Los Alamos High seniors complete Bataan Memorial Death March

Two Los Alamos High School seniors stepped into one of New Mexico’s hardest remembrance events, joining more than 4,500 marchers at White Sands Missile Range for the 37th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March. Because of forecast heat, organizers limited every participant in 2026 to the 15.6-mile Honorary Distance, turning the March 21 event into a grueling test of preparation as well as a tribute.

Matthew Haight and Noah Banks were among the local students recognized for taking part in the annual march, which honors the American and Filipino defenders of Bataan during World War II. The event commemorates the surrender of April 9, 1942, and the original march that followed, in which nearly 10,000 men died. What began as a wartime tragedy has grown into a major New Mexico gathering that draws thousands of participants from all 50 states and several countries.

For Los Alamos, the significance goes beyond a line in a school roundup. The Bataan march is not a casual endurance walk. Organizers normally offer a full 26.2-mile march and an honorary 14.2-mile march, and their FAQ says participants should train in their marching footwear and recommend at least 100 miles of wear before race day. The minimum age is 9 for the honorary march and 13 for the full march, with supervision requirements built into the rules.

That makes the appearance of two high school seniors stand out. Haight also has a MaxPreps wrestling bio, underscoring that he is already part of the Los Alamos athletics scene, but the march asked for something different than a mat or a scoreboard. It required stamina, discipline and a willingness to take part in an event rooted as much in history and public memory as in physical endurance.

The Army said more than 4,500 marchers took part in the 2026 event, while another event report placed attendance at more than 4,603. Either figure points to the same scale: this is a major memorial gathering, not a small community exercise. At White Sands Missile Range near Las Cruces, the march once again connected New Mexico students, veterans and families to a World War II story that still carries weight 84 years after the surrender of Bataan.