USS Bataan, an amphibious assault battleship.

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Of course I was shocked, to see Bataan as the name of a United States Battleship, in a naval parade last year shown on the internet. History has it that Bataan is that small province where comrades, Americans and Filipinos, made the last stand against the Japanese Imperial forces. It is important to note that World War II is not a Philippine War, for Filipinos do not engage in wars. WWII is an American war, when the Allies and the Axis powers fought for world domination. But, the Philippines being once a colony of the United States, supported the Americans after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Manila was devastated, the Philippines succumbed to the cruel Japanese torture, Filipinos pierced with bayonets, the women raped, the country reduced to ruins. Bataan was the last stand. An old lady I take care of narrated to me how her husband fought side by side with the Americans but the Japanese prevailed. As a result, the grim long walk to Capas, Tarlac, known as the Death March. The Death March was literal. The Japanese nary gave the Americans and Filipinos food nor water. In one stop, my elderly friend said, her husband found a rusty tin can, cleaned it and put some field water and weeds to boil. For food. The Japanese soldier saw it and allowed the activity. When the weed water was boiling, the Japanese came and kicked it. The intent was for them to die from heat, hunger and physical exhaustion. Many did, as History writes, yet there are tales of ones who escaped, Filipinos, who crawled in the dark quiet, in the long fields to freedom. Back to the USS Bataan, an assault ship, oh perhaps the Americans purposely named it so to allude to gallantry. I do not know how to perceive it otherwise, because the Americans and the Filipinos were the ones assaulted in Bataan. Whatever, the USS Bataan probably is a testament to those who had fallen, and the ship sails to avenge their deaths, or something of the sort, like to never let it happen again. The USS Bataan stands guard, ready to assault, as videos did show ships a sailing in impending battles in the waters. Today is The Fall of Bataan , the 9th of April. We honor the last stance of the brave as a holiday. May we always remember. Image courtesy of google