Shortly after Virginia Carr’s parents passed away, she was sorting belongings in their basement and discovered her father’s Army uniform. Her father, Virgil Janes, was among the 32 Port Clinton men who fought in the Battle of Bataan against Japanese forces during World War II and was one of only ten of that group that survived the Bataan Death March. The march was a traumatic 65-mile forced walk that took prisoners of war (POW) across the Philippine province of Bataan.
On Nov. 15, Bataan Memorial Elementary School hosted Bataan Day, a day of remembrance and honor to the brave 32 sons of Port Clinton who served and sacrificed for their country. Carr and Jane’s niece, Linda Sutherland, attended the event.
The conditions of the Bataan Death March were torturous. The men walked in extreme heat and humidity, with little food or medical care. Many died of starvation and some were killed, “just because,” said Bataan Day speaker Jonathan Marvicsin.
Carr had no idea her parents had kept her father’s Army uniform for so long, but it wasn’t the only secret he kept…