Virtual Bataan Memorial Death March honoring American and Filipino soldiers begins Friday

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (Tribune News Service) — Friday, April 9, is the beginning of the virtual Bataan Memorial Death March hosted by White Sands Missile Range, honoring the American and Filipino soldiers who were taken in as Japanese Prisoners of War during World War II.

Last year's Bataan Memorial Death March was canceled after New Mexico's governor declared a public health emergency over the arrival of the COVID-19 virus.

Tens of thousands of soldiers surrendered to the Japanese after battling for seven months. They were forced to march 65 miles across the rough Philippine terrain on April 9, 1942 and approximately 10,000 men died. Those who survived found themselves in POW camps forced to perform hard labor. They were all put through brutal conditions until the camps were liberated in 1945.
Participants will choose a day between April 9 and 18 to complete their chosen distance in their own location, not at WSMR. The distance will need to be completed within one full day. Many people have historically marched in uniform or with a “ruck” and are still encouraged to do so this year, but with safety in mind.

As of April 7, 6,800 participants have signed up for the virtual march representing 22 countries across the world. But, "remember, this is more than just a marathon," said Col. Dave Brown, former Garrison Commander of WSMR, in a Facebook message.
Oscar Otero is the son of Oscar Otero, Sr., a Bataan POW. He has spent the past eight years volunteering with the memorial march. Otero, Sr., was a member of the 200th Coastal Artillery, New Mexico National Guard. In the Philippines he served with the 5th Interceptor Command Group with the U.S. Army Air Corps.

He was taken prisoner in 1942 and endured the Bataan Death March, inhumane transportation on Hell Ships and box cars and then worked in mines at several Prisoner of War camps.

Otero, Sr. was working at Fukuoka Camp #17 when the atomic bomb known as “Fat Man” was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, on Aug. 9, 1945 — three days after the atomic bomb known as “Little Boy” was dropped on Hiroshima. He and many others were finally liberated on Sept. 2, 1945.

However, Otero, Sr. reenlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a Staff Sergeant and assisted with War Crime Tribunals — he spoke fluent Japanese. But complications from radiation poisoning caught up with him from Nagasaki and he died March 25, 1951, Easter Sunday. He was buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Albuquerque to be near family.

“The fact that they all cheated death so many times being in such horrible conditions as POW's, it just really strikes home on how brave they really were to continue to survive despite everyone dying all around them — even their own fellow soldiers — all along those four years of captivity,” Otero said. “It just amazes me how brave they really were deep inside and they held each other up.”

Otero was born three months after his father passed away and grew up hearing other’s stories about the hardships his father and fellow soldiers endured. He said commemorating the soldiers every year who were forced to march reminds people of the sacrifices made to end the war and should not be forgotten.

His family has preserved letters written by Otero Sr., detailing what he saw and endured during the war. Otero said they have plans to accumulate all of the records into a book to pass down to younger generations of the family as well as people interested in learning about that time in history.

“I think it's a very honored and precious memory to keep moving forward. And it seems like it strips away a lot of life's shallow distractions and helps unite us as Americans and New Mexicans especially,” Otero said.

“I think (my father’s) greatest desire, despite being so ill …, was that he wanted to be reunited and support and cheer on his beloved comrades. I believe, then is now, that he achieved that desire even to his last breath.”

Volunteering with the annual march also allows former POWs and their descendants to connect. A few years ago, Otero joined the Remember Bataan group in Las Cruces whose members have the goal of not only sharing the history of the march, but of supporting students and cadets in the military through scholarships.

A virtual opening ceremony for the memorial march will be streamed on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BataanMemorialDeathMarch/ at 6:30 a.m. April 9.