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I survived the Death March!

R

Rogue

Banned
I recently participated in the annual Bataan Death March at White Sands, New Mexico. It was a grueling 26.2 mile trek through the desert to honor the veterans of World War II who were captured by the Japanese in the Phillipines at the very start of US involvement in WW2. I am still nursing several blisters from the trek. This year, the course was said to have had nearly 10 miles of sand on it, far more than previous years as a result of less rain. Pictures of my team and myself can be found below:

Team pics during the race
Me making good time by running....
Me running again to make up lost time...

We lost one member to severe heat exhaustion so we didn't quite finish as a complete team. We would have finished in the top ten in our division had we not lost him. We did the 26.2 miles in just over 7 hours, with a one hour lapse in the middle waiting for our fallen comrade. If anyone's interested in giving back to the vets from WW2 and wants more info on next year's event, let me know. It's a good way to get out from behind the computer, break away from the forums and see what you're really made of (besides Moutain Dew and twinkies that is).
 
I was very surprised to find those pics. I visited the race results website to see how our competition finished and clicked the link to see pics. I NEVER expected to see pics of me and the team. Guess I'm gonna have to order a few now.

BTW, the whole event was very moving. The day started with Reville, then they started a roll call of the original National Guard unit that was attacked in the Phillipines in WW2. The three survivors that attended the event yelled "present" then a long list of names with no reply were read symbolizing their giving their lives for freedom. It was a very moving moment in time with the sun cresting the moutains just as the last name was read in pure silence. I've never heard over 5000 people in one area so quiet before. Lots of tears fell, including mine. It's an experience I will carry with me the rest of my life. As a final note, there was a survivor at the finish line that was telling people "I've been waiting for you..." as if you were one of his fallen friends.
 
I don't know what else to say but thanks. Thanks for remembering.

My father fought in the war in the Pacific.
 
I am thinking about doing this next year.

My uncle, pvt. Jack Parker, dies in a Jap POW camp. I think this would be a great way to honor his memory.
 
For more info on the march, either PM me directly for information based on personal experience or visit the official site below. To read up more on the matter, simply do a search for "Bataan Death March" in any search engine and you'll find tons of info on it.

Bataan Death March Information

This is something that you will never forget after participating in it. It truly is a milestone in your life after you've participated.
 
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