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While the U.S. Army Air Force began
sending planes over the Himalayas, a far more treacherous journey began on the other side of the South China Sea, in the Philippines. By April 9th, the Japanese
Army had pushed the Combined Filipino and American forces into the city of
Mariveles at the southern tip of the Bataan Peninsula. Surrounded and out of
suitable defenses or supplies, the Allied troops had no choice but to
surrender.
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As soon as the Filipino and American soldiers were stripped of
their weapons and equipment, some were also forced to give up their boots and
socks. Then, over 60,000 Prisoners of War (POWs) were forced to march along
jungle paths to Bataan’s Capital, Balanga City and over dirt roads to San
Fernando in Northern Bataan, over sixty miles away. Once they arrived in San Fernando, the POWs were transported by rail to Camp O'Donnell, where many would remain for the duration of the war.
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As the Prisoners
marched, they were not allowed food to eat nor clean water to drink. Thirsty
and desperate, some prisoners resorted to drinking muddy water from places
where Water Buffaloes, Musk Oxen, and other animals soaked, meaning the water was also foul
with the wild animal waste and contaminated with bacteria carrying diseases such sa malaria and dysentery.
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Often, the POWs were beaten as they marched. Anyone who grew
too tired to make the march was simply stabbed by the Japanese with bayonets
and left to die. .historians believe as many as 10,000 Filipinos and 700
Americans were killed or died during the Death March.
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