SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 25

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2012

INTRODUCED BY

Eric G. Griego

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO DECLARE THE MONTH OF APRIL 2012 AS "BATAAN MEMORIAL MONTH" IN THE STATE; HONORING AND GIVING GRATITUDE TO THE MEN OF THE 200TH COAST ARTILLERY FOR THEIR COURAGE AND SACRIFICE DURING THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH AND TO THE CITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT HOLD CEREMONIES TO HONOR THE MEN OF THE 200TH COAST ARTILLERY.

     WHEREAS, beginning December 8, 1941, in the critical early hours of World War II, the 200th coast artillery of the New Mexico national guard was in the first line of defense in the United States commonwealth territory of the Philippines against the attack launched by Japanese forces immediately after Japan's December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and

     WHEREAS, during the 1941 Japanese invasion of the Philippines, the 200th coast artillery of the New Mexico national guard stood between the invading Japanese forces and the freedom of the American and Filipino peoples; and

     WHEREAS, the men of the 200th coast artillery were the first to fire upon Japanese forces and the last to put down their rifles when ordered to surrender on April 9, 1942; and

     WHEREAS, before being ordered to surrender, the men of the 200th coast artillery made a valiant stand in the face of terrible odds, while suffering through months of enemy attack with outmoded equipment; a scarcity of food, medicine and ammunition; and diseases such as malaria, dysentery and beriberi that ravaged them to utter exhaustion; and

     WHEREAS, the men of the 200th coast artillery were captured by Japanese forces on April 9, 1942 and, in an already starved, exhausted and sickened state, they had to endure the infamous Bataan death march, during which Japanese soldiers forced the men of the 200th coast artillery to march for six long days in scorching tropical heat while starving and brutalizing the men along the way; and

     WHEREAS, the courageous men of the 200th coast artillery endured four years in prisoner of war camps, where they were forced into slave labor and lost scores of their ranks to starvation, disease and brutality; and

     WHEREAS, the city of Albuquerque holds an annual ceremony at Bataan memorial park in Albuquerque, presented by the Bataan-Corregidor memorial foundation in cooperation with the city of Albuquerque and the Filipino-American foundation of New Mexico, to honor and remember the courageous men of the 200th coast artillery; and

     WHEREAS, the Bataan memorial park in Albuquerque was originally dedicated on March 2, 1943 and the Bataan memorial at the Bataan memorial park was dedicated on April 7, 2002 due to the hard work and persistence of many individuals, including survivors of the Bataan death march; and

     WHEREAS, the city of Santa Fe holds an annual ceremony at the Bataan memorial building in Santa Fe, hosted by the New Mexico national guard, to honor and remember the courageous men of the 200th coast artillery; and

     WHEREAS, the ceremony in Santa Fe began in 1953 when survivors of the Bataan death march would, for one day at the state capitol, lower the American flag and raise a symbolic white flag in its place; and

     WHEREAS, White Sands missile range holds an annual Bataan memorial death march, a challenging twenty-six mile trek through the New Mexico desert, to honor and remember the courageous men of the 200th coast artillery; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico state university Army reserve officer training corps held the first Bataan memorial death march in 1989, and in 1992, White Sands missile range and the New Mexico national guard joined in the sponsorship and the event was moved to the missile range; and

     WHEREAS, the Bataan memorial death march has been held every year since 1989, with the exception of 2003 due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and has grown from one hundred to over twelve thousand marchers; and

     WHEREAS, April 9, 2012 marks the seventieth anniversary of the Bataan death march;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the governor be requested to designate the month of April 2012 as "Bataan Memorial Month" in the state; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the men of the 200th coast artillery be given eternal gratitude for their courage and sacrifice in enduring the infamous Bataan death march; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that eternal gratitude also be given to the city of Albuquerque, the Bataan-Corregidor memorial foundation, the Filipino-American foundation of New Mexico, the city of Santa Fe, the New Mexico national guard, White Sands missile range and the New Mexico state university Army reserve officer training corps for their dedication to the memory of the men of the 200th coast artillery; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the city of Albuquerque, the Bataan-Corregidor memorial foundation, the Filipino-American foundation of New Mexico, the city of Santa Fe, the New Mexico national guard, White Sands missile range and the New Mexico state university Army reserve officer training corps.

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