By Michelle Wagner | Outer Banks Voice on April 13, 2021
A few members of the group that will march in Ocracoke in honor of the Bataan Death March. Sergeant Kyle Yancy of the Gaston County Police Department; Jack Dee, a junior at Gaston Day School, Phil Dee of US PATRIOT and Michael Ginther. (Photo courtesy of Phil Dee)
When the COVID-19 pandemic turned the annual Bataan Memorial Death March at the Sands Missile Range in New Mexico into a virtual event, Retired U.S. Army officer Phil Dee hit upon an ideal location for his group to hold their 26-mile memorial march.
Dee, of Kings Mountain, NC, will lead a group of seven, including his son Jack, on a march that will take place on Ocracoke Island on April 16. After taking the ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke, they will hike 13 miles along the beach and N.C. 12 and then turn around and march back to the ferry dock.
The Bataan Death March of 1942 involved 75,000 U.S. and Filipino soldiers who surrendered to Japanese forces after the Battle of Bataan, according to the Bataan Memorial Death March website. Deprived of food, water and medical attention, they were forced to walk 65 miles through jungles and horrendous conditions to confinement camps. Approximately 10,000 soldiers â about 1,000 of them U.S. soldiers â died or were killed along the march. Those who survived were faced the hideous conditions and the brutality of their captors.
The soldiers captured represented multiple branches of the U.S. military, including members of the 200th Coast Artillery, New Mexico National Guard. There are only three U.S. survivors of the march still living today.
âIt’s probably one of the most horrific [incidents of] POW treatments,â Dee stated, noting that many of the prisoners were put on what were called âhell shipsâ and transported to other islands. Dee added that his father was a Navy officer stationed in the South Pacific during World War II and that he had a cousin who had died on one of those ships.
âWhat these men have endured, physically spiritually and emotionally, is unlike anything any of us can even fathom,â he continued. âFor ourselves, we all need to recognize that we can handle much more than we know. Just look at the Bataan survivors. On top of that, they learned to forgive. And that skill is probably what has saved themâŠSelfishly, we want our sons and daughters to know their story and try to understand what these men have done. And then apply it to themselves and know they can handle so much more than they think.â
Dee said that when the group was deciding where to do this yearâs march, they settled on the Outer Banks, agreeing that would be interesting to do it there and that the unpredictable weather adds a challenging element. The group and trip are being sponsored by US PATRIOT Tactical, a military and public safety gear and uniform company that Dee is a partner in.
Deeâs group, which plans on catching the 5 a.m. ferry to Ocracoke to begin the march, is among between 7,000 and 8,000 people across the country registered for this yearâs virtual event that can be done anytime between April 9 and 18.
Dee and his group are shooting to return to the Ocracoke ferry dock for the 3 p.m. ferry and knowing that they will be without supplies or water until they reach Ocracoke Village, they will carry in what they need.
Noting that he is a former tank commander with the U.S. Army and his wife, Sandie, is a former U.S. Army pilot, Dee acknowledged that those they are honoring âare our people.â
(Anyone wishing to march for a few miles with Deeâs group on April 16 is welcome. Phil Dee can be reached at 704-898-2210.)
PUBLIC NOTICE
ADVERTISEMENT FOR RE-BID: Barnhill Contracting Company will receive sealed proposals for the Kill Devil Hills â EMS/Fire Facility (EMS-1) project on Wednesday, February 08, 2023 @ 2:00pm for the following packages:
BP 400 – Turnkey Masonry, BP 505 – Light Gauge Metal Trusses, BP 833 â Overhead Doors, BP 925 â Drywall/Framing, BP 2200 â Plumbing, BP 2300 â HVAC, BP 2600 â Electrical
Scopes of work may be added and/or deleted at the discretion of the Construction Manager.
Bid Location and Time: Bid opening will be held in the Barnhill Contracting Rocky Mount Main Conference Room: 800 Tiffany Bvld, Rocky Mount, NC 27804. Time is as follows: Wednesday, February 08, 2023 at 2:00pm.
Barnhill Contracting Company will receive, open, and read publicly all bids received in person in the training room and listed with the virtual viewing at the link to be posted on Barnhill’s Plan Room.
Bids will not be accepted from bidders that are not pre-qualified. No facsimile or email submissions are permitted. Sealed bids are to be hand delivered to the bid opening location noted above or mailed Sealed Bids can be delivered before 9:00am the day of the bid to the Barnhill Contracting Company Office at 800 Tiffany Blvd., Suite 200 Rocky Mount, NC 27804. Attention âClint Hardison.â
Bid Documents can be viewed or downloaded through Barnhill’s online Building Division Plan Room (https://app.buildingconnected.com/public/54da832ce3edb5050017438b).
All Bidders are strongly encouraged to include opportunities for HUB participation wherever possible in their respective Bid submission. HUB participation is a part of this contract and must comply with all requirements set forth in the Bid Documents.
The Construction Manager and Owner reserve the right to add pre-qualified bidders. The Construction Manager and Owner reserve the right to reject any and all bids. Should you require additional direction, please call Barnhill Contracting Company, (Clint Hardison – 252-802-0740).
Clint Hardison is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Dare County â Kill Devil Hills EMS #01 / FS #14 – 2 PM Re-Bid Opening
Time: Feb 8, 2023 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://barnhillcontracting.zoom.us/j/87409918806
Meeting ID: 874 0991 8806
One tap mobile
+16465189805,,87409918806# US (New York)
+17866351003,,87409918806# US (Miami)
Dial by your location
+1 646 518 9805 US (New York)
+1 786 635 1003 US (Miami)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 470 250 9358 US (Atlanta)
+1 213 338 8477 US (Los Angeles)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Meeting ID: 874 0991 8806
Find your local number: https://barnhillcontracting.zoom.us/u/kdFYJh0K85
Join by SIP
Join by H.323
162.255.37.11 (US West)
162.255.36.11 (US East)
Meeting ID: 874 0991 8806
Comments
Linda DeFrancisco
I think it is wonderful what they are doing. Never forget. I am reading a book about this, and while it is hard to read sometimes, the lesson stands out – you can do more than we think we are capable of. Wish I could be there on the 16th.
Tom Pahl
If anyone knows these folks, please pass along the following: I have hiked the length of Ocracoke on the beach twice. It is not a terribly difficult hike, but both times, I came upon areas of the beach that are closed to pedestrian (and vehicle) traffic due to bird nesting sites being protected. In those cases, I had to go through the dunes to the road – or in one case into the scrub zone past the closure area and walk around the closure area and back to the beach. Just fair warning this may happen and they should be prepared to do some of their walking on the road or in the scrub zone between the road and the dunes. Also there have been sightings of rattle snakes in the dunes (and even on the beach) in Ocracoke. Not as benign as it looks. Good luck. (I live in Ocracoke and I’m available if more info is wanted)
Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice
Tom, some folks mentioned that on the Voice Facebook page and they passed that info on to the marchers.Thanks.