Battle of Bataan Memorials and Markers

[Karl Welteke]

The Bataan Surrender Memorial in Lamao

Bataan Trip 21-01-15. This was an exploration trip to look at changes in Bataan during the virus crisis; I had to get permission from my Barangay (Village) Captain, the Barangay Medical Department and the Olongapo Police Head Quarters. I have been absent from the Philippines for 15 months and we all have suffered from the Red China Virus for 9 months or so. What has changed in Bataan?

My next stop was the municipality of Lamao I wanted to see the Bataan Surrender Memorial there. I knew that it was built by the Battlin Bastard of Bataan and they had a strong desire to build it there because that is where their General surrendered, not in Balanga! They always expressed the opinion that history shall be told accurately.

I wanted to see how it looks now and it looks just fine, all the market vendors are gone and it has a secure open spot in a large sport complex in the center of village compound. I’m sure that makes the Battlin Bastard of Bataan happy, I think most of them are in Heaven now.

It would be nice, if the authorities would fly both National Flags, at least on some important anniversary dates!

Wikipedia says this about Lamao:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamao,_Limay

On April 9, 1942, under the Big Mulberry Tree in front of the old administration building, right in the heart of Lamao, Gen. Edward P. King, Jr. signed the official surrender paper of 78,000 soldiers of the USAFFE under him to Masahara Homma of the Japanese Imperial Army.

Lamao is a barangay in Limay, Bataan, facing the Manila Bay in the Philippines. The population of Lamao is about 18,000, which made it the most populous barangay in Bataan. The current Barangay Chairman of Lamao is Restituto "Bart" Reyes. Lamao is the home of Camp General Antonio Luna which incorporates the Government Arsenal.



Zd847. This is one of 5 images of the Bataan Battle Surrender Memorial, in Lamao Bataan, shot on the 15th of Jan. 2021. It was built by the Battlin Bastards of Bataan with the proud consent of the people of Bataan.



I started an album in my webpage but so far I only uploaded only the 6 pictures about the Subic Freeport Expressway and these 5 images about the Lamao Bataan Surrender Memorial.


Uploaded to the Karl’s webpage, Central Luzon, Bataan No 1 subcategory, Bataan Trip 21-01-15:

philippine-sailor.net/2021/01/19/bataan-trip-21-01-15/

[Karl Welteke]

Bataan Trip 15th Jan. 2021.

The Surrender Marker of Gen. Wainwright

In Cabcaben, at this spot Gen. Homma told Gen Wainwright surrender all his Forces in the Philippines or forget it; the Battle of Corregidor will continue. Gen. Wainwright had no choice; Washington had appointed him Overall Commander in the Philippines. That is exactly why Gen. MacArthur wanted to keep the Command and direct it now from Australia, so that Gen Wainwright only had authority over the Luzon Forces.

Anyway, in a house at this spot, Gen. Wainwright was forced to surrender all of the Philippine Islands on the 6th of May 1942, and the painfully occupation of the Philippines begun and lasted until the so joyful liberation, about 2 ½ year later.

While there, I met three young people and I asked them what they were doing. They said they were from the Provincial Government and were taking notes of the condition of the Marker/Memorial. Interesting, maybe something will come of it. The Marker/Memorial is in Filipino.

This Marker/Memorial is located exactly in the fork, where the old National Road splits away from the post WWII, toll-free, Bataan Expressway to Mariveles. And it seems that the Barangay (Village) Cabcaben has split up, and now there are two Barangays now, Cabcaben and Townsite.



Zd851. This is one of 5 images of the Surrender Marker of Gen. Wainwright in Cabcaben/Townsite, shot on the 15th of Jan. 2021. It was built by the Philippine Authorities and is in Filipino. The # 16 Death March Marker is also located at this spot. Barangay Townsite has a welcome sign and village map on display.



Zd852. This is one of 5 images of the Surrender Marker of Gen. Wainwright in Cabcaben/Townsite, shot on the 15th of Jan. 2021. It was built by the Philippine Authorities and is in Filipino. The # 16 Death March Marker is also located at this spot. Barangay Townsite has a welcome sign and village map on display.



Zd853. This is one of 5 images of the Surrender Marker of Gen. Wainwright in Cabcaben/Townsite, shot on the 15th of Jan. 2021. It was built by the Philippine Authorities and is in Filipino. The # 16 Death March Marker is also located at this spot. Barangay Townsite has a welcome sign and village map on display.



Zd854. This is one of 5 images of the Surrender Marker of Gen. Wainwright in Cabcaben/Townsite, shot on the 15th of Jan. 2021. It was built by the Philippine Authorities and isin Filipino. The # 16 Death March Marker is also located at this spot. Barangay Townsite has a welcome sign and village map on display.



Zd855. This is one of 5 images of the Surrender Marker of Gen. Wainwright in Cabcaben/Townsite, shot on the 15th of Jan. 2021. It was built by the Philippine Authorities and is in Filipino. The # 16 Death March Marker is also located at this spot. Barangay Townsite has a welcome sign and village map on display.

I actually made one album with all the venues of this trip into this album, but it is a long one:
philippine-sailor.net/2021/01/19/bataan-trip-21-01-15/

[Karl Welteke]

Five memorials/plaques in Bataan, shot in 2001!

My friend Roger Davis, a member of the Coastal Defense Study Group (cdsg), sent me these 5 images, which he shot in 2001 of different memorials in Bataan. He asked me whether I know where they are located.

I not only know where these 5 other WWII Bataan Memorials are, I posted information about them and their locations in this Corregidor Forum page, page 3, and all five are on this page 3, click page 3 or this URL here:
corregidor.proboards.com/thread/1664/battle-bataan-memorials-markers?page=3

Note this is how they looked in 2001; in the link you will see that some have been improved.



Zf500. GEN. KING SURRENDER MARKER AT LAMAO, BATAAN, Picture # X360 posted on page 3, this webpage on the 28th April, 2015 entry.



Zf501. GEN. WAINWRIGHT SURRENDERS THE ALLIED FORCES AND ALL OF THE PHILIPPINES, picture # X588 is posted on page 3, this webpage on the 17th of June 2015 entry. Much has changed here since 2001!



Zf502. TRAIL 2 BATTLE-CAPOT HILL MARKER AND CAPOT VILLAGE, picture # X731 is posted on page 3, this webpage on the 14th July 2015 entry.



Zf503. THE FINALE BATTLE OF BATAAN MARKER, picture # X764 is posted on page 3, this webpage on the 19th July 2015 entry.



Zf504. BATTLE OF THE POCKETS MEMORIAL MARKER, picture # 52 is posted on page 3, this webpage on the 2nd Sep. 2015 entry.

[Karl Welteke]

Bataan WWII Markers Update 2023-Dec.04

I had a meeting at the Bataan Tourism Center in Balanga with a fellow American to talk about common historic subjects we are interested in. I chose to make it a roundtrip of some parts of Bataan and check on the status of some of those markers. The roundtrip started in Olongapo, thru the former Naval Base, thru the Morong Gate to the Bagac-Pilar-Bataan West Road intersection and then to Balanga, I stopped at different markers on the road and Mt. Samat. Two things I learned that I was not aware of, the Mount Samat Shrine is not open on Mondays and that Battle Trail #2 has now 7 km concrete, which was a surprise.

I posted all of the 74 images into Photobucket album, if you are going to view it click the “i” icon and it will open the details and descriptions of the image:
app.photobucket.com/u/PI-Sailor/a/e7000d0c-2fc2-4d77-afa2-e92760eb5c2f?field=TITLE&desc=asc

For this Forum presentation I chose these 22 images and the image numbers refer the 74 image count of all the pictures.


#02 image
#00 to #02 images are of Binanga Bay and Barangay Mabayo and it is beautiful. This place is always of interest to me, it belonged to the Naval Reservation, and in WWII the Alamo Scouts had a camp and training center here. After the war our Special Warfare units used it for training.
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#03 image
#03 and #04 images are maps and graphs that cover the landmarks of the album presentation.
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#05 image
#05 to #08 images are of a Japanese Marker on the Bataan West Road and is closer to Bagac than it is to Morong. It is dedicated to the Japanese 20th Regiment Group which was the main Japanese unit, attacking us on the Bataan west coast. You can find this marker, still in readable condition (2015), at this URL: corregidor.proboards.com/thread/1852/japanese-wwii-memorials-markers-philippines
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#11 image
#09 to #18 images are of the Japanese Friendship Marker at the intersection of the Bagac-Pilar-Bataan West Road intersection. You also can find this marker presentation, 2015 at this URL: corregidor.proboards.com/thread/1852/japanese-wwii-memorials-markers-philippines
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#19 image

#21 image

#24 image
#19 to #26 images are of the Death March Marker -0- (Zero) in Bagac, the beginning of the Bagac to Pilar death March Route, which are about 27 Death March Markers. Like at the Death March Marker 0 in Mariveles, this one also has a metal plaque and a rifle and WW-One helmet replica to remind us it was Filipino and US Service Men who gave their all for our freedom.
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#27 image

#28 iamage

#30 image
#27 to #31 images are of the WWII Battle of the Pockets Marker, the Bagac Welcome Gate with a Bagac Historical Plaque which mentions that the former Philippine President Quezon served here in the Philippine-American War as a young fighter opposing the American Takeover of the Philippines from Spain. The pictures show where the Battle of the Pockets Marker is located in relation to the Bagac Welcome Gate.
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#34 image
#32 to #36 images are of the Pantingan River Massacre Marker. It is located on the south side of the Pilar-Bagac Road and about 2 curves west of the Pantingan River Bridge. It stands now somewhat hidden on what seems to be private property. I shot several pictures, which maybe would help you find this marker. This marker is about a big Japanese war crime and a very tragic incident for the Filipino soldiers who were murdered and all Filipinos! Maybe it should be considered to make a new and better marker and put in a more public place!
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#37 image
#37 to #39 images are the road to Mount Samat and Shrine. It is about 7 km up to the shrine and work is going on at the road for some time and I understand now what the goal is. The road to the Mt. Samat Shrine will have pedestrian path, a bicycle path, embankments walls were needed, fences at steep ravines and resting places with tables and stools or benches. Also I learned that the Mt. Samat Shrine is closed on Mondays and the elevator to the Cross is not being used according to the gate guards. Pictures #38 & #39 are a Japanese memorial marker for one of the Japanese Artillery Unit during the war. It is located at the very beginning of the 7 km road up to the Mt. Samat Shrine. You can find this marker, still in readable condition (2015), at this URL: corregidor.proboards.com/thread/1852/japanese-wwii-memorials-markers-philippines
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#40 image

#43 image
#40 to #44 images are of the Bataan Battle Plaques on the Bagac-Pilar Road, east of Mt Samat entrance road. The Corregidor Forum has a 5 page long presentation about most if not all of the Philippine and American WWII Markers, this is the URL: corregidor.proboards.com/thread/1664/battle-bataan-memorials-markers?page=1
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#45a image

#45b Image
#45, 45a and 45b images are of the Barangay (village) Gen. Lim Hall or office building. This place was the site of the Trail #2 Battle in the command area of General Lim and is the beginning of Trail #2. Who is Gen. Lim, look on the 1000 Peso Bill and you will know. He was perhaps the first Filipino who attended the United States Military Academy West Point and he was executed by the Japanese when he was on his way to Join Gen. MacArthur in Australia. This village was used to be called Capot but the people here renamed it Gen. Lim. Picture 45a and 45b were shot in 2015 when I had the honor to guide the Great Grandson of Gen Lim thru this battle area. He also invited me and I joined the anniversary of the Philippine 41st Division in Tagaytay a few years ago, they have a museum there. Picture 45b shows a plaque that existed in 2015 at that Barangay Gen Lim Hall/Office but is now gone in 2023. Another thing to check on! The 2015 visit is also covered in this URL: corregidor.proboards.com/thread/1664/battle-bataan-memorials-markers?page=1
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#46 image


#51 image


#56 image
#46 to #56 images are of Bataan Battle Trail # 2; I started to drive it and learned it is now in concrete (2 lanes) for 7 km. The last time I walked it was still a gravel and dirt road. Picture 46 is Google Earth graph marked by me. At the end of the concrete I turned around and stopped at the first high point and shot these pictures counter clockwise starting with the Mount Samat Cross. The last two shots are of the small Orion Hill (east) which is sometime mentioned in WWII books. From this area I was unable to get a view or shot in the NE direction towards Pilar and Manila Bay because of vegetation.
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#59 image
#57 to #65 images are about an interesting development near the Bataan Express Way and along the Gen. Lim Road. This development has a patriotic theme displayed at is entrance gate which is called THE BATTLE OF MT. SAMAT which makes you a believer. This development got started many years ago but died but it is now back in action. It is expanded and heavy equipment was in operation. We have discussed the 4 plaques at the gate in this Corregidor Forum URL: corregidor.proboards.com/thread/1664/battle-bataan-memorials-markers?page=1
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#67 image
#66 and #67 images show that a crossover is being built along the Bataan Express Way over the intersection with the Bagac and Pilar Road, not yet in operation yet!
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#69 image
#68 to 72 images are of the Bataan Tourism Center and Park. You get information there, they have a gift shop with the iconic Death March Markers for sale and many other things. Very interstingly they hava large room for display of the WWII historic as a diorama, divided into the many historical phases of the war. I find it interesting and helpful to learn about history.