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Biography Of Jonathan M. Wainwright: The Bataan Death March

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General Jonathan M. Wainwright was the Commanding U.S. Army Forces in the Philippines from September 1940 – May 1942. At the time, the only senior officer over him was General Douglas MacArthur. He received his Medal of Honor for his actions during the Bataan Death March, and was also “the highest-ranking American prisoner of war” that the United States has ever had. (Chase, 2009) The Bataan Death March was a very harsh event that claimed thousands of American and Filipino lives, in turn giving it the name Death March. During this harsh time, Gen. Wainwright portrayed the Army core values with his loyalty, selfless service, personal courage, and fulfillment of his obligations, are what make his story so miraculous.
Upon entering WWII in 1941, …show more content…

Wainwright had the responsibility to resist the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. Many thought that because of the poorly trained Filipino troops and lack of support and resources coming in from the west that the United States was not “militarily prepared to wage war against Japan in the Philippines.” Gen. Wainwright thought otherwise. (Chase, 2009) About 30 days into the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, Japan had taken Manila, forcing the American troops to put into action their plan of withdrawal to Bataan. On the orders of President Franklin D. Roosevelt on March 10, 1942, General Douglas MacArthur departed the Philippines, and was stationed in Australia, Wainwright assumed command of all combined forces in the Philippines. With the title of Supreme Allied Commander, Gen Wainwright was now in charge of approximately 85,000 …show more content…

Many more men had died while in the camps. Like the Death March, there was very little food, there was no healthcare for men that were catching diseases, and torture was a regular thing. More than 11,500 American soldiers died during the three plus years in confinement. (Doo, n.d.) Gen. Wainwright had persevered even though the Japanese extremely violated the terms of the Geneva Conventions. He and other prisoners' objections to the physical abuse were met with rage, and further protest, would result in only more severe punishment. (Chase,

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