Episode 132: Bataan Veterans Memorial

April 9th marks sixty-six years since one of the most harrowing periods of World War II. I'm talking of course about the surrender of thousands of U.S. troops in the Phillipines. Many of those troops were from right here in New Mexico... members of one of the most deocrated National Guard units in the country. Those troops became prisoners of war, and many of them took part in what is now known as the Bataan Death March.

This week, state leaders paid tribute to the Bataan Veterans, with a poignant ceremony at the Bataan Memorial near the state capital. It was the main subject of the show this week as well. It's always amazing to meet these veterans face to face and hear their amazing stories. They all had such courage and such dedication. As with all of the World War II vets, their numbers are dwindling quickly. I feel fortunate to be able to help tell their stories on the show, and I hope you enjoyed them as well. Click here if you would like to watch the piece on the Bataan Veterans. We thank them for their service, and for letting us take part in the ceremony honoring their efforts. There are also several great websites out there for those of you wanting to learn more about the Bataan Veterans. NMSU has a great website put together that includes oral histories from some of the local survivors.

We also mentioned in the show a national effort to award the Bataan Vets with the Congressional Gold Medal. Congressman Tom Udall is actually leading that charge, but things have been pretty quiet on that front since the measure was introduced. You can read more about the effort on Rep. Udall's website, and find out how you can get involved in helping these brave soldiers get the recognition they deserve.

There is also a memorial march held in honor of the Bataan Vets each year at White Sands Missile Range. The most recent march was held at the end of March, and you can learn all about it by clicking here. Here's a interesting video that shows you more about the event, and the people behind it.



We also talked a lot on THE LINE this week, about the latest status report on Iraq, the 1st Congressional District Race, and Spaceport America. Please leave us your comments about any of these topics. Or suggest a topic that we might cover on an upcoming show.