Fort Jackson team finishes first at Bataan march

By Wallace McBride, Fort Jackson LeaderApril 2, 2015

Fort Jackson team finishes first at Bataan march
Fort Jackson's team for the 2015 Bataan Memorial Death March finished first in its category March 22 at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. Pictured are, from left, 1st Lt. Paul Kuwik; 1st Sgt. Ricardo Gutierrez; Capt. Erik Bondhus; Staff Sgt. Keisha Lee... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT JACKSON, S.C. (April 2, 2015) -- A team of Soldiers from Fort Jackson were among the thousands of participants in this year's Bataan Memorial Death March.

When the numbers were tallied, the group had come in first place in the "Military Co-Ed Heavy Teams" category, finishing the 26.2-mile course in six hours, five minutes. Thousands of active-duty Service members participated in the March 22 event, representing all branches of the U.S. armed forces, as well as military men an women from Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom and other parts of the world.

"It was awesome seeing Service members from all branches out there," said Capt. Erik Bondhus, of the 1st Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment, who was part of the Fort Jackson team to run course at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. "There was also wounded warrior participation. Seeing them out there -- Soldiers who've had amputated limbs -- participating was also inspirational."

Fort Jackson's team was made up of Bondhus; 1st Sgt. Ricardo Gutierrez, MEDDAC; 1st Lt. Paul Kuwik, MEDDAC; Staff Sgt. Keisha Lee, 2nd Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment; and Master Sgt. James Mastrodomenico, 1st Battalion, 61st Infantry Regiment.

Accompanying the team was retired Col. Ben Skardon, 97, a survivor of the Bataan Death March. Skardon was among the prisoners of war forced to march for days through the jungles of the Philippines in 1942. Hundreds -- if not thousands -- of Soldiers died during the march. More than 70 years later, the exact number of casualties remains unknown.

"He's a phenomenal individual," Bondhus said. "He actually walked 8.5 miles. It was great to see him out there."

Fort Jackson began building its team at the start of the year, he said.

"We had a tryout late in January, then trained twice a week until the actual march," he said. "Tuesdays (we did) a ruck march, ranging from 8 miles to 16 miles. The pack weight was about 35 pounds."

The Soldiers followed this training session two days later with a boot run in uniform that covered the same amount of distance.

"It was my first marathon ever," Lee said. "It was extremely challenging doing the same hills on a weekly basis. The actual course was not something you could train for."

"It was incredible to shake their hands, listen to and honor the Bataan Death March survivors," Kuwik said. "A personal record is impossible to set, but the Bataan memorial is definitely (a run) to complete."

Gutierrez said the event is the most difficult marathon in which he has ever participated.

"But it's also the most rewarding," said Gutierrez, who was participating in the event this year for the ninth time. "Having the opportunity to see and pay honor to the few remaining Bataan survivors who actually did the march is an experience I will never forget."

Bondhus said the team's success was a group effort, supported with help from many people not present for the actual event in New Mexico.

"I want to thank the different commands that allowed us to go," he said.

Fort Jackson MWR financed and coordinated the trip, which Bondhus said received a great deal of support from the post's commanding general, Maj. Gen. Bradley Becker.

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