Sixty-seven years ago today, April 9, 1942, American forces on Bataan in the Philippines, surrendered to invading Japanese forces just four months after the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The out-gunned and out-manned American forces put up a stubborn defense, stalling the Japanese war plans before surrendering.
The surrender launched the infamous Death March, which the Japanese still refuse to admit took place. But ask the men fortunate enough to survive the March, and the 40 months that followed in prisoner of war camps if it happened. New Mexico was well represented among these men, as was Rio Arriba County.
According to Eva Jane Matson’s book “It Tolled for New Mexico, New Mexicans Captured by the Japanese 1941-1945,” of the nearly 2,000 New Mexican men, women and children who spent World War II as Japanese POWs or civilian internees, over 1,400 were in the 200th Coast Artillery. The 200th was made up principally of New Mexico National Guardsmen who had just arrived in the Philippines.
After the dropping of the atomic bomb in August, 1945, brought an end to the war, prison camp survivors struggled to recover from their ordeals and move on with their lives. One of these was Paul Trujillo, a native of Taos, who earned his college degree and was Rio Arriba county agent until his retirement. Paul died a few years ago, one of the last survivors of the Death March and Japanese prison camps.
His story was recorded in a book, “Children of the Sun God,” by Española attorney James (Tony) Scarborough in 2002. While there are still a number of World War II veterans surviving in the Española Valley area, we know of no POWs. If there are any, we would love to hear from you.
It would seem appropriate on this anniversary to recognize those from the Valley and Rio Arriba county who spent those miserable years in POW camps, those who survived to be liberated and those who died. According to Eva Jane Matson’s book, if they died in camp or were liberated, these include:
Abiquiú: Pvt Samuel Lopez, died; and Cpl. Thomas D. Suazo, liberated.
Canjilon: Cpl. Jose G. Maestas, liberated.
Cebolla: Pfc. Rosenaldo Martinez, liberated.
Chamita: Pvt. James D. McKenzie, liberated; Pvt. James H. Graves, died; 1/S Porfirio Ortiz, liberated.
Chimayó: Cpl. Eligio Baca, liberated.
Coyote: Cpl. Ernest O. Serrano, liberated.
Dixon: S/S Newton J. Patton, died.
Dulce: Sgt. Roy J. House, liberated; Sgt. Alexander M. Matthews, liberated.
El Rito: Cpl. John R. Goddard, liberated; Cpl. Benjamin E. Martinez, liberated; Pfc. Paul E. McCreary, died; Pfc. Gilberto Duran Jr., liberated; Pvt. Walter Goddard, liberated.
Española: Pvt. Juan E. Baca, died; S/S Carl L. Harris, Cpl. Lewis Lopez, Cpl. Leopoldo Lujan, Sgt. Boyce Springer, Cpl. Jose I. Valdez, Sgt. Eliseo G. Vigil, Sgt. Frank E. Wilson, Pvt. Benjamin Martinez and Pvt. Samuel Vigil, all liberated; Pfc. Orville F. Cook, died.
Gallegos: Pvt. Herman S. Quintana, died.
Gallina: Cpl. Amadeo Chacon, died; Cpl. Miguel R. Jacquez and Julius J. Tsuskansi, rank unknown, both liberated.
Las Tablas: Pvt Rosenaldo Lovato, liberated.
Lindrith: Pfc George W. Howard, liberated.
Park View: Pvt. Belarmino J. Valdez, died.
Riverside (now Española): Sgt. Benjamin F. Williams Jr., liberated.
Rutheron: Pfc. Herbert W. McCants, died.
San Juan: S/S Jose I. Cata, liberated.
Santa Clara: Pvt. Jose G. Sisneros, died.
Tierra Amarilla: Pfc John P. Ferrell and Pvt. Pedro A. Montoya, both died; Cpl. Tony A. Martinez, (Missing in action?)
Vallecitos: Pfc Jose B. Gallegos and Pvt. Jose I. Griego, both died.
Velarde: Cpl Belarmino Martinez, liberated.
Regina: Cpl. Henry B. Foster and Pfc. Wayne R. Wasson, both liberated.
Cuba: Pvt Luciano G. Salaz, died.
Tesuque: S/S Henry W. Day, liberated.