| The "Bataan Death March" during WWII in the | | | | thrown off the dirty, bumpy road. The description of |
| Philippines was one of the most deadly and brutal | | | | what they endured as seen through Ben Steele's eyes |
| excursions mandated by any enemy. The Japanese | | | | and many others, officers and enlisted men alike, was |
| captured this area shortly after the beginning of WWII, | | | | in most cases beyond human comprehension. When |
| which started when Japan destroyed Pearl Harbor in | | | | they did get something thrown at them to eat it was |
| the Pacific. This scenario is captured through the eyes | | | | usually leftovers from the Japanese meals, bits and |
| of those that lived it and the records they had kept. | | | | pieces of rice, moldy, maggot filled, flies included along |
| The writings or diaries that these men, mostly from the | | | | with any foreign substances that would come from |
| United States and the Philippines, wrote and managed | | | | the dirt. Water was almost non-existent even though |
| to hide somewhere or wrote after their rescue after a | | | | there were areas along the way that contained wells |
| harrowing ordeal that killed so many. The map included | | | | or cisterns but the prisoners were not allowed to drink. |
| in the beginning of the book shows the Luzon Island, | | | | A few managed to secretly obtain some water but all |
| Manila, Bataan, and surrounding areas. All of this area | | | | it did was give dysentery even worse than the food |
| was where most of this story occurred. | | | | did. |
| The attack on Pearl Harbor is described through both | | | | You have to read this story to understand what our |
| the American and the Japanese eyes and minds. Ben | | | | military endured, if they lived through it, which many |
| Steele was a young cowboy from Montana who | | | | didn't. The Japanese would stop the march, separate |
| rushed to join the Air Force once the war had begun. | | | | lines of men, march them in small groups to the edge |
| Being a country boy he wasn't used to war or people | | | | of a ravine, then bayonet them until they fell into the |
| that acted much different than his wild western style. | | | | ravine dead or mostly dead. Very few did survive this |
| The story tells a bit of training then moves rapidly to | | | | method of killing. When the few that did survive arrived |
| the Philippines where Ben and his units were sent to | | | | at Camp O'Donnell, they again were kept in very |
| defend an area that had many Philippine and American | | | | primitive enclosures and given very little to eat or drink. |
| soldiers, along with some other nations. The military | | | | Eventually over the many months as prisoners, the |
| leaders felt there was plenty of military in the area to | | | | Japanese knew they were losing the war and they |
| repel any Japanese attack attempting to take the | | | | pulled back or were killed or taken prisoner, allowing |
| entire area. They were dead wrong. Some of the | | | | the ravaged men to roam the camp until friendly |
| natives took off for the hills of the island but most | | | | forces rescued them. For most of the men that did |
| stayed and fought the oncoming enemy that sent | | | | survive this tortuous trek their physical and mental lives |
| unending lines of men to attack and capture all they | | | | were forever changed. Ben Steele did survive by luck, |
| could. Many on both sides were killed, but eventually | | | | prayers, and his outdoor knowledge of survival. I highly |
| the Japanese did overtake the entire island, making the | | | | recommend this book for anyone that is a war buff |
| forces fighting surrender to the Japanese. | | | | but I warn you that you will be reading some things |
| Eventually the men were herded in lines as the victors | | | | that are very disturbing. I knew from history that the |
| moved inland and north and forced to march | | | | Bataan Death March was a terrible event in the |
| regardless of physical condition, without food and | | | | world's history but nothing could have prepared me for |
| water for the most part. If they fell or faltered for any | | | | the actual story in detail as laid out by the authors. |
| reason, they were bayoneted or shot with their bodies | | | | |