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During the July 4 Raising of the Flag ceremony, the daughter of a Bataan Death March Survivor spoke to the crowd gathered at Ely’s Veterans Memorial.
With her hand on the Bataan marker, Jean (Folio) Nappa talked about the impact that event had on her life. The first name on the plaque is “CPT Etalo Folio USAF.”
Nappa recommended reading the book “Horror Trek” about the Bataan Death March.
“It was the most painful book I ever read because it was written by somebody who went through the Bataan Death March. So if you get a chance and you want to know about it, that’s what my dad told me to read when he was still alive. He had to leave to early,” said Nappa.
Folio was captured after the fall of the Philippine Islands in 1942 and after the Bataan Death March he was held by the Japanese as a Prisoner of War until his return to U.S. Military control at the end of hostilities in 1945.
Etalo Folio died on Nov. 12, 1979 at the age of 59.
“They told him it took at least 20 years off his life. So I didn’t get to have him for much more than 18 years. But I was so thankful for each one of those years. So let’s just give all of our veterans thanks today because we have so much to be grateful for. God bless America.”
