Show Notes
“Never in history had the United States Army been called on to rescue such a large number of POWs from so deep in enemy territory.” William Breuer
“We were in the best shape of our lives, and with this mission we understood why he had driven us so hard.” Alvie Robbins speaking about Henry Mucci’s physical training
“As far as we were concerned, they were gods.” Bob Body about the Rangers who rescued him and his fellow POWs.
“Nothing in this entire campaign has given me so much personal satisfaction.” General MacArthur
“I’ll be grateful for the rest of my life that I had a chance to do something in this war that was not destructive. Nothing for me can ever compare with the satisfaction I got from helping to free our prisoners.” Robert Prince
This is the tale of one of the most daring missions in the history of WWII. After being defeated by the Japanese in 1942, by 1945 American forces were back in the Philippines ready to retake the islands. But their very success may have spelled doom for some survivors of the Bataan Death March, who had spent nearly three years as prisoners of the Japanese. Plenty of evidence, in fact, suggested that Japanese guards were ready to kill them all rather than letting them be freed. The only way to stop this imminent massacre was for a newly formed unit of Rangers, along with Filipino guerrilla fighters, to travel 30 miles behind enemy lines, face off with numerically superior forces, and rescue the POWs. By every logical metric, this had suicide mission written all over it. And yet, the Rangers and guerrilla, all volunteered. Rarely are war stories feel-good stories. But this may be the exception to the rule.
If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historyonfire to access plenty of bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from History on Fire
“Marat posed a difficult challenge for Lafayette—a difficult challenge for any free society. Lafayette was committed to the principle of freedom of speech and freedom of the press, but here was a journalist using fanatical lies and scurrilous accusations to incite the population to mass murder.” Mike Duncan
“[Italians are]… of questionable value from a mental, moral, or physical standpoint.” Anthropologist George Dorsey writing for the Chicago Tribune in 1910.
“Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split.” Robert E. Howard.
Government That Doesn't Suck is a Rewind Studios original podcast from the creators of History That Doesn't Suck, hosted by Professors Lindsey Cormack and Greg Jackson. Each episode digs into the surprising story of an American institution — from the origins of the internet, to the National Park Service, to the GI Bill, and so much more. You'll hear the stories behind them, plus a conversation with an expert who knows it inside and out. New episodes release every other Monday. Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or subscribe on YouTube for full video episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“I ask you why we must tear ourselves apart for this small question of religion?” from the movie Elizabeth