THE AVENGERS OF

A medic tends to a eighteen prisoners. Krueger now set in wounded GI in the motion the operation to clear the Japanese jungles of Bataan. out of Bataan. Ever since the humiliat­ Improved medica­ ing defeat and the brutal Death March in tions, the use of blood plasma, and April 1942, Bataan had been occupied by the availability of air the Japanese and the American defenders evacuation meant of Bataan and Corregidor had languished that those wounded in in squalid POW camps. The Ghosts of World War II stood a Bataan were about to be avenged, and better chance at sur­ Hoosiers of the Thirty-eighth led the way. vival than in previous conflicts. Commanding XI Corps, Hall divided his forces into two groups, the East Force and the South Force. The East Force, composed mostly of the First RCT of the dead in its tracks. The Thirty-fourth RCT fighting, while the 149th closed in, Sixth Infantry Division, reinforced later relieved the 152nd and resumed the attack, moving westward. The Japanese, essen­ by the 149th, was to proceed down the clearing the highway to Dinalupihan. De­ tially surrounded and with no place to East Road (Highway 110), the same route spite heavy fighting supported by artillery go, put up stiff resistance; they would not that the Japanese used to take Bataan in barrages and close-air support, after six surrender. But, in the end, they could not 1942, and the Death March route. It set days the Thirty-fourth RCT, too, bogged withstand the American attacks and were out from Dinalupihan on February 14 to down under heavy Japanese fire. Late in pushed back and eventually overrun on draw attention from the main thrust by the evening of February 4, the Thirty- February 8. Three days later, with the end the South Force, an amphibious land­ fourth RCT was administratively attached in sight, the 151st was pulled off the line ing by the 151st Infantry at on to the Thirty-eighth. On February 5 Jones in preparation for another mission. The the southern tip of Bataan the next day. ordered the Thirty-fourth RCT to advance 152nd continued the eastward advance Opposing the XI Corps were only 1,400 along the south side of the highway and and, on February 14, 1945, linked up bedraggled Japanese, including Nagayoshi, the 152nd to resume the attack on the with the 149th. who had survived the battle of Zig Zag north side of the highway. The next day the two regiments began Pass. Most of the Japanese were scattered The same day, the 149th completed its mopping-up operations against the few in pockets between Highway 7 and the eastward march to Dinalupihan, estab­ remaining pockets of Japanese resistance. Pilar- Road running across the waist lished contact with the XIV Corps, and On February 16 the 149th was ordered of the peninsula. Mariveles was essentially set up a roadblock at Layac, the main back to Dinalupihan to begin prepara­ undefended. entrance to the Bataan Peninsula. They tion for action against the Japanese now The East Force moved out to virtu­ then turned west astride Highway 7 to trapped in Bataan. The 152nd continued ally no opposition and proceeded down link up with the rest of the Thirty-eighth, operations to secure Highway 7 from the the East Road. When it reached Pilar the still bogged down in heavy fighting in Zig coast at to Dinalupihan. force split. The 149th drove west toward Zag Pass. In defeating the Japanese at Zig Zag Bagac, while the rest of the East Force On February 6 the Thirty-fourth RCT Pass and linking up with XIV Corps at continued south toward Mariveles. The was detached from the Thirty-eighth and Dinalupihan, the Thirty-eighth had sealed 151st left Subic Bay in landing craft and pulled off the line. It was replaced by the the Japanese in Bataan. As a testament moved quickly to Mariveles and went 151 st. The three infantry regiments of the to the ferocity of the battle, the division ashore without opposition. With control Thirty-eighth now converged on the stub­ had killed 1,846 enemy while taking only of Highway 7 firmly in American hands, born Japanese defenders hunkered down at Zig Zag Pass. In tandem, the 151st AS A TESTAMENT TO THE FEROCITY OF THE and the 152nd began making progress BATTLE, THE DIVISION HAD KILLED 1,846 ENEMY eastward through the pass, reducing one Japanese position after another in vicious WHILE TAKING ONLY EIGHTEEN PRISONERS.

12 | TRACES | Spring 2012