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Then on April 9, 1942, 4 months later, we tried to make a run for the bridge where we were going to make our last stand, but before we could get there, my company collapsed. Starved, diseased, and exhausted, we did not surrender to the Japanese; we collapsed at their feet. Our long gallant defense had been worn down and overthrown. The Bataan Death March had begun.

The march we had to do was one of the most excruciating tortures of my life. It tested my willpower, my strength, and how far I wanted to go to live. About 30,000 American men and women, myself included, were ordered to march to the POW camp: O'Donnell. I tell you, it was worse than the 7th circle of hell. Had it not been for the fields it might as well have been hell. My company men, my friends, and even people I had not met yet were dying at a fast rate. The disease ridden, were the first ones to collapse and give up hope. The ones who were in better condition were going crazy. They ran to the wells on the side of the roads to get a drink and were shot. My comrades that were hungry asked for food but got none. Nothing except bayoneted. I even saw my friend commit suicide. He started to yell, "GO USA! LONG LIVE THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE! WE WILL PREVAIL! WE WILL WIN THIS WAR! BRAVE UNTIL THE END!" The Japanese started to get annoyed and immediately beheaded him. Those were the last words of my friend; Rafe McCauley and I believed him, even when all hope seemed lost.

On the Death March, we were denied food and clean water. When we did get to drink, it was from Buffalo wallows. We were literally drinking crap. This was the main reason most of the men came down with Dysentery. I kept record of how long we walked and from what I remember, it was the 17th or 18th of April when we reached San Fernando. There was a train station there and all of us were jammed into the cars, like sardines in a tin can. We arrived at some unknown location around noon. Everyone was taken out of the cars and were forced to walk the remaining 6 miles to Camp O'Donnell. A lot of people died on the train, they died of suffocation.

In the POW camp, men were dying by the hundreds daily. Many of them were my friends. Some days I didn't even feel like getting out of my cot. I thought I should just let go and be at peace, but then I thought of Rafe and his wise words. I thought to myself, "If he believed that, then I make sure that I see the day that we are free." So I got up and went to work in the camp. All around me: death and sickness

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