On March 2 and 3, 2019, the Treasure Coast High School Air Force JROTC will be conducting a 14 mile walk to raise awareness of those who survived and those who gave their lives in WWII during the fight for control of the Philippines. This walk, titled The 2019 Bataan Memorial Death March, will take place starting at the school and cadets will walk down Port St. Lucie Boulevard to Veterans Memorial Parkway on Saturday from 08:00-11:00, and then from Veterans Memorial Parkway back to the school on Sunday from 12:00-3pm. On Saturday, there will be a few words spoken at approximately 11:00 in the morning at Veterans Memorial Park. All the cadets that participate in the walk will be in a neon yellow shirt.
This Bataan Memorial Death March is held to honor the veterans and prisoners of war that may or may not have made it along the way. There were roughly 60,000 to 80,000 American and Filipino men and women that were forced by the Imperial Japanese Army to walk 85 miles in a span of 6 days and were only given one meal throughout the entire journey. Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Brandon Melendez will be leading the effort.
