Bataan survivors open up about the horrors they endured

Bataan Survivor Pedro Pete Gonzalez next to a photo of the Bataan death march. Gonzalez is in the photo - foreground, left, in black pants. (Courtesy of Evy Todd/NM PBS)

The march marked the forcible transfer, by the Imperial Japanese Army, of 76,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war after the three-month Battle of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of prisoners.

But to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the fall of the Philippines during the war, the two men have begun to speak.

“The men who experienced this usually don’t talk about it,” says Franz Joachim, the director of content for New Mexico PBS. “We wanted to tell their stories and let viewers know about their history.”

The result is “Bataan: 70th Anniversary Commemoration,” which was produced by New Mexico PBS. The special will screen at the KiMo Theatre, 423 W. Central, on Thursday. It also will be paired with Jan Thompson’s 30-minute documentary “The Tragedy of Bataan,” a chronicle of events that culminated with the Bataan Death March. Thompson’s dad was a Bataan veteran, and the film is narrated by Alec Baldwin.

Lt. Gen. Edward D. Baca, the former chief of the National Guard Bureau in New Mexico and a spokesman for Bataan’s defenders, also appears in the segment.

“She made the film because she was curious about her father’s story,” Joachim says. “As she learned more about his story, she found that so many people were affected by this.”

There were plenty of New Mexico soldiers who were in the Bataan Death March, Joachim says.

“We wanted to put together a segment to where two New Mexicans would tell their story,” Joachim says.

Joachim teamed up with producer and host Matt Grubs.

Grubs says hearing the stories of Gonzalez and Overmier was overwhelming, but gave a glimpse into what their life was like.

“I’m 37 and I’ve never had to worry about being drafted or shipped off somewhere. It’s difficult to conceive what they went through,” he explains. “These guys were there when Pearl Harbor happened and it’s their story of survival.”

Joachim says a difficult part of telling the story actually came down to having Gonzalez and Overmier talk about the subject.

“We were warned that they don’t talk about themselves,” he says. “I had a list of 30 or so potential vets in the area. But when I called Pete, one of his sons answered and told me that his dad didn’t talk about it. But Pete thought it was time to talk, and I feel lucky because it’s a compelling story and every time I hear it, I still get the chills.”

Grubs says that going into shooting the segment, there was a time limit of 30 minutes.

“We ended up cutting footage around 105 minutes,” he says. “Once these men started talking, the stories were incredible and it was cathartic for them. It’s very clear that both of these guys, they want history to realize what they went through and what they sacrificed for the country.”

Joachim says that Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., also participated in the project.

On Dec. 15, 2011, honoring the 70th anniversary of the fall of Bataan and the subsequent death march, Udall proposed S. 2004, legislation to grant the Congressional Gold Medal to the troops who defended Bataan during World War II. The next day, Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., proposed its counterpart in the House of Representatives, HR 3712.

“Udall’s pushing the bill through, and when the documentary came out he got even more interested in pursuing this,” he says. “It’s one way to remember what happened.

New Mexico PBS also will air the special at 7 p.m. May 27 on KNME-TV, Channel 5. For more information on this program, visit www.newmexicopbs.org.

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If you go
WHAT: “Bataan: 70th Anniversary Commemoration”
WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 24
WHERE: KiMo Theatre, 423 W. Central
HOW MUCH: Free. Seating is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis