Here’s how the angels of Bataan and Corregidor helped shape the history of the Philippines.
ANGELS OF BATAAN AND CORREGIDOR – They were U.S. Army and Navy nurses and some Filipino nurses who did these heroic deeds during the war.
They were called angels for a reason, and for what they have done during the dark times in the Philippines during World War 2, they rightfully earned this title. Back in 1941, the Philippines used to be a famous destination where navy and army nurses went to serve their 2-year tour. The country also served as their paradise, where they were given adventures that the United States couldn’t offer to women. It began on December 8, 1941, but the experience and adventure that were brought to them shaped and toughened them in ways no one could ever imagine.
“The Angels of Bataan and Corregidor”
When the Japanese attacked the base at Pearl Harbor and the bases in the Pacific, including Clark Field, the routines of the nurses took a swerve and were disrupted by bombs and torpedoes. Suddenly, hospitals were filled with casualties of these attacks, which made the nurses and doctors back then struggle to keep up in treating the wounded men who just kept on coming in. Beds, porches, hallways, and all the spaces in the hospital were filled rapidly, and what was even worse was that the medical supplies were inadequate.
While the troops fought in vain to stop the Japanese, the nurses and doctors also fought to save their lives. Every day, bloody limbs and mangled flesh became a normal sight to see.
MacArthur ordered a withdrawal and to abandon the Philippines; however, the Army and Navy nurses on Bataan and Corregidor stayed and continued to tend the wounded soldiers, save lives, and treat the victims of war.
The American forces that remained in Manila, which included 11 U.S. Navy nurses, were captured when the city fell. They interned at Santo Tomas in January 1942. As for the remaining nurses, they worked in two hospitals found in the jungles of Bataan. They were makeshift infirmaries for the sick, weakened, and wounded troops, and the conditions only worsened. But the worst was when the Japanese found out about this and threatened to destroy the infirmaries.
Before Bataan fell, they were ordered to Corregidor, but 66 of them remained. When Corregidor fell, they were captured and became prisoners of war. They were made to join the POWs in the Santo Tomas and Los Baños internment camps. They treated the patients with the few supplies they had and fought to live not only for themselves, but also for their patients, showing extraordinary resilience.
In 1945, the war ended, and in early February of the same year, they were freed, and their survival was credited to the Army Nurse Corps leadership. Chief Nurse Capt. Maude C. Davison was 57 years old when captured, and following him in command was 47-year-old Lieutenant Josie Nesbit.
They returned to the US and received the Bronze Star for valor and a Presidential Unit Citation for their extraordinary heroism. Some of them refused to share their stories as they believed they had only done their job. But for those who knew, they went far beyond in their duty and responsibilities. Davison was also posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Medal in August 2001.
On April 9, 1980, a bronze plaque was dedicated at the Mount Samat National Shrine in Bataan. This way, the “angels” during the Battle of Bataan and the Siege of Corregidor in World War II were honored by the men who survived those battles.