Bataan’s Last Night

This has to be the last night,

Orders to shoot every Jap in sight.

The ammo dump that blew the hill,

Made everything else seem very still.

All supplies that never came,

Made us all feel ashamed.

All the promises that were broken,

Surely they could have sent a token.

The order to fight to the last man,

It’s easier now to understand.

All our dreams of going home,

Makes you feel so all alone.

To find a quiet place to pray,

Will give me strength to face the day.

Fighting four months of living hell,

The death toll will surely tell.

The fight was our last stand,

Sure has made me a better man.

The Japs will come we surely know,

But God only knows where we will go.

All our lives are on the line,

The job at hand is to save mine.

The smell of death is all around,

History should make this holy ground.

We all knew surrender would be hell,

I’m wondering how many will live to tell.

Now, I must go to the designated place,

And meet the enemy face to face.

To be accountable for the ones I’ve killed,

And accept the future for the blood I’ve spilled.

I never thought it would end this way,

I must wait a minute and take time to pray.

As I walk down this hill,

I must stay quiet and stand still.

Here they come with guns in hand,

Yelling and beating every man.

We all stood tall and very brave,

Not knowing that in moments some

Would be ready for their grave.

Why did we fight so hard for this faraway land?

Because history will know us as

The “Battling Bastards of Bataan”.