Historical Convergences

Most of you know that I'm a history major.  Most of the time, Katie indulges my history nerdery.  However, I never thought she would take it to this extreme.

First, a little historical background:  In early April 1942 American and Filipino forces on the Bataan Peninsula surrendered to invading Japanese forces.  What followed, the forced march of over 50,000 prisoners, became known as the Bataan Death March.  Many of the prisoners, weak from starvation and dehydration, were forced along by their Japanese guards, often at the point of a bayonet-tipped rifle.  Those that couldn't continue to walk were either supported by their comrades or fell by the wayside, where they were frequently shot or stabbed by they guards.

Why this depressing history lesson in a blog that is supposed to be uplifting and inspire you to give freely to cure Crohn's and ulcerative colitis?  Because you've heard Katie's account of the St. Louis Marathon, so now it's my turn to talk about what went on.  Almost exactly 70 years after the fall of Bataan (there was only 6 days difference in the dates), the latter portion of the St. Louis Marathon seemed to turn into a reenactment of that infamous March.  From mile 11 to mile 21 we (okay, mainly her) staggered onward, attempting to reach the finish.  With each passing mile it became more difficult for her to move, as her pace continually slowed and the intervals between stretching breaks became shorter and shorter.  Now, there were some obvious differences between our march and the March.  For starters, no one was going to shoot us if we stopped (although if I had been able to get to a gun I might have shot her in the foot to get her to stop).  Second, the people lining the course were supporting us rather than gloating in our defeat.  Finally, and perhaps most crucially, Katie refused any and all assistance I offered her, unlike those survivors of Bataan helped onward by their comrades.

Obviously, I'm not trying to detract from what those who actually had to endure the Death March went through.  And while I felt like a Japanese soldier cruelly driving Katie ever onward, in reality there was nothing I could say or do to get her to quit.  And that's the main reason I bring up the Bataan Death March.  Like the soldiers who made that journey, many of who survived, Katie refuses to give up.  Despite her battle with ulcerative colitis, she spent months training for that marathon.  She wasn't going to let some silly little stress fracture and hip bursitis keep her from finishing any more than those American and Filipino soldiers were going to let the Japanese break their spirit and their will.  If you want to know why you should donate to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, it is so that those afflicted with these diseases will not have their spirits or their wills broken, like Katie.  Now if only the bones in her feet were as strong as her will...