Bataan memorial march in New Mexico draws largest crowd ever

WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. (AP) — A record number of more than 8,400 people have participated in a memorial marathon to honor World War II veterans who fought in the Philippines. The Bataan Memorial Death March on Sunday honored members of the military who in 1942 were forced by Japanese captors to make a grueling 65-mile march across the Bataan Peninsula to prison camps. The 75,000 U.S. and Filipino troops endured harsh conditions including lack of water and food along with torture and executions at the hands of Japanese soldiers. Thousands died along the way. The Albuquerque Journal reports ROTC cadets at New Mexico State University started the first memorial death march in 1989. White Sand Missile Range and the New Mexico National Guard began sponsoring the event in 1992 and it moved to the range. ___ Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com