100-year-old Bataan Death March survivor Col. Ben Skardon, a beloved Clemson University alumnus and professor emeritus, walked between 6.5 and 7 miles in the Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., March 25, 2018.
"Dawn had yet to break, but thousands of people had already gathered at White Sands Missile Range Sunday for the 29th annual Bataan Memorial Death March. This year's march saw the largest number of participants — nearly 8,500 — an 18 percent increase over last year.
During the infamous 1942 World War II Bataan Death March, 68,000-plus civilians and Filipino and American prisoners of war were forced to walk at the hands of their Japanese captors through Philippine jungle with little food or water. Some captives were executed; others died from disease and illness — either during the march or while kept as prisoners afterward
Retired Col. Beverly "Ben" Skardon selected an orange shirt — in honor of his alma mater Clemson University — and a white fedora.At 100 years old, this would be the 11th memorial march in 12 years for Skardon, a Bataan Death March survivor. His participation makes him not only the oldest marcher but the only survivor to ever walk in the event. During World War II and prior to the death march, Skardon had already received two Silver Stars, three Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart for his commitment in commanding a battalion of Filipino Army recruits.
On Saturday, Skardon received the Filipino World War II Veterans Congressional Gold Medal — the highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions that Congress can give — during a presentation at the Post Theater at White Sands Missile Range
"(Participating in the march) means a lot to me personally because that march and the men hang heavy on me. I've never forgotten it," Skardon said. "While I walk, it seems to me, my memory flashes back, and I get emotional."
https://www.stripes.com/meet-the-100-year-old-survivor-who-took-part-in-the-bataan-memorial-death-march-1.518761?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Stars+and+Stripes+Emails&utm_campaign=Daily+Headlines
https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/2018/03/25/bataan-memorial-death-march-survivor-ben-skardon-100-years-old/449457002/
Reading List:
Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath by Michael Norman , Elizabeth M. Norman
Bataan Death March: A Survivor's Account by William E. Dyess
Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides
Undefeated: America's Heroic Fight for Bataan and Corregidor by Bill Sloan
Some Survived: An Eyewitness Account of the Bataan Death March and the Men Who Lived Through It by Manny Lawton