couldn't get a cold drink of water! My Dad & the others understood perfectly, but I didn't until years later when I learned what the Death March was. The guy was a cop...said it was the only job available when he got home from the war. He retired in the late 1970's as Chief of Police.

The 31st was known as the US foreign legion. They fought as long as they could before being overwhelmed in the fight for Bataan. There aren't many of then still living today. One or two will probably show up at the regiment reunion this year at the end of August at Ft. Benning Georgia.

My father in law was a Phillipine Scout, survived the fighting only to end up on the Death March. Will not talk about it to this day, and still wakes up from nightmares 2-3 times a week.