Rhilton4u
4th of March 2009 (Wed), 21:45
A little history on these:
Mt. Samat is the site where American and Filipino soldiers retreated and fought their last desperate stand against the Japanese Imperial Army during the waning days of the Battle for the Philippines in April of 1942.
Scattered and suffering heavy losses against the Japanese over most of the main island of Luzon, Filipino and American soldiers retreated to the Bataan Peninsula to regroup and gather support from the heavy seacoast artillery on Corregidor Island.
Despite several successfull victories and repulsing the enemy for months - the loss of food, medical supplies and ammunition coupled with the onset of disease forced the American and Filipinos into an untenable situation.
After a fierce final battle lasting 3 days, 76,000 exhausted, sick and starving men under Major General Edward P. King surrendered to the Japanese on April 9, 1942. It was, and still is, the single largest surrender of American miltary forces in history.
The Japanese Army then led these prisoners on a forced march which was is today known as the infamous Bataan Death March. Of the 75,000 Filipino and American soldiers that began the 90 mile (140km) march, only about 54,000 survived.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3608/3324943807_12f41c030c_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3631/3325773402_07ca8647db_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3614/3325781052_d1b4236f6a_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3628/3325780696_f93f972271_o.jpg
Mt. Samat is the site where American and Filipino soldiers retreated and fought their last desperate stand against the Japanese Imperial Army during the waning days of the Battle for the Philippines in April of 1942.
Scattered and suffering heavy losses against the Japanese over most of the main island of Luzon, Filipino and American soldiers retreated to the Bataan Peninsula to regroup and gather support from the heavy seacoast artillery on Corregidor Island.
Despite several successfull victories and repulsing the enemy for months - the loss of food, medical supplies and ammunition coupled with the onset of disease forced the American and Filipinos into an untenable situation.
After a fierce final battle lasting 3 days, 76,000 exhausted, sick and starving men under Major General Edward P. King surrendered to the Japanese on April 9, 1942. It was, and still is, the single largest surrender of American miltary forces in history.
The Japanese Army then led these prisoners on a forced march which was is today known as the infamous Bataan Death March. Of the 75,000 Filipino and American soldiers that began the 90 mile (140km) march, only about 54,000 survived.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3608/3324943807_12f41c030c_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3631/3325773402_07ca8647db_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3614/3325781052_d1b4236f6a_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3628/3325780696_f93f972271_o.jpg