Maj. Richard Gordon and Tillman Rutledge shaking hands over the installation of the BBB plaque on Mt. Samat.

On July 26, 7:25 PM (19:25) NEW YORK TIME, I LOST A VERY CLOSE FRIEND, A BUDDY, DICK GORDON, MAJOR USA RETIRED, ADJUTANT AND COMMANDER OF THE BATTLING BASTARDS OF BATAAN.

DICK LOST HIS LONG BATTLE WITH THE JAPANESE SLAVE LABOR, BREATHING CEMENT DUST, WHILE BUILDING A HYDRO-ELECTRIC DAM FOR THE JAPANESE, IN NAGANO, JAPAN. IT FINALLY DESTROYED HIS LUNGS. YES, THE JAPANESE CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR THIS, ALTHOUGH THE JAPANESE WILL NOT CONFESS TO IT.

DICK WAS PLACED ON LIFE SUPPORT 16 JULY 2003, TAKEN OFF 26 JULY 2003.

WE THOUGHT, WE WERE GOING TO LOSE DICK OVER TWO YEARS AGO BUT, BEING THE FIGHTER HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN, HE MADE IT.

DICK GORDON AND I WERE IN CO. F, US 31ST INFANTRY, POLAR BEARS, TOGETHER AT ESTADO MAYOR, IN MANILA. WE FOUGHT IN BATAAN.  WE WALKED THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH FROM MARIVELES TO SAN FERNANDO, FROM THERE, WE WERE PACKED INTO BOXCARS AND SENT TO CAPAS, WHERE WE WALKED, AGAIN, INTO CAMP "DEATH", O'DONNELL.

DICK WAS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE BATTLING BASTARDS OF BATAAN. IN FACT, HE STARTED THE BBB. HE WAS THE LEADER IN GETTING OUR BBB MEMORIAL WALL AT O'DONNELL ERECTED.

DICK WAS A MAN OF HIS WORD. OUR MEMORIAL AT O'DONNELL, IN CAPAS, TARLAC IS VISITED BY MANY TOURISTS.

I HAVE LOST A DEAR FRIEND TODAY. BUT, I FIND SOLACE IN THE FACT THAT HE NO LONGER SUFFERS FROM THE 3 1/2 YEARS OF INHUMANE TREATMENT BY THE JAPANESE.  THE TORTURE, BEATINGS, STARVATION... FREELY HANDED OUT BY THE JAPANESE, WHICH THEY WILL STILL NOT ADMIT.

DICK, I LOVE YOU, MAN. YOU HAVE EARNED YOUR PLACE UP THERE. THE JAPANESE CAN NOT TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU.
 

TILLMAN RUTLEDGE,
ADJUTANT/COMMANDER
BATTLING BASTARDS OF BATAAN