Left Behind: When America Surrendered WW2

Reclaiming Our Heroes' Forgotten Stories

What if you could visit the Manila American Cemetery without leaving your home? Or walk the rows of in Normandy and discover each man's story?
 
That's what the Memory Anchor Explorer app allows anyone, anywhere to do.
 
Join me in an inspiring conversation with the apps co-founders to discover how they’re shaping the future of commemoration through technology.
 
DOWNLOAD the Memory Anchor App wherever you get apps, including:
Apple App Store
Google Play
 
I’ve worked with Memory Anchor to add these men featured on “Left Behind":
Lynn Weeman (episode 26)
James Booher (episode 7)
Francis Bridget (episode 13)
Noel Castle (episode 44)
James Gallagher (episode 27)
Don Robins (episode 4)
Norman Thenell (episode 32)
Walter Wernher (episode 41)
 
You’ll find images of the Memory Anchor Explorer app online at:
- Left Behind Website (includes transcript)
- Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast 
- Left Behind Facebook

Disgrace on Parade: The March to Cabanatuan

In late May 1942, American POWs captured on Corregidor endured a hellish train ride and march to Cabanatuan’s infamous POWs camps.
Among them was Navy Ensign Whitman, who, weakened by malaria and lack of food and water, struggled to keep pace with the relentless march. Despite comrades' aid, Whitman's condition worsened.
And as his strength waned, he collapsed, left by the roadside as his fellow prisoners pressed on.
 
Check out these other “Left Behind” episodes mentioned in Whitman’s story:
#1 – Frank Pyzick – one of 3 POWs who inspired the “Left Behind” journey
#13 – The Naval Battalion’s unlikely efforts to hold off a Japanese invasion
#50 – Details of what Whitman endured at the 92nd Garage POW camp
#41 – Highlights Walter Wernher, a Cabanatuan Camp #2 POW
#32 – Inside the brutal Death March ending – Camp O’Donnell
 
You’ll find images and maps about Whitman’s story at:
- Left Behind Website (includes sources and transcript)
- Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast 
- Left Behind Facebook

Amidst the Foxholes: A WW2 Reenactor’s Journey

WW2 reenactor Victor Verano brings history to life through immersive experiences.
In this fun and informative interview, he'll share his experiences at large WW2 reenactments, encounters with WWII veterans, and exploration of battlefields.
You'll really enjoy Victor's passion for living history, which enriches our understanding of the past.
 
Here’s the link to Victor’s first Left Behind interview about his reenactment work with the Philippine Scouts Heritage Society.  
 
You’ll find images of Victor Verano’s reenactment and other living history experiences online at:
Left Behind Website (includes transcript)
Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast 
Left Behind Facebook 

Besieged: The Battle of Fort Frank

The fates of two servicemen – a career Army officer and a young medical doctor – intertwined during the harrowing siege at Fort Frank, a small island defense in Manila Bay.
From the front lines to captivity at Cabanatuan POW Camp, they each battled disease, constant threats, and despair with unwavering resolve.
 
Here are links to the other episodes mentioned in this episode:
#40. Nurse Rosemary Hogan who worked at Sternberg Hospital with Maj. Goad 
#34. Lt Chet Britt served under Col. Boudreau’s command at Ft. Wint 
#44. Invasion of Corregidor 
#48. Capt. Morrill’s unlikely escape to Australia
#50. The POW experience at the 92nd Garage on Corregidor  
#24. Gen. Kings surrender of Battan and POW camp experiences 
 
You’ll find images and maps about Col. Boudreau’s and Maj. Goad’s stories at:
Left Behind Website (includes transcript with sources): 
Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast  
Left Behind Facebook page 

Remembering the Bataan Death March

82 years ago – April 9, 1942 – some 75,000 American and Filipino servicemen became POWs when Bataan peninsula fell to Japanese forces.
 
With in days the overwhelming majority of them were forced onto the Bataan Death March.
 
These are their stories.
 
I mention the following men in this episode:
Jim Gallagher – Sportswriter from Philly who died on the first day of the march (Episode 27)
Ray Hunt – The young air corpsman who escaped the march and became a guerilla leader (Episode 28)
Jack and Bobby Aldrich – Brothers who served in the same Artillery unit and marched together (Episode 29)
Gen Ed King – The man who surrendered Bataan (Episode 24)
Lester Tenney – A tank man in the army reserves who was injured on but survived the Death March (Episode 2) 
Pantingan River Massacre – When the Japanese killed some 300 surrendered Filipino soldiers (episode 31)
A young POW’s search for water at Camp O’Donnell (episode 32)

Bad Blood: When History Isn’t Pretty

Sometimes I encounter not-so-great things while researching family trees.
I’ll let you in on the 7 ways I handle bad blood and family secrets -- with sensitivity and empathy -- in the stories I research for Left Behind.
 
Here’s the link to Alma Salm’s episode (#50), which I mentioned in this episode.

Grim Reality: POW Life Inside Corregidor’s 92nd Garage

Two days after Corregidor fell, more than 11,000 American and Filipino POWs were marched to a beachy cove known as the Army 92nd Garage.
 
Here they stayed, cramped, hungry, and thirty for nearly 3 weeks – baking in the tortuous Philippine sun because there was no protection from elements.
 
Among these men was my great-grandfather Alma Salm, who would endure 33 months of torturous POW life – experiences that would follow him home and color the remainer of his life.
 
Here are links to other episodes I mentioned in this episode:
#40 – Describes the relentless week of bombings on Corregidor, leading up to the Japanese invasion.
#44 – Details the Marines’ final fight to defend Corregidor
#39 – The experiences of Alma Salm’s wife and daughter in Honolulu while Pearl Harbor was being attacked
#32 – Life at Camp O’Donnell, where the Bataan Death March survivors were imprisoned after the march
 
You’ll find images and maps about the 92nd Garage and Alma Salm’s story at:
Left Behind Website (includes sources)
Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast 
Left Behind Facebook page

Preserving the 26th Cavalry’s Profound Impact

The 26th Cavalry were among the first to engage the Japanese invasion army in December 1942. Their critical role on the road to Bataan enabled the Allies’ successful withdrawal. Then they enacted the last horse-mounted cavalry charge in US history.
Victor Verano – a historical reenactor and leader in The Philippine Scout Heritage Society – has spent 15 years working with 26th Cavalry veterans to preserve the history of their remarkable feats during WW2.
Today he’s sharing:
The movie he made in honor of the 26th Cavalry.
Stories of the veterans’ he’s been honored to work with.
The unmatched impact of that cavalry regiment and the other Philippine Scout regiments.
 
Wanna know why the Philippine Scouts were called “The Backbone of Bataan”? Check out their remarkable stories in these “Left Behind” episodes:
Dan Figuracion (episode 6) – 26th Cavalry PS – May have been the first to fire a Garand rifle during WW2.
Ed Ramsey (episode 11) – 26th Cavalry PS – Ordered the last cavalry charge.
Felipe Fernandez (episode 26) – 26th Cavalry PS – Led a last-minute escape from Bataan.
Alexander Nininger (episode 16) – 57th Infantry PS – the first person to receive the Medal of Honor during WW2.
Ira Cheney (episode 17) – 57th Infantry PS – Declassified documents revealed a cover up regarding what actually happened to him on Bataan.
Jose Calugas (episode 19) -- 88th Field Artillery PS – the only Filipino to win the Congressional Medal in WW2.
Wilibald Bianchi (episode 20) -- 45th Infantry PS – the third and final man on Bataan to receive the Medal of Honor
Jim Daly (episode 38) – 45th Infantry PS – Bianchi’s best friend, who was severely injured in the Field Hospital at Bataan surrender.
Chet Britt (episode 34) – 92nd Coast Artillery PS – A Bataan Death March and Oryoku Maru survivor whose wartime past could never leave him alone.
Vicente and Marcos Mocorro (episode 35) – 91st Coast Artillery PS – A father and son who served side by side on the heavy artillery defending Corregidor Island.
 
You’ll find images and maps about Victory Verano and his work with the Philippine Scouts at:
- Left Behind Website (includes sources)
- Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast 
- Left Behind Facebook page

Incredible Escape: 2,100 Miles, 30 Days, and an Open Boat

While The Philippine Islands fell to enemy forces on May 6, 1942, a small, open boat with 18 passengers quietly sailed out of Manila Bay under cover of darkness.
 
It was a last, desperate attempt to escape capture and make their way 2,100 miles to Australia.
 
And guess what? They made it.
 
This is an adventure story you don’t want to miss!
 
Here are links to the Battle of the Points episodes I mention in this episode:
#13 – Frank Bridget’s Rag-Tag Infantry
#14 – Henry Goodall’s Audacious War-Time Plans
 
You’ll find images and maps about this incredible escape story at:
- Left Behind Website (includes sources)
- Instagram: @leftbehindpodcast  
- Left Behind Facebook 

From Capture to Liberation: Exploring POW Stories

A behind-the-scenes look at the best, go-to resources used to the find the details of the POW war-time experiences I highlight on Left Behind.
And, if you have a POW you’d like to know more about, download the “Finding Prisoners of Japan” guide that I made just for you.