The Bataan Death March

The Bataan Death March was something new to me. I knew that during World War II the POW camps weren't the greatest, but I didn't know that there was one that treated people this cruelly. It amazes me that anyone survived it at all. The agreement during war was that it was a POW's duty to try and escape and that if they were to do so they would be left unharmed. The Japanese completely ignored this and killed POWs if they tried to escape. Comparing this with the Rape of Nanking, I'd say the Japanese were pretty horrible people and I'm surprised that we don't hold any sort of grudge against them today. Looking back at the Bataan Death March it was a pretty horrific thing, but the Japanese believed that it was more honorable to die for your homeland than to be captured. They treated their POWs according to their beliefs, which were pretty hardcore. I think that the Bataan Death March was a big surprise to me because it took place in the Philippines, and that is where my grandfather was stationed during WWII. He was part of a naval unit that built bases and repaired ships. When I was in elementary school I did a report and interviewed my grandfather about the war. I can remember asking him, "Were you ever afraid?" and he replied, "No.". My grandfather was never around any of the "action", but learning about the Bataan Death March sent a chill up my spine with the realization of how close he might have been to it.