A team of cadets from the UNM Army ROTC program has taken first place in their category at the Bataan Memorial Death March event at the White Sands Missile Range. The ROTC Military Heavy team ran 26.2 miles though the desert, much of it through sand carrying 35 pound rucksacks.
Photo (l. to r.): UNM Army ROTC team Tyler Cormier, Christopher Painter, Rubin Andrew, Ogan Michael, Gabriel Montoya, John Brasher, Daryl Murton. They are shown here with WWII Bataan Death March survivor Horazio Montoya, grandfather of cadet Gabriel Montoya.
The Bataan Memorial Death March was started in 1989 by the Army ROTC at New Mexico State University to honor a special group of World War II veterans, many of them from New Mexico. The soldiers were responsible for the defense of the islands of Luzon, Corregidor and the harbor defense forts of the Philippines. On April 9, 1942, tens of thousands of Americans and Filipino soldiers were surrendered to Japanese forces. The 200th Coast Artillery from the New Mexico National Guard was one of the units seized.
The soldiers were marched for days through the scorching heat of the Philippine Jungles. Thousands of men died during the march and the survivors were sent to Japanese prison of war camps.
The memorial march is primarily a military event, although some civilians do participate. The event which began with about 100 marchers, now each year draws about 4-thousand participants, and is an international event.
This year UNM Assistant Professor of Military Science Maj. Mike Herrera won 4th place overall in Military Light and 1st place in his age category.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth (505) 277-5627 email kwent2@unm.edu