Remember Bataan Day

Bataan Day was actually three days ago, on April 8.  It marked the anniversary of the surrender of the United States Armed Forces Far East (USAFFE) to the Japanese on the Bataan Peninsula in 1942.  The memorial celebration began in Maywood, Illinois in 1943.  Maywood was then a little town outside of Chicago.  It's now part of the Windy City and brings to Chicago its celebration.  Young men from Maywood were among the first U.S. troops to be sent to the Philippines when war was expected.  When war actually came, they turned out to be just about the last U.S. troops to arrive.  They were among the 70,000 USAFFE troops to surrender, 12,000 American and 58,000 Filipino soldiers.  They were never forgotten by the "Maywood Mothers," who probably saved many of them by their letters and their political advocacy.  They stormed Washington and Tokyo.  To mark the occasion I am adding an article I have written about the Maywood Boys to my blog.  Also check the photo section.  rhb