DEMING – A tradition of remembrance and respect will continue in Deming this April as students at Bataan Elementary School prepare to host their annual Bataan Death March remembrance ceremony honoring local soldiers and all who served.
The event was created in 2016 by retired teacher Kim Perea, who established the program to ensure younger generations understand the sacrifice and history connected to one of World War II’s most solemn chapters. Since then, the school’s fifth-grade students have taken on the responsibility of organizing and presenting the ceremony each year, leading the program as a tribute to the soldiers from Deming, New Mexico, and service members across the nation.
The Bataan Death March began on April 9, 1942, during World War II, when approximately 75,000 American and Filipino troops were forced by Japanese forces to march more than 60 miles across the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines after surrendering. Thousands of soldiers died from exhaustion, starvation, dehydration, and abuse during the march and in the days that followed. The event remains one of the most significant and tragic episodes in United States military history, and many New Mexico soldiers were among those who endured the ordeal.
This year’s remembrance program will include student readings, poems, and musical performances, along with the presentation of the colors. Guest speakers are scheduled to address the audience, including Crystal Diamond Brantley as the keynote speaker, as well as Michelle Shillito.
Organizers say the ceremony is designed not only to honor the past but also to teach leadership, responsibility, and civic pride. Students in the fifth-grade class take full responsibility for planning and conducting the event, guiding the program from start to finish.
Parents, community members, veterans, public safety personnel, and first responders are all invited to attend the ceremony, which will be held at 10 a.m. on April 9th in the school gymnasium. School officials encourage the public to come out and support the student-led presentation and join in honoring the memory of those who served.
The annual ceremony continues to serve as a meaningful reminder of sacrifice, service, and the importance of preserving local history for future generations.