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Bataan

The Bataan Peninsula is a rocky extension of the Zambales Mountains, on Luzon in the Philippines. It separates the Manila Bay from the South China Sea.

Bataan Peninsula in Joe Steele[]

When the Japanese invaded the Philippines, General Douglas MacArthur followed doctrine and had his garrison and Filipino forces retreat to the Bataan Peninsula to deny the Japanese the use of the Manila harbor. However, the Japanese had also attacked Pearl Harbor simultaneously thus damaging and sinking too many U.S. ships to allow the US Navy to sail out and fight a great battle with the Japanese Navy. This prevented the "Battling Bastards of Bataan" from being relieved and led to their eventual surrender. MacArthur was rescued by a PT boat on President Joe Steele's orders and taken back to the United States where he was tried for dereliction of duty, convicted and executed.[1]

Literary Reference[]

The short story does not go into detail so no mention of the Bataan Peninsula is made, only that MacArthur was executed for treason.

Bataan Peninsula in "News From the Front"[]

In 1942, after Japan declared war on the United States, American forces were attacked and driven onto the Bataan Peninsula. The troops stranded there battled several diseases with limited food and medical supplies. Their plight, reported on by the AP, was another entry for the American media to attack President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

References[]

  1. Joe Steele, pgs. 256-257, HC.
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