BB-060 / War Crimes

Bataan Death March

April 1942 · Philippines · Forced march of POWs

Bataan Death March

The Act

Japanese forces forced approximately 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners on a 65-mile march under extreme conditions; thousands died from exhaustion, abuse, and execution.

The Response

The march was prosecuted as a war crime after the war. It remains a symbol of Japanese treatment of Allied POWs.

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