Logan ChapinM. GilbertUS HistoryMay 2, 2014Bataan Death MarchThe US armed forces surrendered on April 9, 1942 to Japanese General Masaharu Homma. More than 75,000 American and Filipino soldiers were forced to be prisoners of war and marched to their deaths. This turning point in World War II occurred on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines. This march was considered one of the worst attacks in the history of warfare. General Douglas MacArthur left the peninsula, promising that he would return to take command of American soldiers in Melbourne, Australia. However, American and Filipino soldiers failed to defeat the Japanese when the American defense collapsed after MacArthur left the Philippines. This horrible act appeared in the books as one of the most unpleasant military events in the history of warfare. This march was known as the Bataan Death March. The Bataan Death March was marked as a major turning point in World War II. American and Filipino soldiers held out for four months in the Philippines while the Japanese invaded every other island in the Pacific. After bombing the American base at Pearl Harbor, the Japanese headed towards the Philippines a day later for a new attack. By March 1942, the Japanese had taken control of all the Western Pacific islands except the Philippines. Within a month, the Japanese had captured the capital Manila, Philippines. Unfortunately, this forced all American and Filipino soldiers to retreat to the Bataan Peninsula. General Douglas MacArthur was initially in charge of American soldiers in the Philippines. MacArthur's original plan was to hold on and wait until the U.S. Navy... middle of paper ...... contributes greatly to the overall death toll of World War II. The march was life-changing for many survivors, who saw the lives of others taken from them through starvation or disease. These men stood no chance against the Japanese army after General Douglas MacArthur left, leaving the soldiers with terrain to survive and forcing General King to make the decision to surrender. General Douglas MacArthur never returned and left his American soldiers to survive until they died. The men went through tragedy and despair that no man should ever have lived through. All the men participating in this march are true heroes to society because they led the fight and witnessed more than any human being should have. The Bataan Death March has been considered one of the most tragic events of World War II. What happened on the Bataan Peninsula was horrific.