Only about one-third of the POWs survived the Bataan Death March. Having known about the horrid, abusive treatments of the Americans and Filipino by the Japanese, the Allies had many of the people who were involved charged and sentenced. To do so, the Allies classified different Japanese officials and diplomats into one of the three appropriate classes:
Class A- Those who were suspected of going against peace.
Class B- Those who were suspected of ordering or allowing others to commit war crimes.
Class C- Those who were suspected of carrying out the war crimes.
Over the next two years, all trials, which were organized and carried out by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE), were
held in the War Ministry office in Tokyo. Eleven judges, chosen by General Douglas MacArthur, presided over the trials.
Note: Records of the death march were burned. There isn't enough accurate information about the death toll during the march.
The general, American public did not know about the Bataan Death March until about two years after the event. The government knew of the march in April 1943, when a small group of Americans escaped from one of the camps in the Philippines. However, the death march was not acknowledged publicly until it made headline in the newspaper the following year.
By August 1945, most captured American soldiers were freed by U.S. armed forces. Others were freed by the forces as they were advancing. The soldiers were then taken to military hospitals, where many remained for months due to the extent of their conditions. About 1/3 of returning American soldiers died, with their bodies having suffered in a harsh environment for so long.
The general, American public did not know about the Bataan Death March until about two years after the event. The government knew of the march in April 1943, when a small group of Americans escaped from one of the camps in the Philippines. However, the death march was not acknowledged publicly until it made headline in the newspaper the following year.
By August 1945, most captured American soldiers were freed by U.S. armed forces. Others were freed by the forces as they were advancing. The soldiers were then taken to military hospitals, where many remained for months due to the extent of their conditions. About 1/3 of returning American soldiers died, with their bodies having suffered in a harsh environment for so long.
Many surviving soldiers from the Bataan Death March were upset with the Treaty of 1951, or the Treaty of Peace, that was created with Japan. In the treaty, it was agreed that none of the soldiers from the march will be able to sue Japanese companies in which they were used as forced labor. There is no intention behind this statement in the treaty besides wanting to establish peace and avoid quarrel with Japan for the benefit of the United States.
The relationship between the United States and the Philippines strengthened, since American and Filipino soldiers had suffered together throughout the death march and its aftermath, fighting against a common enemy. The relationship between the United States and Japan, and the Philippines and Japan, started off as bitter. Japanese soldiers never acknowledged the fact that they were behind the deaths of so many Americans and Filipino, which added more to the barrier between Japan and the two countries. Now, however, the relationship between Japan and the two countries is slowly healing itself. America has come to accept Japan economically.
The relationship between the United States and the Philippines strengthened, since American and Filipino soldiers had suffered together throughout the death march and its aftermath, fighting against a common enemy. The relationship between the United States and Japan, and the Philippines and Japan, started off as bitter. Japanese soldiers never acknowledged the fact that they were behind the deaths of so many Americans and Filipino, which added more to the barrier between Japan and the two countries. Now, however, the relationship between Japan and the two countries is slowly healing itself. America has come to accept Japan economically.