Post by VeeVee on May 11, 2008 21:25:02 GMT -5
www.sacbee.com/107/story/924540.html
Nevada City man honors Bataan march with book, re-enactment
A Nevada City man has written a book on the famous Bataan Death March during World War II, an event he describes as "the largest capitulation of American troops in history."
But Francisco Lovato is not only talking the talk, starting today he's walking the walk.
Along with the book, "Survivor" (Del Oro Press, $19.95, 280 pages), Lovato begins a four-day trek today -- from Penn Valley to the Vietnam Memorial in Sacramento's Capitol Park -- as a personal expression of gratitude to those who died or suffered during the march.
His father, Frank, is one of those who survived the 60-mile forced march in 1942 to a Japanese prisoner of war camp in the Philippines that claimed an estimated 11,000 lives (1,000 Americans).
"When I started writing the book, I realized how little was known about the subject in the world," he said, adding that his father has no animosity toward the Japanese. "Pearl Harbor gets all the press."
Beginning Friday, Lovato willl eat only rice and drink water during his 60-mile simulation of the Bataan Death March. He plans to walk about 15 miles a day and camp-out at night.
"I'm not completely sure I can make the 60 miles, but I'm in good health and have maintained my health pretty well through the years," said Lovato, 60, a former psychotherapist who now works as a charitable organization consultant.
His dad, now 87 and living in Albuquerque, N.M., completed the deadly march in 90-degree heat and 90 percent humidity. Francisco Lovato retraced his father's footsteps during a 1998 trip to the Philippines.
Frank Lovato didn't speak about his World War II experiences much, but his son said an out-of-the-blue comment while the two were attending a football game inspired his book.
"They played the 'Star Spangled Banner' and as he sat down he said, 'I'll never forget the night in the Philippines when I played my harmonica and 9,000 men sang 'God Bless America.' The Japanese were shooting machine guns in the air to get us to stop.'"
Lovato said he mentioned the story to someone later and was advised to seek the whole story from his dad. The first father-son session in front of a video camera lasted 11 hours.
"My dad was at a time in his life that he knew nobody would know about his story if he didn't talk about it now," he said.
Lovato's book can only can be purchased online at www.survivorbook.com .
Nevada City man honors Bataan march with book, re-enactment
A Nevada City man has written a book on the famous Bataan Death March during World War II, an event he describes as "the largest capitulation of American troops in history."
But Francisco Lovato is not only talking the talk, starting today he's walking the walk.
Along with the book, "Survivor" (Del Oro Press, $19.95, 280 pages), Lovato begins a four-day trek today -- from Penn Valley to the Vietnam Memorial in Sacramento's Capitol Park -- as a personal expression of gratitude to those who died or suffered during the march.
His father, Frank, is one of those who survived the 60-mile forced march in 1942 to a Japanese prisoner of war camp in the Philippines that claimed an estimated 11,000 lives (1,000 Americans).
"When I started writing the book, I realized how little was known about the subject in the world," he said, adding that his father has no animosity toward the Japanese. "Pearl Harbor gets all the press."
Beginning Friday, Lovato willl eat only rice and drink water during his 60-mile simulation of the Bataan Death March. He plans to walk about 15 miles a day and camp-out at night.
"I'm not completely sure I can make the 60 miles, but I'm in good health and have maintained my health pretty well through the years," said Lovato, 60, a former psychotherapist who now works as a charitable organization consultant.
His dad, now 87 and living in Albuquerque, N.M., completed the deadly march in 90-degree heat and 90 percent humidity. Francisco Lovato retraced his father's footsteps during a 1998 trip to the Philippines.
Frank Lovato didn't speak about his World War II experiences much, but his son said an out-of-the-blue comment while the two were attending a football game inspired his book.
"They played the 'Star Spangled Banner' and as he sat down he said, 'I'll never forget the night in the Philippines when I played my harmonica and 9,000 men sang 'God Bless America.' The Japanese were shooting machine guns in the air to get us to stop.'"
Lovato said he mentioned the story to someone later and was advised to seek the whole story from his dad. The first father-son session in front of a video camera lasted 11 hours.
"My dad was at a time in his life that he knew nobody would know about his story if he didn't talk about it now," he said.
Lovato's book can only can be purchased online at www.survivorbook.com .
