Modern Art Version of the Bataan Death March Memorial in New Mexico
Courtesy of the Pelton Family
Bataan Death March Memorial in New Mexico
“BATAAN DEATH MARCH MEMORIAL.” Las Cruces. Las Cruces. n.d. Web. 5 May 2013.
I built this modern art form of the Bataan Death March memorial in New Mexico to vividly express the emotions of the Filipino and American soldiers during the Death March. It depicts helping others in hard times. The original Bataan Death March memorial was founded in April 13, 2002 (the 60th anniversary of the Bataan Death March) (“BATAAN MEMORIAL”). The man who created the Memorial, Artist Kelley S. Hestir said “'Heroes of Bataan' portrays Filipino and American prisoners of war entwined in their struggle to survive the Death March. They look back to what has passed, down to what is present and ahead to what might be.” (“BATAAN MEMORIAL”) The footprints around the Memorial are supposed to represent the soldiers who did not make it out of the Bataan Death March alive (“BATAAN MEMORIAL). These soldiers were tortured , bayonetted, shot, etc. (“Capture and March”)