Soldiers From Goodfellow March To Remember Bataan

It’s 0600 on a chilly Saturday morning in late February with another hour to go before sunrise.

A group of soldiers from the 344 Military Intelligence Battalion at Goodfellow AFB has been moving at forced march pace since 0400, focused on training for an upcoming mission as they march up and down the rough hills of Burma Road.

They will complete 20 miles of fast marching before most people have finished their Saturday morning coffee.

No running shoes or high tech outdoor gear for these soldiers — they’re wearing Army-issue uniforms and combat boots, carrying food and water and some team members are loaded down with 35-pound rucksacks.

Although these soldiers are highly-trained veterans of previous deployments, the mission they’re training for during this march will not take place in an overseas combat zone.

Instead, they’ll be joining other soldiers and civilians from across the nation on March 23 to march 26.2 miles through the hostile desert environment of White Sands Missile Range during the annual Bataan Memorial Death March.

The Bataan memorial march, first held in 1989, honors the World War II heroes who were responsible for the defense of the islands of Luzon, Corregidor and the harbor defense forts of the Philippines.

On April 9, 1942, 72,000 captured American and Filipino soldiers were forced to march 63 miles from Mariveles on the southern end of the Bataan Peninsula to a Japanese prison camp in the northern end.

Thousands died as they were marched for days in the scorching heat through the Philippine jungles. The harsh conditions and treatment of the prisoners during the march to the prison camp resulted in an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 deaths.

SFC Heinz Cook, team captain for one of the teams from the 344th, says “The Bataan Death March is one of those special events where the athletic accomplishment takes a back seat to the history behind it and the respect and pride felt for the Soldiers that died in Bataan. One of the things I am looking forward to is the opportunity to meet survivors of Bataan and thank them for their sacrifice and service.”

LTC Devon Blake, commander of Goodfellow’s 344th MI Battalion and one of the team members, reinforces the group’s reason for doing the march.

“I feel it important to never forget the history of our brothers and sisters in arms that came before us,” notes Blake. “The least I can do is to pay tribute to the helpless victims that died during that horrific event, as well as those that endured the physical abuse and torture during the march to the prison camp.”

The 16 Goodfellow soldiers preparing for the Bataan Memorial Death March will be competing as part of three teams, one all-female and the other two coed.

Their training for the challenging event includes both the normal Army PT five days per weeks and then additional long march training after duty hours.

SFC Kristie Young, a member of the all-female team from the 344th, described the training that the teams are doing.

“We train together three times a week,” says Young. “We meet twice during the week for 1-1.5 hours of walking with some running, usually getting in 5-6.5 miles in that time. The pace for our training marches workouts is 13 to 15 minutes per mile but we push faster for shorter workouts.”

“We also do a long march on Saturdays, adding two miles each weekend so as to peak at 20 miles before we start tapering for the event.”

Although the long marching workouts might seem very similar to training for a marathon or long-distance trail run, the Goodfellow soldiers say there are some significant differences.

“When you run you look forward to that ‘runners high’ somewhere during the run,” explained SSG Miguel Quiroz. “With ruck marches (carrying a heavy pack) you don’t experience anything similar to that. It just gets more and more painful. By the end of each march you are cursing yourself for putting your body through something like this.”

SSG Mark Dowd also notes that wearing Army-issue combat boots instead of running shoes is another issue that Bataan team members must deal with.

“Training started off badly for me,” said Dowd. “I made the mistake of wearing brand-new boots on my first day and tore some pretty deep half-inch blisters in both heels. I wore old boots the next time we went out and felt much better.”

If you’re out for a run or bike ride and see these soldiers marching along the road, stop, come to attention, and give them a proper salute.

They’re focused on completing a tough mission to honor American heroes from a past war, and both the past and present day heroes deserve our respect.

Remember — soldiers from the 344th will be marching to remember Bataan.

Upcoming Events

Mar 8: Trail running series #3, roadlizards.org

Mar 15: Shamrock Run 5K, roadlizards.org

Mar 22: Crazy Desert Trail Race, roadlizards.org

Mar 22: Steam-N-Wheels cycling race and tour, Abilene, bikereg.com/Net/steam-n-wheels

Mar 29: Run for the Wounded Warrior 5K, angelo.edu/asufit

April 5: Bikes for Trykes cycling tour, eventbrite.com/contact-organizer?eid=10199820939

April 12: Moon Pie night trail run, roadlizards.org

Affordable Bicycle Act

Cycling has benefited from never having been a hot topic for our elected officials in Washington.

With the exception of former President George W. Bush's mountain bike exploits and an occasional mention in the Federal Transportation Act, we've been able to pedal along peacefully on the bike of our choice while staying under the federal government's radar.

We hope it stays that way - the last thing we need is Washington trying to 'improve' cycling. 

Given the way that people in Washington think, they would probably decide that the currently 

unregulated bicycle industry could be vastly improved by passing a new Federal law standardizing the design of bicycles and regulating what bikes consumers would be able to buy.

Such a law might even include requiring every person in the United States to purchase and ride an approved bike that meets minimum standards set by the government. 

That law, of course, would be the Affordable Bicycle Act. 

 

Under the current system, cyclists have the freedom to purchase any bike they choose, and - they get to keep their existing bikes if they want. 

Non-cyclists or people on a tight budget can even opt out of owning a bike. 

However, based on recent precedents, there might be Washington officials who feel that having the freedom to choose (or not choose) what bike to ride is simply un-American.

They might even argue that most cyclists don't own the ideal bike for all types of riding, that there are people who can't afford a good bicycle, and that some people even refuse to own or ride a bicycle. 

A government official could view those issues as justification for a comprehensive government overhaul of everything related to bicycles, starting with the bike's design. 

Because of the current unregulated-by-the-government bicycle industry, cyclists who ride both on and off-road must purchase at least two bikes. 

They need an anorexic skinny-tire bike for road cycling and a chunky fat-tired bike with suspension for pedaling over mountain bike trails. 

In addition, a super-aerodynamic two-wheeled airfoil is needed for time trials and triathlons, a 'road bike on steroids' is required for cyclocross events, a beefy pack mule bike is a must for long distance touring, and some cyclists may even need a fixed-gear city bike or a high-handlebar-with-a front-basket campus cruiser. 

An Affordable Bicycle Act could, in Washington's mind, address those issues by requiring the bicycle industry to design and sell only three categories of bike and equipment 'bundles' (Gold, Silver, and Bronze). 

All three bike bundles would center around a government-designed bicycle to ensure that the bike is suitable for all types of riding (road, mountain, cyclocross, touring, city riding, etc.). 

The government-approved bike frame would be a 'step-through' unisex design to accommodate both male and female cyclists who might choose to ride in spandex shorts, skirts, or even kilts, and all frames would have a hitch mount for a pull-behind non-motorized lawn mower. 

Current bicycles that do not meet government design criteria would be outlawed. 

In addition, all approved bicycle bundles would be required by law to include a heart rate monitor, power meter, free professional-level coaching for the Ironman triathlon, Race Across America, and the World Downhill Mountain Bike Championships, and bike route maps for the entire United States. 

Gold Level bikes would be outfitted with a full range of accessories to include front and rear suspension, electronic shifting, aero bars, multiple wheels and tires for the various types of riding, multiple seats to fit a wide range of posteriors, and accessories such as aero helmets and different shoe/pedal combinations. 

Consumers who purchased the Gold Level bikes would have very few additional out-of-pocket expenses since all imaginable accessories would be included with their bicycle. 

Silver and Bronze level bikes would be based on the same unisex all-terrain frame design but would include fewer accessories - consumers would have to spend more out-of-pocket money to purchase the add-on items. 

All bicycles would be purchased on-line through a government-run web site known as the National Bicycle Marketplace, with privately-owned bike shops restricted to providing government-approved repair services. 

Reimbursement to bike shops for repair services would be based on pre-determined 'BikeCare' fees established by a government agency. 

The Affordable Bicycle Act would also make the standardized-design bikes available to everyone regardless of income via grants from the federal government, paid for by new fees imposed on the emission-producing automobiles, motorized lawn mowers, and barbeque grills. 

Federal tax returns would include a Bicycle Credit Worksheet that calculates free bike grant eligibility based on the state where you live, annual income, number of family members who can ride without training wheels, and if your employer provide bicycles for employees.

 

A new cabinet-level 'bicycle czar' position would be created to manage the Federal Bicycle Agency, overseeing functions such as the National Bicycle Marketplace and coordinating with other agencies such as the NSA to gather data on non-compliant cyclists. 

The Bicycle Agency would also manage information kiosks placed in malls to help citizens select an appropriate 'bicycle plan' and to fill out the free bike grant paperwork. 

Cyclists who continued to ride non-compliant bikes or non-cyclists who did not own a bicycle would be subject to an annual 'No Approved Bike' penalty. However, elected officials, government workers, union members, and climate change researchers would all be exempt from the 'purchase a bike' requirement. 

Luckily, the federal government has too many other important things to regulate so cycling could remain unscathed for years to come. 

Let's keep it that way - simple, fun, healthy, and unregulated.

Upcoming Events
Mar 8: Trail running series #3, roadlizards.org
Mar 22: Crazy Desert Trail Race, roadlizards.org
Mar 22: Steam-N-Wheels cycling race and tour, Abilene, bikereg.com/Net/steam-n-wheels
April 5: Bikes for Trykes cycling tour, eventbrite.com/contact-organizer?eid=10199820939