84th Day of Valor — Fall of Bataan and Death March Commemorated

The Philippines and US military communities observed the 84th anniversary of the fall of Bataan (April 9, 1942) and the Bataan Death March. In the Philippines, Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) honored the approximately 75,000 Filipino and American troops who surrendered to Japanese forces after a brutal four-month siege — the largest surrender in US military history. The Philippine Consulate General in New York held a formal commemoration ceremony honoring the heroism and sacrifice of Filipino and American WWII veterans. At White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, the annual Bataan Memorial Death March drew participants retracing the 26-mile route in homage to the POWs who endured the 65-mile forced march in 1942, during which 10,000–18,000 Filipino and American prisoners died from execution, disease, starvation, and brutal treatment.