Logan ChapinMr. GilbertUnited States HistoryMay 2, 2014Bataan Death MarchThe United States Armed Forces surrendered on April 9, 1942 to Japanese General Masaharu Homma. Over 75,000 American and Filipino soldiers were forced into POWs during which they marched to their deaths. This turning point in World War II occurred on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines. This march was considered one of the worst outrages in the history of warfare. General Douglas MacArthur left the peninsula, promising he would return, to take over as commander of United States soldiers in Melbourne, Australia. However, U.S. and Philippine soldiers failed to defeat the Japanese when the American defense collapsed after MacArthur left the Philippines. This horrendous act hit the books as one of the most disgusting military events in wartime history. This march was known as the Bataan Death March. The Bataan Death March was marked as a major turning point in World War II. American and Filipino soldiers held out for four months in the Philippines while the Japanese invaded all the other Pacific islands. After bombing the American base located at Pearl Harbor, the next day the Japanese headed towards the Philippines for another attack. By March 1942 the Japanese had taken control of all the islands in the western Pacific except the Philippines. After a month, the Japanese had captured the capital Manila in the Philippines. Unfortunately, this forced all American and Filipino soldiers to retreat to the Bataan Peninsula. General Douglas MacArthur was initially in charge of the American soldiers in the Philippines. MacArthur's original plan was to stand his ground and wait until the U.S. Navy... middle of paper... had contributed significantly to the overall death toll of World War II. The march changed the lives of many survivors as they witnessed the deaths of others being taken away due to starvation or disease. These men stood no chance against the Japanese army after General Douglas MacArthur left, leaving the soldiers with no ground to survive and forcing General King to make the decision to surrender. General Douglas MacArthur never returned and left his American soldiers behind to survive. The men went through tragedy and despair that no man should ever have to live through. All the men in this march are true heroes to society, because they carried on the fight and witnessed more than any human being should. The Bataan Death March was considered one of the most tragic events of World War II. What happened on the Bataan Peninsula was horrific