Las Cruces in Doρa Ana County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Heroes of Bataan
The New Mexico Story
Photographed By Bill Kirchner, November 5, 2010
1. Heroes of Bataan Marker
Inscription.
Heroes of Bataan. The New Mexico Story. More than fourteen hundred New Mexicans fought with the 200th Coast Artillery (CAC) Regiment defending the Philippines and the Bataan Peninsula at the beginning of World War II. The regiment received the Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters for its heroic performance during the battle., The War Department cited the 200th CAC as 'the best anti-aircraft regiment in the United States Army' before the war started. General Jonathan Wainwright, the 200th's superior commander, credited the 200th CAC with being the first unit to fire on the enemy and the last organized unit still fighting at the time of its being surrendered., After their ordered surrender in 1942, New Mexico had the highest per capita Japanese prisoner of war population in the Nation. ,
Foot Print Locations , The Bataan Death March Memorial Walkway , Veterans Park Las Cruces, New Mexico. , This diagram identifies the barefoot impressions of 38 survivors of the Bataan Death March. The footprints were made by pressing rubber castings of the men's bare feet into the wet cement of the walkway. The names of these men are listed below. , [Numbers coincide with the numbers next to foot prints seen on diagram in photo #2] , 1. David Tellez . 2. Cipriano B. Ramirez . 3. Cecil E. Mauldin . 4. Ruben Flores . 5. Jack H. Aldrich . 6. Thomas P. Foy . 7. Pablo P. Gutierrez . 8. Weldon C. Hamilton . 9. Menandro Parazo . 10. Clifford A. Martinez . 11. Julio T. Barela . 12. Ralph Rodriquez . 13. George F. King . 14. Felix M. Salas . 15. Charles F. James . 16. Lorenzo Y. Banegas . 17. David Johns . 18. Nicholas Chintas . 19. Y.C. Lindsay . 20. Melvin T. Waldrop . 21. Mario Tonelli . 22. Manuel A. Armijo . 23. Evans R. Garcia . 24. Harry E. Steen . 25. Carlos R. Montoya . 26. Virgil L. Aimes . 27. Benjamin F. Williams . 28. Fred M. Brewer . 29. Walter Straka . 30. Henry Peck . 31. Vicente R. Ojinaga . 32. David A. Chavez . 33. Robert J. Welch . 34. John Mosely . 35. Tony B. Montoya . 36. Timothy B. Smith . 37. Edras S. Montoya . 38. Alexander H. Mathews
More than fourteen hundred New Mexicans fought with the 200th Coast Artillery (CAC) Regiment defending the Philippines and the Bataan Peninsula at the beginning of World War II. The regiment received the Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters for its heroic performance during the battle.
The War Department cited the 200th CAC as 'the best anti-aircraft regiment in the United States Army' before the war started. General Jonathan Wainwright, the 200th's superior commander, credited the 200th CAC with being the first unit to fire on the enemy and the last organized unit still fighting at the time of its being surrendered.
After their ordered surrender in 1942, New Mexico had the highest per capita Japanese prisoner of war population in the Nation.
Foot Print Locations
The Bataan Death March Memorial Walkway
Veterans Park Las Cruces, New Mexico
This diagram identifies the barefoot impressions of 38 survivors of the Bataan Death March. The footprints were made by pressing rubber castings of the men's bare feet into the wet cement of the walkway. The names of these men are listed below. [Numbers coincide with the numbers next to foot prints seen on diagram in photo #2]
1. David Tellez 2. Cipriano B. Ramirez 3. Cecil E. Mauldin
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4. Ruben Flores 5. Jack H. Aldrich 6. Thomas P. Foy 7. Pablo P. Gutierrez 8. Weldon C. Hamilton 9. Menandro Parazo 10. Clifford A. Martinez 11. Julio T. Barela 12. Ralph Rodriquez 13. George F. King 14. Felix M. Salas 15. Charles F. James 16. Lorenzo Y. Banegas 17. David Johns 18. Nicholas Chintas 19. Y.C. Lindsay 20. Melvin T. Waldrop 21. Mario Tonelli 22. Manuel A. Armijo 23. Evans R. Garcia 24. Harry E. Steen 25. Carlos R. Montoya 26. Virgil L. Aimes 27. Benjamin F. Williams 28. Fred M. Brewer 29. Walter Straka 30. Henry Peck 31. Vicente R. Ojinaga 32. David A. Chavez 33. Robert J. Welch 34. John Mosely 35. Tony B. Montoya 36. Timothy B. Smith 37. Edras S. Montoya 38. Alexander H. Mathews
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1942.
Location. 32° 20.067′ N, 106° 44.983′ W. Marker is in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in Doρa Ana County. Marker can be reached from North Roadrunner Parkway, 1.8 miles south of U.S. 70. Marker is at the southeast corner of Veteran's Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Las Cruces NM 88011, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Footprints leading to and from the statue "look back to what has passed, down to what is present and ahead to what might be," according to notes by the sculptor, Kelley Hestir.
"The footprints are symbolic of the many soldiers who began the march and the few who finished. The impressions were made from the feet of those who survived,"
Also see . . . 1. Back to Bataan - A Survivor's Story. A first-person account of a survivor of the Bataan Death March. (Submitted on November 23, 2010.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 22, 2010, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 2,373 times since then and 60 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on November 22, 2010, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
