In the center of the memorial circle.

A cube shaped block of inscribed marble with inscriptions on all 4 sides along with a brass relief on the front side.

The monument remembers General Jonathan “Skinny” Wainwright “The Hero of Bataan”

Wainwright was the 4th Army's commander in the Philippines when the U.S. entered World War II. After the Pearl Harbor attack, Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur — who was in charge of Pacific forces — at direction of the President departed the Philippine capital of Manila ahead of a Japanese invasion. So, in 1942, Wainwright became senior field commander of U.S. and Philippine forces and was tasked with defending the islands. 

The battle for the Philippines was hard-fought and spanned several months. U.S. troops faced starvation, disease and rough jungle conditions after being cut off from supplies. Despite being advised to leave, Wainwright was authorized to continue the fight from the Bataan Peninsula. He fought alongside his men and often visited the front lines of battle.

The Philippines fell to the Japanese on April 9, 1942, but Wainwright and thousands of others survived and escaped to Corregidor, the last Allied stronghold in the island chain. There, they hid and dodged air bombardments for another month. 

Wainwright finally surrendered the island to the Japanese on May 6, 1942. He and the remaining Allied troops were forced to join the Bataan Death March to prison camps in the Philippines and on other Japanese-held islands. 

Three years and three months later, in August 1945, Wainwright was released from a liberated prisoner-of-war camp. Two weeks later, he stood behind MacArthur on the USS Missouri when the general signed the Japanese surrender documents.

One of the quotes on the monument, was from Carlos Romulo, a Philippine soldier, statesman and diplomat who also fought on Corregidor.

The text on the monument is written in English and reads:

Front side under the brass of Wainwright:

General Jonathan M. Wainwright

1883 to 1953

HERO OF BATAAN

Medal of Honor Citation

“General Jonathan M. Wainwright, 02131, commanding United States

Army Forces in the Philippines from 12 March to 7 May 1942. 

He distinguished himself by intrepid and determined leadership against greatly

superior enemy forces. At the repeated risk of life above and beyond the call of duty

in his position he frequented the firing line of his troops where his presence provided

the example and incentive that helped make the gallant efforts of these men

possible. The final stand on beleaguered Corregidor, for which he was in

an important measure personally responsible, commanded the admiration of 

the Nation’s allies It reflected the high morale of American arms in the

face of overwhelming odds. General Wainwright’s courage and resolution

were a vitally needed inspiration to the then sorely pressed freedom

loving peoples of the world”

President Harry S. 

September 10th 1945

White House Rose Garden

Side 2 (North Side):

 “We must remain strong and great in spirit, fixed in 

our determination to keep the peace of the world. Peace is a militant state which is not secured by wishful thinking. If we are to be sure of our liberty, we must preserve the peace through full cooperation with other peace-loving nations. We must be ready to fight for it, if necessary. Until we can be certain that our security is safe from such treachery as we have suffered at the hands of the Japanese, we must keep our defenses impregnable. That is the lesson of Bataan. That is the trust of all those who suffered from the defeat at Corregidor.” 

General Jonathan M. Wainwright

1945

Side 3 (South Face):

“This man, this American eagle taken captive, is now our emblem of unceasing watchfulness and our standard for the eternal battle for universal peace and security. Let us thus remember him for the rest of our human history as the symbol of vigilance and victory. Bataan was his heroism, and his martyrdom was Corregidor.”

Brigadier General Carlos Romulo

September 10th 1945

Washington Monument

Side 4:

Dedicated May 6th 1999

Major Contributors: ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES OF THE 

UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY. 

BATTLING BASTARDS OF BATAAN

Major Richard Gordon Adjutant

PLATOON SERGEANT ANDY N. CAMPBELL, USMC

4th Marines Corregidor

The Family of 

COLONEL NICOLL F. GALBRAITH G.S.C. U.S.A. 

The Family of

MAJOR GENERAL EDWARD P. KING, JR. 

and Friends

PHILIPPINE SCOUTS HERITAGE SOCIETY

National

GOLDEN GATE BAY AREA CHAPTER

Philippine Scouts Heritage Society

CORPORAL EVERETT D. REAMER 60th C.A. U.S.A. 

ROBERT F. REYNOLDS

Valor Tours Ltd. 

The Family of

PETER S. WAINWRIGHT

LIEUTENANT COLONEL CHARLES H. WYATT

MAJOR VALDEMOR O. ZIALCITA, M.C.P.A. 

The Family of

MAJOR DAMON J. GAUSE, U.S.A.A.C. 

COLONEL SAMUEL C. GRASHIO, U.S.A.F. (ret) 

21st Pursuit Squadron – U.S.A.A.C. 

LIEUTENANT COLONEL JUANITA REDMOND HIPPS

United States Air Corps (ret) 

Angel of Bataan

BRIGADIER GENERAL WILLIAM G. HIPPS U.S.A.F. (ret) 

JONATHAN MAYHEW WAINWRIGHT, VII

DANIEL S. WAINWRIGHT