Sorrow, Duty, and Optimism: Reflections on the Bataan Memorial Death March
“Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.” — Epictetus
On March 15th, 2024, I crossed the finish line of the Bataan Memorial Death March for the third time. There was a storm of emotion in my breast from attending this year’s event. It was a mix of the pride I had in my teammates, the knowledge of my impact in their lives, the fatigue of this exercise of endurance, and a deep sorrow for not only the horrific events that happened to the defenders of Bataan but also the anguish of the passing of theses veterans.
My Team
My team this year consisted of two remarkable Canadians, Dr. Megan McElheran and Ryan Collyer of the Wayfound Mental Health Group. I had been introduced to Megan in 2020 while organizing a conference on the use of Stoic philosophy to improve the psychological resilience of military members. Megan, a clinical phycologist, developed the Stoic philosophy based Before Operational Stress (BOS) program. This program has and continues to produce statistically significant improvements in the mental health of Canadian public service personnel. I was an honor to be part of a team to further adapt this program for the needs of the military community.
Megan listened to my interview with Ryan Driscoll about the use of marching as a form of Stoic Toughening Training. Stoic Toughening Training is the practice of voluntary exposure to hardships to build psychological resilience. The idea is to prepare for hardships during periods of comfort to be better prepared for the unexpected challenges of life. This idea is echoed in the BOS program’s motto, “Strong Minds Train First.”
Stoic Toughening Training can take many forms and doesn’t necessarily have to be based around fitness. For example, one might eat extremely simply a couple days a month to help alleviate the fear of falling into poverty. However, the Stoic philosophers believed that everyone should engage in physical training because physical ability was often required to engage in virtue. As explained by Gaius Musonius Rufus,
For obviously the philosopher’s body should be well prepared for physical activity, because often virtues make use of this as a necessary instrument for the affairs of life… We use the training in common to both [soul and body] when we discipline ourselves to cold, heat, thirst, hunger, meagre rations, hard beds, avoidance of pleasures, and patience under suffering.
In my interview with Ryan Driscoll, I explained how I was engaging in quarterly long marches, of 40 miles or more, imitating the practices of Captain Alden Partridge to build my own resilience. Partridge recommended to,
[W]alk at least ten miles each day, at a rate of four miles per hour;-about three to four times each year shoulder your knapsack, and, with your barometer, &c. ascend to the summits of our principal mountains, and determine the altitudes, walking from thirty to eighty miles per day, according as you can bear the fatigue- do all these, and I will insure you firm and vigorous constitutions.
Hearing of my practice, Megan entered Ryan Collyer’s office to say she wanted to try this practice. Collyer quickly agreed to be her training partner.
There was originally a plan for us to march 40 miles around Calgary, but unfortunately life got in the way. I was still able to visit and give a lecture on the connection between Stoic philosophy and the Western Military Tradition. In the absence of Megan, Ryan and I went on a short 13-mile hike. It was in this march that I believe the seed of participating in the Bataan Memorial March was planted. It took little to convince Megan of this new goal. Megan and Ryan trained hard covering hundreds of miles, often in snow, in preparation for Bataan.
The Event
Having attended the pre-march events during my second run at Bataan in 2013, I insisted that my team should attend as many of the pre-march events as possible. A decade ago, listening to the accounts first-hand from Bataan veterans was incredibility moving. It was especially valuable in watching the interaction between these veterans and Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The new generation of veterans asked questions and listened intensely to advice on how to reintegrate into society and let go of their wartime experiences. The brutal honesty of the Bataan veterans often shocked the civilians in the room.
This year there was but one single Bataan veteran in attendance; the last known survivor of the Bataan Death March. It was the families of these veterans that now shared the stories of the hell these men and women endured during the march and the following years of brutal imprisonment. With the knowledge that soon there will be no living survivors of Bataan, the duty falls hard on us to not only remember but to share their stories.
The response of my teammates moved me. Here in a little post movie theatre with a few dozen in attendance, two Canadians were showing more empathy to the veterans of Bataan than the majority of the Nation. On the ride back to the hotel, they spoke about what they had heard and celebrated how Americans did a better job at honoring veterans for their service then Canadians, while I pondered if Americans ever did enough. With a Cadet from the Bataan ROTC Battalion reporting, he participated for the first time in the event not knowing the history of the defense of the Philippians, I wondered how long the history will survive if even the military community isn’t doing a great job at telling this story.
The March
I was glad to have marched the course a couple times before as I walked to the starting point with my teammates. I could see the excitement in their eyes as they battled nervousness and self-doubt. I felt for them as they did not have the opportunity to enjoy the march on the same level as someone that previously completed the course.
We all had our moments on the course. At mile 13, I was seeing black spots as my body lacked the ability to pull enough oxygen out of the high-altitude air to keep up with my normal 18–20 minute/mile pace. At mile 25, Ryan lost his temper. His comments became snarky until we reached the final turn into the finish. Towards the end of the march, Megan was mentally done. She continually wanted to increase the rate of march to get the event finished.
Walking across the finish line was a magical experience. Not so much for my own accomplishment as I had marched twice before, but to see the exceptional performance of my team members. Crossing the finish line at under nine hours, we completed the route faster than either of the two military teams I had previously marched with. You could see in their faces and actions after the march the significant impact the experience had on them. It was like someone had unlocked their full potential. As they walked sorely to dinner, I could see in their eyes they were already thinking of their next challenge. Here they had a chance to live the Stoic philosophy they had taught others. These Canadians civilians had little business being on the course with most believing participation at their age to be a near insane act. Here a 46-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man took on one of American’s toughest marathons because they were willing to test the wisdom of the Ancient Stoic philosophers. As we marched, we worked to control our perceptions of our experiences and kept each other focused on positive thoughts. The same practice that helped so many veterans survive extreme events. From the Ancient Stoics, to Lester Tenney (a survivor of Bataan), to Victor Frankl (a survivor of Nazi concentration camps), these practices have demonstrated their effectiveness throughout the ages. These two Canadians demonstrated the truth of their philosophy through action and not merely word.
And better yet, the Before Operational Stress program they developed might be the key of building a more resilient military. Asking a Cadet on the march why he was carrying a wooden plank, he replied, “because we like to suffer.” When I asked him why he should like to suffer, he did not have a reply. But the answer is we should do hard things because it builds both physical fitness and, more importantly, psychological resilience. The BOS program could help reconnect the US Military with the explicit knowledge and use of Stoic philosophy. What a beautiful sight it would be to have Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Cadets truly understand the purposes of fatiguing marches as intended by Captain Alden Partridge, the “father of ROTC.” But while the BOS program may be most needed within the military community, it is definitely not the only community that would benefit from explicit knowledge and practice of this philosophy.
In The End…
I am left with the concurrent emotions of sorrow, duty, and optimism. There is deep sorrow for the loss of these veterans. As an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran, I long for the ability to ask the veterans of the WWII generation just one more question on how to find my way home. True, the families and book will carry the stories of this generation into the future, but it is not the same as having direct access to their wisdom and the comfort of seeing successful men and women that forged their path back home.
There is a crushing sense of duty to remember these veterans. While I only met Lloyd Ponder once, I fell dutybound to retell his story and keep his memory alive. I feel an obligation to ensure the Bataan Memorial Death March never becomes a sporting event separated from the historic event it was named after. This duty will only grow with time as the memory of these veterans fades with the passage of time. These brave men and women were abandoned once out of military necessity. We cannot allow their memory to be abandoned out of neglect. Let it never more be said that “no one gives a damn” about the defenders of Bataan.
Finally, in good Stoic fashion, I am optimistic for the future. I was blessed to witness the transformational impact of the Bataan Memorial Death March on two remarkable individuals that are uniquely positioned to spread the wisdom of Stoic philosophy. I have no doubt Megan and Ryan will spread the powerful impact of this philosophy far and wide. Their program will bring hope and comfort to a multitude. These individuals are powerful role models of this practical and living philosophy.
As they discussed how to pull together an event to honor the veterans of their own country, I am touched by the authenticity of their appreciation for the service of others. As the generation of Iraq and Afghan war veterans search for meaning in their sacrifices, the genuine appreciation offered by those like Megan and Ryan may be enough to allow veterans to find meaning in what often appears to be meaningless wars.
In Closing…
I challenge everyone to learn more about the veterans of Bataan and the ancient wisdom found within Stoic philosophy. If physically able, I encourage you to get out on the trails to do some Stoic Toughening Training yourself. Add the Bataan Memorial Death March to your bucket list and enjoy the transformational experience of crossing the finish line or valiantly making the attempt.
Finally, “Remember Bataan, Always.”
The views presented are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Defense or its components.
