Posted on Nov 17, 2021
Army veteran who survived Bataan Death March dies at 104
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https://www.stripes.com/veterans/obituaries/2021-11-16/south-carolina-veteran-bataan-death-march-survivor-dies-3643921.html?utm_source=Stars+and+Stripes+Emails&utm_campaign=b9c51b6141-Newsletter+-+Military+history&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0ab8697a7f-b9c51b6 [login to see] 88
A former Clemson University English professor who survived the Bataan Death March during World War II died Monday at age 104. Retired Col. Ben Skardon died at his home in Clemson.
A native of Walterboro, Skardon was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army after his graduation in 1938 from the then-all-male military Clemson College.
In 1942, Skardon and some 75,000 other American and Filipino troops were forced to march 65 miles to prison camps in what has become known as the Bataan Death March. It was hot, and the Japanese tortured their captives.
Skardon was held along with 8,000 others at Cabanatuan. Disease, hunger and beatings led to the deaths of about 2,600 troops. "The Japanese told us we were captives, not prisoners of war, and they'd treat us any way they wanted to," Skardon told Clemson World magazine. "So, we were treated like animals — worse than animals."
A former Clemson University English professor who survived the Bataan Death March during World War II died Monday at age 104. Retired Col. Ben Skardon died at his home in Clemson.
A native of Walterboro, Skardon was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army after his graduation in 1938 from the then-all-male military Clemson College.
In 1942, Skardon and some 75,000 other American and Filipino troops were forced to march 65 miles to prison camps in what has become known as the Bataan Death March. It was hot, and the Japanese tortured their captives.
Skardon was held along with 8,000 others at Cabanatuan. Disease, hunger and beatings led to the deaths of about 2,600 troops. "The Japanese told us we were captives, not prisoners of war, and they'd treat us any way they wanted to," Skardon told Clemson World magazine. "So, we were treated like animals — worse than animals."
Army veteran who survived Bataan Death March dies at 104
Posted from stripes.com
Death
WWII World War Two
American History
POW/MIA
Philippines
Posted 3 y ago
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"Blood Brothers" is a good book to read on this subject. My great Uncle was among the Captives and is mentioned in Blood Brothers. LTC Stephen Sitter. He did not participate in the Death March and was held back by the Japanese and so was never moved to Japan but was rescued by Col Mucci and his RANGERS after the first batch of prisoners were sent onwards to Japan (sadly the rescue was the next day I believe). The journey to Japan was more hellish than the Death March. So in retrospect some POW's went through the death March then the trip to Japan at the end of the war which was equally bad and had very high casualty rates. Detailed in the book "Blood Brothers" Ebook Below:
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/8423/8423-8.txt
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/8423/8423-8.txt
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