The Wilmington morning star., 1945-10-21

returned the fire it might fall
among my captured men. l found
out later than even when we did
fire, after the week of grace, we
did wound some of our men, in
Guiding 1t. Col. Bob Lindsey, who
had been my old l Corps artillery
officer.
However, even death from our
shells might have been welcomed
by some of our men at that time,
if they had been able to know what
was in store for them. For by
April Is the almost unbelievable
Death March toward Camp O'Don-
mel was on.
From a handful of men who es-
capped early in that never-to-be for
gotten savagery, and from respon-
sible men who participated in it
and later reported to me, I learned
the sadistic details.
The Japs rounded up my defeat
ed and diseased men in detach-
ments of about 1000 each. The first
phase Of the march was from
southern Bataan up to San Fer
nando Pampanga, about so miles.
There, in terrible physical condi-
ton, they were herded into boxcars
like cattle and shipped 20 miles by
rail to Capas, in Tarlac Province,
where they were prodded out of
their cars, lined up and marched
about seven more miles to O'Don-
nell.
Camp O'Dor7ell was the site Of
a Seventy FIRST Philippine Army
Division cantonment. The water
supply at this camp had not yet
been sufficiently developed when
the war started and such installa-
tons as we had had for pumping
water had deteriorated beyond use
fulness or had been destroyed.
The only water for these thous-
ands Of starving and thirstcrazed
prisoners could be obtained from
the muddy Bamban River, three
miles from the camp. No transpor-
tation or containers for water other
than canteens were available, and
few Of the men had canteens. The
Japs had taken them away for the
aluminium in them.
The march from southern Bataap
to San Fernando was continuous,
day and night, for those poor men.
They got no food except rice, and
not enough of that to sustain life.
There were no publication tablets
for the diseased waters of the Bam-
ban River.
Capt. Reeder, an American med
ical officer at O'Donnell, testified
to me later that between the time
the men arrived at the camp about
the third week in April, and the
end of July, 10000 OF The $4,000
Filipino and 14OO American troops
sent there died of starvation, dis
ease and torture.
Col. Bonnet, who escaped from
his trap near Baguio early in the
campaign, only to be captured at
the fall of Bataan, was killed at
O'Donnell when Jap soldier
cracked his skull with heavy stick
or club. He received no proper
treatment before his death. Brig.
Gen. Lurther R. Stevens also was
dubbed about the head, his glasses
smashed in his face.
Col. Campbell, head of our Air
Warning Service, was bayoneted
through the back when he did not
walk fast enough to suit the Jap
private behind him. He was only
one of thousands thus treated for
stumbling or not keeping pace with
the killing march.
Many of my men, thirst-crazy,
jumped off bridges or threw them
selves face-first into creeks and
stagnant pools. These men were
shot or bayoneted as they lay there
drinking the vile waters. My old
LIST Corps adjutant, 1t. Col. Udden-
burg, was thus shot.
American and Filipino soldiers,
suffering terribly from dysentery,
who stopped by the roadside to re-
lieve themselves, were ordered to
eat their own excrement. If they
refused they were bayoneted or
shot. 81
That was the Death March, COM
mitted by depraved beasts whom
we had considered human beings.
Tomorrow: Dread days on Cor
regidor, and General Wainwright's
narrow escape from death.)
Study prepared for National Avi-
alton Trades Association indic,tas