GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (May 17, 2017) -- Peggy Garza, chair of the English Language Program Department at the George C. Marshall European Center's Partner Language Training Center Europe never knew the details of her father's time as a World War II prisoner of war in the Pacific theater. "My father didn't tell us much about his experience," said Garza. Her father's ordeal inspired Garza to take a trip to the Philippines this past April to retrace his steps along the Bataan Death March.
FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HER FATHER
Garza's father, William Schoeffler, was an Army private serving with the 803rd Engineer Battalion at Clark Air Base in the Philippines when the war broke out in December 1941. Unfortunately, Japanese forces captured Schoeffler and his unit on April 9, 1942. Schoeffler and his comrades joined the forced procession approximately 17 kilometers from it start in Mariveles. Schoeffler survived the forced march and subsequent internment for more than three and a half years in a camp near Cabanatuan, Luzon, Philipinnes. Of the approximately 3200 American POWs held there, Schoeffler was one of only 647 that were alive and liberated at the end of the war.
Garza reflected on her visit to these sites nearly 72 years after her father's return. "My brother and I traveled to where his march began and then to San Feranando where my father was put into a railroad boxcar and moved to the prisoner of war camp. Many more died during that trip. I don't know how he survived," said Garza.
The first-hand visit to the POW camp also gave Garza a deeper appreciation for her father's indomitable spirit and determination in the face of such harrowing circumstances. "I read in some of his wartime letters my mother saved [that] he was very committed to his brothers and sisters and he frequently asked if they were behaving and doing well in school. I think this commitment helped him survive during his captivity," said Garza. "He was a very religious man and I think that mattered, too."
RECOMMITMENT TO TODAY'S THREATS
In addition to visiting the camp site, Garza and her brother also attended the 75th commemoration of the Bataan March and veterans' week held at Mount Samat National Shrine in Pilar, Bataan on April 9. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivered an address at the event, saying, "As we fought together to stave off the enemy then, so should we help each other to address the threats that confront our societies, our region and our world."
Those words struck a chord with Garza. Her father's legacy was a reflection of her day-to-day work. "I'm listening to Duterte and when he said those words, I thought, 'Hey! He's talking about the Marshall Center!' That's exactly what we do--bring people together to fight those threats, said Garza." I was not only proud of my father's service but I think I appreciate the contribution my coworkers and I are making today."
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