Evening star., 1947-04-22
b. Georoe Kennedy

Death still accompanies the march-
ers from Bataan. They die in their
sleep. They unWittingly fooled the
Veterans Administration doctors BY
coming back in critical condition
after they had been approved for full
employment.
Joseph Bandoni, who, was q ser
geant and q truck driver in the
20Oth Coast Artillery which sur
rendered to the japanese on the
Bataan Peninsula in April, 1912
tried to tell the House Interstate
and Foreign Commerce COMMITTEES
about it yesterday.
Joe is from Albuquerque, N. Mex.
He looks healthy enough. He wears
sun glasses, but so do many young
men on sunny days. OF course the
day was not sunny. but few would
make note Of that.
Death Strikes Friend.
As America should know, New
Mexico National Guard units, mus
tered into service after the fall OF
France in l940, were sent to the
Philippines, and New Mexico. one
of the least populous States in the
Union, had more men In the Bataan
force than any other.
Joe told Chairman Hinshaw be
was nervous in the witness chair,
but no one would note that. He
told about one OF his friends among
the Bataan survivors. Six months
ago the Veterans Administration
doctors changed the, friends dis
ability rating from 100 per cent to
10 per cent and told him he could
take any Job. A few weeks ago the
friend came back to the VA hospital
Examination showed he had
stomach ulcers and a critical
tuberculous condition. A few days
later he died Of pneumonia.
Interviewed after his testimony
Joe said that of the $50 members
of the Albuquerque Bataan Survivors
Association, six have died since the
first of the year. Despite his ap-
parent health Joe is still rated 100
per cent disabled, and has been told
by the VA doctors not to work.
Longs for College Studies.
He gets $142 a. month from the
Government. He is married now
and would like to go to college under
the CT Bill of Rights, but those dark
glasses are not worn from any ordi-
mary sensitiyeness to glare.
Joe has not read book since he
came back. His eyes should recover
he was told, If he eats good fooe
and takes 1t easy.
When he was at Nichols Field
Manila, which became a japanese
naval installation during the occu-
| patton, Joe and his fellows were
routed out each morning at O'Clock
and made to walk 3 miles where
they had to dig in white limestone
rock.
At first they thought it was thu
glare of the sun on the white rock
that was hurting their eyes. i
was the lack of protein in their
diet that was making their sensi.
tive to light and slowly binding
them.
A buddy who was blinded walkee
that 3 miles for two months by
holding on to the back of Joe's belt
Joe's story was buttressed by more
expert testimony. There was Capt
j. I. zundell, a physician now at the
Naval Hospital at Bethesda, who was
a prisoner at Bilibid.
Brutally Starved.
"The Japs' greatest brutality was
starvation, he said. THAT affected
every one"
He spoke of the optic neuritis
extreme sensitiveness to light due
to the lack Of proteins,. and tole
how there were 500 cases of partia
or complete blindness by the time
they were evacuated.
He told of the number of men who
died in their sleep.
."As physicians" he said, 1--WE knew
this was probably due to heart
failure"
Maj. Gen. William F. Sharp, COM
imander of the American forces on