“There are times,’’ United States Secretary of War Henry Stimson said, “when men have to die.’’ Tens of thousands of men died defending Bataan during World War II.

On April 9, 1942, the Filipino-American forces in Bataan surrendered to the enemy. Some 72,000 men of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) laid down their arms. On the Death March, 20,000 died. Of the 52,000 who survived the march (42,000 Filipinos and 9,200 Americans) and were imprisoned at Camp O’Donnel in Capas, Tarlac, 30,000 more died.

Formerly called “”Bataan Day,’’ the designation of this tragic event was changed to “Araw ng Kagitingan’’ to highlight the valor and heroism of the men who fought in Bataan. This historic event is also commemorated in various places in the United States. It is commemorated as “The Sacrifices of the Fall of Bataan and Corregidor’’ at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl, Honolulu, Hawaii. Every year, the Bataan Death March is commemorated at the White Sands Missile Range, north of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Minnesota commemorates the event as “Bataan Memorial March’’ at Brainerd, Minnesota. Maywood, Illinois, commemorates the event as ‘‘Maywood Bataan Day. It was first observed on the second Sunday of September, 1942.

Shrines and memorials have been erected at Capas, Tarlac, and Mount Samat, Bataan. The shrine on Mount Samat was named “Dambana ng Kagitingan’’ (Shrine of Valor).

Many shrines, highways, schools, memorial parks, monuments, and bridges all over the United States have also been named to honor and perpetuate the memory of the defenders of Bataan.

Araw ng Kagitingan celebrates Filipino gallantry, valor, and heroism. As we celebrate it, we must also remember Bataan’s lessons, especially the lesson that international differences can be resolved peacefully and not by means of war. Araw ng Kagitingan is a memorial for posterity that peace is many times more beneficial to humanity.