Are there currently living survivors of the bataan death march residing in the USA?

Answer 1

Otis Joe Norem (O.J.) was a survior of the Bataan March. He was there as a construction worker, building an air strip before they were invaded by the Japanese. One strange fact he told me is that they lined everyone up and told them to strip and hold there belongings out in front of them. A Marine that was next to him told him to to throw anything that is not American such as shaving mirrors, razors, and knives, because they will kill you if they find it. He said he watched a man get stabbed because of a shaving mirror was made in China. Some people were putting wedding rings in there mouths and swollowed them. If you were caught doing that, they killed you on the spot. When they got to my grandpa, they accused him of being military, when him and 250 others weren't. They attempted to tell them they were contractors, and they were beaten. After they were captured and tortured, they were forced to continue to build the air field for the Japanese. He saw alot of people die, and get murdered before him. They were forced to eat the scraps of fish that the Japanese disposed of, which was more than what alot of other people were getting at the time. He attempted escape during construction on the air field by escaping on a bulldoser, and was shot through his lower back and exited out of his pelvis. When they recaptured him, they hung him by each finger for ten days. He made it to eight days before his middle finger came off. He was then in prisoned, were a military man, sewed up the hole from his finger with airplane wire. Later the Japanese attemted to make him eat the finger that he lost during his hanging. When he refuse he was beaten and wasn't given any more food. Weeks later, he then did the march to the other prison on the other side of the island. He said the pain he was in was unbarable, but he knew he had to make it or they would kill him. When he made it to the prison, the conditions there were horrible. The majority of the people were starving or in retched condition. Some people in the prison would rashin rice, and give him and others a small spoon full since food was becomeing scarce. He came there wieghing 235 and came back at 87lbs nearly three years later. He was hospitalized for just over a year with serious medical problems. He ended up losing his lung, middle finger, teeth, fractured pelvis, and sever mal nutrition. He lived till 1998 when he passed away from a heart attack.

Raymond May is a living Survivor, living in New Mexico