BNSF News

BNSF Donation Helps Honor World War II Veterans

2007-11-29

When the rotunda area of the McKinley County Courthouse (Gallup, N.M.) was completed, it featured a very special plaque honoring veterans from the area who participated in the Bataan Death March during World War II. However, there were errors to the plaque that needed to be corrected to fully honor the veterans who were among the 90,000 to 100,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war who were forced to march 60 miles from Bataan to a prison camp in May 1942.

On Nov. 8, Commissioner Dave Dallago, County Manager Tom Speedy Trujillo and County Attorney Douglas W. Decker were presented $1,000 from the BNSF Foundation by Bob Munguia, director, Government Affairs.

Patricia Lundstrom, New Mexico House Representative from District 9, was instrumental in working with BNSF to help in this project to correct some clerical errors that were made in the casting of the Bataan Death March Veterans’ plaque.

"On behalf of the Board of County Commissioners, we want to thank these veterans, BNSF and Patricia Lundstrom for her efforts in getting this donation for this very worthy cause," said Dallago.

Photo: (from left) Tom "Speedy" Trujillo, McKinley County Manager; Bob Munguia, director, Government Affairs, David Dallago, McKinley County Commissioner; and Douglas Decker, McKinley County Attorney.

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