On the recordJuly 23, 2018
today I wish to pay tribute to Pedro Gonzalez--a brave World War II veteran who endured the Bataan Death March and 3\1/2\ years in captivity in the Philippines and in Japan. Mr. Gonzalez passed away January 6, 2018, at the age of 96. Mr. Gonzalez was born in Las Cruces, NM, and later moved to Los Lunas, where he graduated from high school. Shortly after graduation, in 1940, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He was assigned to the 19th Bombardment Group in the Philippines. On December 8, 1941--7 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor-- Japanese bombers attacked U.S. military stations in the Philippines. Mr. Gonzalez had learned earlier that they had attacked Hawaii, and, when he first heard planes that morning, he thought there were U.S. reinforcements. They were not. Mr. Gonzalez and American troops fought valiantly to defend the Philippines, but they ran low on ammunitions, supplies, food, and manpower and were forced to surrender in April 1942. Fifteen thousand Americans and 60,000 Filipinos were taken prisoner. These prisoners of war then began the 60-mile long Bataan Death March. Mr. Gonzalez was only 20 years old. He recalled they had ``no food, no water,'' that men were beaten and beheaded, and bodies were strewn in the road. During the march, one of his commanding officers told him, ``Pete, you keep that smile on your face and you're gonna make it back.'' During part of the journey, the men were hauled in box cars, packed as tight as could be. Mr.…
