Bataan Death March veteran legacy marches on through ISR Airmen
By Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes , 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs / Published March 17, 2017
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) -- The year is 1942, and Pfc. Francis Michael Bania of the 10th Signal Service Detachment, and 75,000 other U.S. and Filipino servicemen, marched for several days, about 65 miles, to prison camps in the Philippines. During his grueling journey, Bania had no idea that many years later an Airman would create a bond with his legacy, honoring him in the 75th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
It takes only a moment
Master Sgt. Jake Higginbotham, the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing command chief, first learned about Bania on Facebook. In a group dedicated to those participating in the Bataan Memorial Death March, Higginbotham came across a post by one of Bania’s daughters, and he reached out to Kay Bania-Wells to express his gratitude for her father, and the family’s sacrifices.
Kay and her sister, Beth Bania, replied with excitement, because someone acknowledged their post and showed respect for the Bataan veterans.
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