Camp O'Donnell

Camp O'Donnell was a Prisoner of War (POW) camp for Filipino and American soldiers captured by Japan during its successful invasion of the Philippines in World War II. About 60,000 Filipino and 9,000 Americans were housed at the camp. During the few months in 1942 that Camp O'Donnell was used as a POW camp, about 20,000 Filipinos and 1,500 Americans died there of disease, starvation, neglect, and brutality.

Located near Capas, Tarlac, Camp O'Donnell was originally the post of the Philippine Army's newly created 71st Division and after the American's return, a United States Army camp. After World War II it became a base of the United States Air Force. It is now a Philippine Army installation. It houses the Training and Doctrine Command's Officer Cadet School, NCO Academy, and Headquarters and Headquarters Service Battalion.

Camp O'Donnell was the destination of the Filipino and American soldiers who surrendered after the Battle of Bataan on April 9, 1942. The Japanese took approximately 70,000 prisoners: 60,000 Filipinos and 9,000 Americans. The prisoners were forced to undertake the Bataan Death March of approximately 145 kilometres (90 mi) to arrive at Camp O'Donnell. Many soldiers died during the march and the survivors arrived at Camp O'Donnell in extremely poor condition.

The first Filipino and American POWS arrived at Camp O'Donnell on April 11, 1942 and the last on June 4, 1942. The Filipinos and Americans were housed in separate sections of the camp. There was a constant movement in and out of the camp as the Japanese transferred prisoners to other locations on work details. In June, most of the American POWs were sent to other POW camps or to work sites scattered around the country -- and ultimately to Japan and other countries. From September until January 1943, Japan paroled the Filipino POWs. They signed an oath not to become guerillas and the mayors of their home towns were made responsible for their conduct as parolees. Japan closed Camp O'Donnell as a POW camp on January 20, 1943.

The POWs at Camp O'Donnell died in large numbers due to a number of reasons. Japanese soldiers rarely surrendered and held those who did in contempt. The Japanese soldier was the product of a brutal military system in which physical punishment was common and they treated the POWs accordingly. Moreover, the Filipino and American soldiers arriving at Camp O'Donnell were in poor physical condition, having survived on short rations for several months. Many were suffering from malaria and other diseases. The Japanese had made little provision for the treatment of prisoners and were surprised at the large number they captured. They had believed the force opposing them in Bataan was much smaller and that the prisoners would number only about 10,000 rather than the 70,000 or more they actually captured. The Japanese were unprepared to provide the POWs with adequate food, shelter, and medical treatment. Japanese military leadership was inattentive to the POWs, preoccupied with completing their conquest of the Philippines. Moreover, the Japanese declined to treat the POWs in accordance with the Geneva Convention of 1929 which Japan had signed, but had not ratified.

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