This year marks the 70th anniversary of the infamous Bataan Death March of World War II when tens of thousands of American and Filipino prisoners of war were forced to surrender to the Japanese in the Philippines during the early stages of the war.
To help commemorate New Mexico’s Centennial, the rededication ceremony of the “Heroes of Bataan” monument at Veterans Park in Las Cruces, 2651 N. Roadrunner Parkway, will be held Sat., March 24th from 9 – 10:30 a.m. The monument was originally unveiled on April 13th, 2002, making this the monument’s 10th anniversary.
The highlight of the event will be the unveiling of three plaques, which will bear the names of the nearly 1,800 members of the 200th and 515th Coast Artillery
Anti-Aircraft units of the New Mexico National Guard who fought, survived or died at Bataan during World War II.
Presently, only 61 Bataan survivors remain, 31 of who reside in New Mexico. Approximately 15 survivors have expressed their intent to attend the ceremony.
“The Bataan Death March holds tremendous historical significance for New Mexico because many of those who perished came from here,” said J. Joe Martinez of Las Cruces who spearheaded the monument’s creation. “That period in world history impacted generations of New Mexicans and we want to keep the story of their heroism alive for generations more to appreciate,”Martinez said.
Two of the three soldiers in the monument bear the faces of Martinez’ uncles, Juan and Pepe Baldonado, while the third face is that of Command Sergeant Major Gilbert L. Canuela, who was stationed at White Sands Missile Range east of Las Cruces.
The monument was created by Las Cruces artist Kelley S. Hestir, and following the rededication ceremony, there will be two free showings of the film, "Bataan: The Making of a Memory," which documents how Hestir crafted the monument. Showings will be at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at the New Mexico Farm andRanch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road.