by Duke Doering
On April 12, 1942, 2nd Lt. Theodore I. Spaulding was an American Soldier, a prisoner of war, on foot in the Philippines walking north in what was later to be named the Bataan Death March. Spaulding had unfortunately become involved in the most ruthless forced march in American military history. This march took place after the Japanese had taken control of the Philippine Islands.
The United States had controlled the Philippines as a Territory since the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898-99 and had a military presence there under the command of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The Japanese attacked the Philippines on December 8, 1941, one day after they had attacked Pearl Harbor. These two events signaled the United States entry into World War II.
12,000 United States Soldiers were teamed with the Filipino Soldiers to fight the Japanese. Both armies fought hard for four months but they were finally overwhelmed and on April 9, 1942 the American’s and Filipino’s waived the white flag of surrender. The Japanese military had no way of being prepared to accept 78,000 prisoners. Without proper transportation for the 12,000 U.S. and 66,000 Filipino prisoners they decided to march their Prisoners of War (POWs) to Camp McDonald. The Bataan Death March began on April 10, 1942 with the POWs marching up the east coast of Bataan.
The men, already desperately weakened by hunger and disease, suffered unspeakably during the march. Regardless of their condition, POWs who could not continue or keep up with the pace were summarily executed. Some of the guards made a sport of hurting or killing the POWs. The Death Marchers received almost no water or food, further weakening their fragile bodies. Most POWs only received a total of a few cups of rice, and little or no water. The POWs marched roughly 65 miles over the course of about six days until they reached San Fernando. Many of them died. Lieutenant Spaulding was one of those who lived.
Lieutenant Spaulding was later loaded in the hold of a Japanese ship and sent to Japan. When the war ended, more than three years later, he was working as slave labor in the coal mines in Japan. Following the end of WW II Lt. Spaulding remained in the Army. In March 1950 he was assigned as an Army Advisor to the South Dakota National Guard’s 3rd Battalion, 196th Regimental Combat Team (RCT). He went of active duty with the 196th during the Korean Mobilization with the mission of commanding the Provisional Battalion to train new recruits for the Regiment.
Capt. Spaulding remained in the Army until April 1953, when he joined the 196th Regimental Combat Team of the South Dakota National Guard. When the 196th Regimental Combat Team was de-activated in 1956 he transferred to the newly formed 153rd Engineer Battalion. He was later 
appointed Battalion Commander, a command he held for nine years.
Spaulding was later promoted to Colonel and commanded the 109th Engineer Group. His last assignment, prior to his retirement, was a state appointment to Brigadier General in the duty position of Assistant Adjutant General.
