CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo - More than 120 people, including many North
Dakota National Guardsmen from Multi-National Battle Group-East, challenged
themselves in the inaugural Bataan Memorial March here March 21.
The march took the participants up and over the hills of Camp Bondsteel and
along trails surrounding the base.
"This march is in commemoration of those that gave their all defending the
Philippines in World War II and also in remembrance of the survivors," said
Renee Favors of Camp Bondsteel's Morale Welfare and Recreation office, which
sponsored the event.
On April 9, 1942, thousands of American and Filipino soldiers were surrendered
to Japanese forces. Among those seized were members of the 200th Coast
Artillery, New Mexico National Guard.
They were marched for days in the scorching heat through the Philippine
jungles. Thousands died. Those who survived faced the hardships of a prisoner
of war camp. Others were wounded or killed when unmarked enemy ships
transporting prisoners of war to Japan were sunk by U.S. air and naval forces.
The march held here was broken down into four categories: a 26-mile and a
15-mile team march and a 26-mile and a 15-mile individual run.
"We had some people who run marathons back in the states and so we made in
individual event for the runners, said Favors. "But it was mostly a team
event."
The team marchers carried 35-pound rucksacks and their individual weapons. Run
and march participants came from the United States, Denmark, Finland, Poland
and Ukraine.
"The main thing about having it as a team event is for everyone in your team
to cross the line and to help each other," Favors said. "You don't leave
anyone behind."
2nd Lt. Jay Sheldon, a North Dakota National Guard member and information
officer for Multi-National Battle Group-East, completed the 15-mile march.
"I've got one pretty good blister but other than that I'm just a little sore,"
he said. I'm glad we got to go down the big hills instead of up them. The
road going up wasn't quite as steep as the road down."
Sheldon said it was a perfect day for the march and the temperatures were
ideal for being out walking.
Lt. Col. David Skalicky, the chief of MNBG-E's Joint Visitor's Bureau from the
North Dakota Guard, ran the marathon. It was his sixth.
"It was awesome," he said. "The coolest part was that there were four
first-time marathoners. It's great getting other people hooked on running."
One of the first-time runners was Capt. Anna Wittrock, a battle captain with
the MNBG-E operations section from the North Dakota Guard.
"From the waist up I feel pretty good," she said. "From the waist down it
hurts."
"It was the hardest marathon I'll ever run," said Skalicky. "In the last six
miles you had three huge hills. That doesn't happen in other marathons."
Another marathon is planned at Camp Bondsteel May 2, to be run in conjunction
with the National Guard Marathon.
On June 6, a 10-mile memorial march will be held to remember all North Dakota
servicemembers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. June 6 was chosen as the date
because both Sgt. Travis Van Zoest and Cpl. Curtis Mehrer of the N.D. National
Guard's 1-188 Air Defense Artillery were killed in Afghanistan on that date in
2006. Marches will be held simultaneously in North Dakota and Iraq.
"We want to eliminate any element of competition in the memorial march,"
said Sheldon. "We want everyone to be able to walk and visit and share their
memories of Soldiers who aren't with us anymore."