Not-so uncharted waters: The frontline battle for the South China Sea
In 1942, General Douglas McArthur uttered the famous quote, “I shall return.” With that line, he left the Philippines. Following the U.S. retreat, the Philippines continued to resist the Japanese during the first half of World War II. This came at the cost of one of the least discussed, yet bloodiest prisoner-of-war events in history: the Bataan Death March. An estimated 20,000 Filipinos were killed in a brutal forced march of about 62 miles. The U.S. government waited almost two years to criticize the Bataan Death March, quickly referencing it in rousing propaganda. The repercussions of this decision are still felt today. Unless they are particularly interested in Filipino history, talking about the March to my peers often results in blank stares.