WASHINGTON — Lester Tenney, a 94-year-old survivor of the Bataan Death March during World War II, asked Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday to acknowledge history.
Tenney was invited by Democratic California Rep. Mike Honda to hear Abe’s speech before a joint meeting of Congress and was also a guest at Wednesday night’s gala dinner held by the Japanese Embassy.
Commenting on Abe’s speech, Tenney said it was “disgraceful” to ignore the feeling of WWII survivors.
“He did very well when he made the association of understanding the deceased and their family members,” said Tenney, who flew from California to attend the speech. “He respected those who died, I understand that. What about the few of us still living, who suffered under the hands of the Japanese and their inhumane treatment? He said nothing.”
The Bataan Death March happened shortly after the Battle of Bataan in the Philippines in 1942, when Filipino and American soldiers surrendered to the Imperial Japanese Army. Due to the lack of food and the mistreatment from the Japanese Army, hundreds of American prisoners of war died during the forced march.
Abe mentioned “Bataan” during his speech, but that’s not enough for Tenney and other people who urge the Japanese government to go further.
“What we expect is more than the battle,” said Jan Thompson, president of American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Memorial Society, who was with Tenney at Thursday morning’s press conference. “The speech was so vague. He didn’t give us one definitive sentence to send that message to us that he does know the true history.”
During Tenney’s visit to Japan in 2010, he got an official apology from Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada. Tenney said he is not asking for money or an apology, but asking the Japanese government to acknowledge that fact.
“They don’t believe what happened, that’s very disgraceful,” said Tenney. “And that will probably hurt me more than anything else.”
“He (Tenney) is almost 95 years old. When is he going to get a true vindication?” asked Thompson. “There has been a statement from cabinet members of Abe, who are basically saying they don’t believe the Bataan Death March ever happened. Abe has not come out to condemn that. Abe had the opportunity yesterday to say one word or one sentence.”
After Abe finished the speech at the Capitol, the prime minister walked over to Tenney’s table and shook hands with Tenney.
“I told him that friendship was the most important thing that we have lived, for the Japanese and for the Americans,” said Tenney, “and we must make most of it. And he said ‘Goodbye.’”
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