The Maj James O’Donovan Story – The Bataan Death March and Prison Camps
Upon surrender, the Philippine defenders would be led out of Bataan, because they were in the way of the next offensive, a month long artillery bombardment of the island fortress of Corregidor. The Japanese army gathered a total of 78,000 American and Filipino soldiers, looted them, and in groups of 100 marched them out of the peninsula. Hardly any consideration was given to the sick, injured, or exhausted. Falling behind, stopping to drink, getting out of line, all meant execution. Sadists murdered and tortured men for fun. Men were forced to bury other men alive. Corpses lined the 65 mile trek to POW Camp O’Donnell. The death toll was five to ten thousand Filipinos and about 650 Americans.
”MORE” Donald G. Thompson later wrote to Jim’s widow: The night after our surrender I found Jim in the column marching out of Bataan on what has come to be known as the “death march”, so I joined him and we marched, slept, & marched for 4 days and nights on that long trip to camp O’Donnell, our first prisoner of war camp. Jim had malaria from the 2nd day and was a very sick man, but he refused to let me or anyone else carry his pack. He said “he was a soldier and a good solder carries his own load”. After the war, Abie Abraham recalled in a letter: On the death march he was leading the men; a guard came over telling Major O’Donovan to move faster. Jim kept up a slow pace, he knew by moving fast the men would pass out and get shot. The nip slugged the Major in the face, but he still kept a slow pace and he held his head up as he led the men away. POW and Death After the surrender the captives were interned at Camp O’Donnell. The Japanese guards were indifferent to the needs and suffering of their captives, offering no medicine and a starvation diet. In two months, 1500 Americans died of every kind of treatable illness. In June, 1942 the survivors were moved to Cabanatuan POW camp, which was not much better. There, 2700 more Americans would be buried. Donald G. Thompson, a friend and fellow POW later wrote: At Cabanatuan Camp Jim came down with malaria and Beriberi and was put into the hospital. No medicine was available and Jim got down to about 100 pounds. His body became bloated from the Beriberi (lack of protein in the blood stream) and it finally reached his heart. He lasted only about 3 days when the infections reached and entered his heart. He died as he had lived, without complaining and at peace with his God! Something I’ve always admired in any man In agony he struggled to survive, knowing what his loss would do to his wife Evelyn and their five children. Sadly, after months of starvation and untreated illness, the great beating heart of Major James J. O’Donovan finally gave out, ending the incredible saga of an American Hero. ”LESS”