Hundreds gathered aboard the USS Hornet in Alameda to mark the milestone anniversary of the Bataan Death March in the Philippines.
Paul Ruiz didn’t always have an easy time growing up as a Filipino American in the Bay Area.
The horrific event followed the Battle of Bataan, a courageous 99-day stand that Filipino soldiers made against the better-trained, rested and supported Japanese army on the Bataan Peninsula. “It was totally unwinnable,” he says. “They were sacrificial lambs. All the soldiers there felt they were abandoned by the U.S. government.”
Rear Admiral Jonathan Yuen, USN, leads the Tolling of the Bells ceremony during the 80th Anniversary Remembrance of the Bataan Death March on the USS Hornet in Alameda, CA on Sunday, April 10, 2022. The Joint Service Color Guard processes from the stage after presenting the colors during the 80th Anniversary Remembrance of the Bataan Death March on the USS Hornet in Alameda, CA on Sunday, April 10, 2022.