User Reviews

The U.S. Army's Philippine Scouts must never be forgotten. This film is a wonderful way to educate the public to their storied history and legacy. The Scouts were formed in the early 20th century to protect the Philippines. Their finest hour took place when they faced the invading Japanese in December of 1941. The some 12,000 Scouts were never defeated in battle, but there just weren't enough of them to stem the Japanese onslaught. The Philippine Commonwealth's Army of about 100,000 was not well trained and poorly equipped. This film, Forgotten Soldiers, tells the story of the Scouts in a gripping fashion. Despite being outnumbered you can see how disciplined and aggressive they were in battle. The Japanese timetable to conquer the Philippines was completely upset largely by the determined resistance of the Scouts. This resistance was inspirational and clearly epotimzed the ensuing battle cry "Back to Bataan." My uncle, Alexander R. Nininger, Jr., was a Scout at the time of his death on Bataan. For his heroism he was awarded the Medal of Honor, one of three Scouts to be so honored. This film is a must see not only because of the exciting scenes depicting ferocious combat but it also depicts the poignant and sad surrender of Filipino-American forces and the ensuing march that has become known as the Bataan Death March. Sen. John Alexander Patterson President Emeritus Philippine Scouts Heritage Society