The Ghost of Bataan, Arthur Wermuth - A One Man Army With 116 Kills 

Sorry not as much humor & excitement. Really hard talking about Bataan. But I still thought it was and important story.

As a Filipino American, Arthur Wermuth and the countless American bravery and selfless acts is the reason why I join the corp when I was old enough.

My great uncle was in the Philippines and survived the Bataan Death March and the POW camp. Unfortunately near the end he was shipped off in a Hell Ship to be taken back to Japan, however the Japanese did not mark their POW vessels as such and it was targeted by a US submarine as a Japanese troop transport and they sunk it with a torpedo attack. My great Uncle died in that attack. Thank you sharing these stories as not everyone has heard of them and those that fought on against impossible odds.

This man absolutely should be honored with the Medal of Honor, he’s absolutely a legend and we need more men like him these days

As a Fil-Am service member, thank you for covering Bataan and the Philippine Scouts. They’re very much the unsung heroes of the opening acts of WWII and it warms my heart to see them get the recognition they deserve

When I was in sixth grade, during our Veteran’s Day program, someone’s grandparents attended. This is when I learned of the Bataan death march. The gentleman was in the march and was unable to tell the story so his wife did. He stood beside her bawling his eyes out the entire time. That is THE QUIETEST I have ever heard hundreds of kids in a gym at any time in my life and that was the day I knew I was going to serve.

My Grandfather was a survivor of the Bataan Death March. I was too young at the time to understand the gravity of the stories my father (a marine himself) would tell me about his dad. To this day, I remember seeing the pride he had of *his* father. I lost my dad a few years back so the memories hit a little harder but I Thank You for bringing this story back to the surface for me. These brave souls should never be forgotten.

Thank you for this story, especially talking about the Philippine Scouts, my grandfather Valentino Juanitas was a Philippine Scout and also a Bataan Death March Survivor. That is how my family became US citizens. My grandmother Alodia was part of the Philippine underground who were spies for the US and Philippine Scouts, she would aid the efforts by smuggling medicine for the troops. Keep doing what you do. Thanks again.

Ya know.... Your dog being named Mushu makes.... It just makes sense

My father fought with the Americans against the Japanese at 14. He got a municipality after the war for his efforts. My American grandfather is still buried over there. Not enough appreciation is given nowadays to the GIs whom helped my Filipino brothers and sisters.

This story gives me great pride for being a Filipino. Up to this day, Americans are welcomed with open arms in the Philippines due to the deep connection our people develop during World War 2. My great grandparents on my mother side, were members of those Guerrillas. The Filipino guerrillas also perfected the technique of using Yo-Yos as a weapon beside knives and fight sticks called Arnis. Great storytelling as always. Keep up the great work.

So...I've watched this video 3 times trying to find some way to react to it other than being numbed by the weight of the story being told. It's shocking...disturbing...to listen to this account while knowing what happened to the soldiers who were forced into the Bataan Death March. You find these snippets of history that SHOULD be taught and bring them to light. Thank you. Until 2 days ago...I didn't even know the Philippine Scouts were a thing. Finding out how absolutely badass they are...damn.

A close family friend celebrated his 17th birthday on that walk across Bataan. One day, riding the train to work, i happened across a bit of newspaper that had an obit for a survivor of that march. I tore it out, and sent it to him. Writing that i doubted he knew the guy, but that at least >someone< was acknowledging what he'd gone through. That i felt it was disgusting that they never gotten any recognition, at least not publicly, for what happened. He wrote back, thanking me for the obit (he didn't know the guy), and for the acknowledgement of their sacrifice and suffering. He included a little hand drawn map of Bataan, his troops and artillery positions on it, explaining how they spent the day they were to surrender blasting the runway with artillery that they'd let the attacking forces think was disabled (until the hour they had been order to surrender), along with some of his debrief from when he was rescued from the POW camp. He was about 5' 5", and upon his release he weighed 78 pounds. He died as that letter made its way to me. Milton Elmore was a great man. I am very glad to have known him.

"Wermuth the lion" and "Ghost of Bataan" are sick nicknames, wild that he didnt get the Medal of Honor. He just wouldnt die, and time after time came through for his men.

Back in 1983, I had the pleasure of meeting a survivor of that death March, the stories he told me. He was liberated from a Japanese controlled coal mine in 1946. Think the fact I was a Air Force brat who had lived on Clark AFB in the mid 50's caused him to take a liking to me...plus I was a recently discharged Vietnam Era Marine. He was a hellava man to call friend. As usual, a great video by the Fat Electrician.

I want to take a moment and thank you, Nic. My grandfather served in the Air Force and deployed to the Philippines during WW2. I loved his stories he would share with me as a youth, and I think it is critically important for today's youth to hear these stories. You are truly a gifted storyteller, and I love your unique way of making forgotten stories of the past come to life. Keep up the important work you are doing, and thanks for the top-notch entertainment.

My great grandfather was at the Battle of the Pockets at Bataan and Corregidor as a Philippine Scout who fought in 1941. He was released in 1943 as a POW and watched his friends die. In 1944 he became a guerilla and helped the Airborne troops clear Tagaytay Ridge with Hunters ROTC. On Veterans Day, I'm picking up his Congressional Gold Medal.

My grandfather so survived the Bataan Death March. He only told his story once, when I was in the 3rd grade. He mentioned sabotaging the efforts and being stuck in a ship for long time being fed only rice. He lost his vision when a Japanese soldier hit him on the back of the head with a pipe after he stumbled. He never ate rice again once he was freed. To this day, we regret not recording him talking to my class.

I have actually had the honor of meeting a Bataan Death March survivor. Clemson University graduate Col. Ben Skardon. He is someone that every single Clemson student knows about to this day. Sadly, he passed away in late 2021 at the age of 104. The story told is too detailed for the comment section, but it’s very much worth looking up. Might also be worth his own video.

This story is not only a great rendition of Arthur Wermuth, combined with a realistic recount of life as a Japanese POW which our Anzac's certainly know, but a solemn reminder of how ferocious the Phillipino soldiers are and why they fight so hard.

Dude you have rapidly gone in as one of my favourite historians. Came across your work when you collaberated with Brandon Herrera on the Operation Chromedome story where the US nearly commited an atomic self delete. Huge appreciation for your amazing ability to deliver history in a unique and fun yet professional way. Huge respect from the UK.

I was blessed with the opportunity to meet a Canadian survivor of a Japanese POW camp. He didn't talk much about what he went through, but i remember the look in his eyes when a Japanese gentleman walked up to us. He lifted himself from the table and turned his back to walk away. Before leaving, he apologized to the Japanese man but told him the memories of what his people did to his comrades forced him to leave. I have visited the edges of hell, but that man had lived there

I remember "Army of One," being a slogan. Probably this incredible man's legacy in a roundabout way. Great job, as always.

The turning from Rambo to Bugs Bunny got me laughing way too hard. Cant believe something like that actually worked

Thank you for recognizing the incredible valor of Arthur Wermuth and the Philippine Scouts. My father was an NCO in the Scouts, one of those who had to move from Ft. McKinley to Bataan. When the surrender went down, Dad and 3 of his privates decided to escape cross-country just hours before the Death March. Joining the flood of civilian refugees, they survived a brutal week of detention at a checkpoint without being exposed. Two weeks later, Dad reunited with his family, and after recovering from malaria, joined the Resistance. After two years of undercover intel gathering, in Sept. 1944 he was field-promoted to captain and trained a company of guerrillas in small arms, espionage & sabotage. When MacArthur's liberation forces arrived, thousands of guerrillas (soldiers & civilians) opened the jumbo cans of whoop-ass they had saved up for the occasion. That was a bad time to be a Japanese soldier.

I would love a video on Simo Häyhä “The White Death”. A Finnish sniper with over 500 confirmed kills with a sniper with only iron sights. He even outlived the Soviet Union. Not American but I would love to learn more about this Legend!

We moved from the U.S. to Pampanga (Angeles City) in 2015 and have visited a few sites commemorating the death march since, but this is the first time hearing about Arthur Wermuth. Wonderfully told story - thank you.

You Sir, are a one man army! Bringing these stories to the world is an honorable deed. Your humor and presentation is only surpassed by your obvious research. Good on you Sir! I really appreciate your respect to these men and women of which you speak! Thank you.

Thank you for covering this. My grandfather survived the death march. He was barely 18 from a small town in Idaho. Its something that is not covered much. He survived POW camp and lived to be 98. to be 98.

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A masterpiece as always, thank you for teaching me something new. I enjoy Simon Whistler videos to hear stories but I know they are produced quickly and with errors. YOUR videos however are incredibly detailed, highly engaging, and I get genuinely excited when you post them. The time you spend on them is apparent and they are wonderfully told. Your passion is clear as day and your curiosity is infectious. Congrats on all of your success and thank you for reassuring us in the pinned comment you are still you and this success hasn’t gone to your head. Humor and excitement are tools to convey a particular type of story. This story called for being immersive, emotional, and paying respect. It really feels like your goal is to honor the hero’s of our past in every video you make. Never stop being genuine, never stop being a teacher, never stop being you.

My father was in the Philippines after the start of WW2, with the US Army Air Corp. with Philippine scouts. He never talked about this time in his life. He only spoke of time in service after the end of the war. Serving in Japan, England, Morocco, and State side with Air Force. 22 year of services Master Sargent at time of retirement. Everyone just called him Sarg.

Terrible circumstances. Inspiring man. I salute you, sir. Everyone else sees one man doing something insane at all times. He saw the chances to do one crazy action and inflict injury and fear, then run away and repeat that fear later. Everyone else saw they were going to be surrounded. He saw a target rich environment.

Dude I just found your content two days ago and you’re quickly becoming my favorite RU-vidr. I’ve burned through your entire library like twice already 😂

You really deserve to be one of the biggest channels especially because you tell the lost stories of amazing warriors that no one else is telling. We need patriots not people who hate our great country!

My uncle’s grandfather was in the Philippine Scouts and survived the March. Not sure about specifics but I saw the video and shared it with him and he told me some of what happened. The Japanese went looking for his pregnant wife (grandma pregnant with his dad) and the family hid her in the oven because they didn’t know what would happen. Both survived the war and moved to the US.

You sir are filling the gaps that public school left in my knowledge. I never liked or was very interested in history class my entire schooling career, but you have lit a fire in me. I am hungry for knowledge about the history of this country and others, wars, and general badassery from the US and others. Guns and planes and tanks and ships, youve fueled the red blooded american in me and make me more knowledgeable with each of your videos. Plus I fucking love your sense of humor Keep doing the damn thing man, love you and your content. Quack bang out

Dude, you somehow portray laughably absurd situations with so much humanity it almost draws tears. Born storyteller.

My uncle's dad was a marine in the Philippines and was captured on corregadore. Hope that was spelled correctly. It really unsettled him for his entire life. And was imprisoned in Manchuria. He died of esophageal cancer in 1989. He was 17 or 18 when captured. After the war he did odd jobs and drove trucks. I kinda remember him when I was a child. Seemed to me be a nice man. He also worked for my dad .

The way you tell these stories is nothing short of beautiful, teared up a few times during this vid

Thank you for talking about the horrors being a Japanese POW. My Grandfather was a Marine guarding the US embassy in China, when they attacked and he was captured the first day of the war, and his treatment was brutal but he made it through the whole war, and lived to be 100. He had stories...

Many of the greatest stories in the Army come from following the hardest order to follow, from the Charge of the Minnesota to the Battle of Bataan: "Soldiers, I need more time." You should absolutely do a video on the 1st Minnesota by the way

Dude, I am soooo appreciative of these stories and overviews of people, events, and equipment that most of us have NEVER heard of, and most of which would have never been brought to the attention of folks if not for dudes like you. My granddad passed served in the Army in WWII and fought in the Philippines and Pacific theater, including one incident where he made the local paper for helping take out a Japanese pillbox and earned a Purple Heart from taking shrapnel, but he almost NEVER spoke about his experiences because of the memories and because PTSD was not a recognized thing among his generation. So, it's VERY important that guys like you continue to share the stories that need to be told so that the deeds of these brave men do not become lost over time and generations and, again, for which I am very grateful that you keep the memory of them and their deeds (and some of the wild equipment) alive for future generations.

My Great Grandfather was a Filipino volunteer and sadly died in the death march after the battle for bataan. Thanks for covering this, not many people know about this battle and the people who fought it.

Can you imagine the conversation at the gates of hell? "how did they know we were there? Karu weren't you last man?" " No, there was a guy behind me" "but you were the last man" "Oh, that explains the grenade" "God dammit Karu"

After much inspection I can confirm that mushu is in fact, a good boy

I had a wonderful friend and mentor growing up named Andy Vidra. He was a POW that fought onBataan, and survived the march and the war being moved multiple times. He described many battles and hand to hand combat including repelling Banzai charges. As a 15 year old growing up in the 1970s, he was one of the people who taught me what it meant to be a man, and an American. I am grateful to have had him in my life, as well as other WWll vets. Thanks for telling some of the untold story of Bataan. Our men didn’t just get starved out and surrender, it was fierce and heroic.

Awesome history, thank you! I love the longer posts that you are doing, man.

Don’t care if it was humorous or not. It was still fascinating hearing Wermuth’s story and what he was able to do in the Bataan peninsula.

There is gangster….then there is gangster handing a frag to an enemy you’ve been following less than 10 feet away for miles

I love your videos! I love learning about different battles and individuals during incredible things.

I just stumbled upon your channel and I've been binge-watching all your crazy American history videos. Seriously, you've gotta make more of those! You're awesome!

there are only like 4 people in the military. The leaders: Jake, Arthur, Joe/Jay, Lewis, Dan etc. The followers: the soldiers who aren't expected to, but follow the leaders nonetheless, even on suicide missions. "official" leaders: the ones who give orders away from the front lines. occasionally making things worse. The unknown: the ones who may not stand out in a crowd but were there the entire time. The lost but certainly not forgotten. Their stories may not be known to all, but they will never be forgotten by friends and family.

My grandfather fought in Bataan and was POW for the entire war. The few stories he told were unreal. He weighed 96 pounds when the war was over. He worked in a steel mill for Mitsubishi Ship Works, I believe.

Just subscribed to your channel. You found some interesting stories and they way you speak when telling them makes it impossible to ignore how truly amazing they are

Thank you for this story. Full respect for Mr Wermuth. He deserves the Medal of Honor, in my opinion.

An incredible episode. I love the jokes, but this story deserves the respect you showed it

If it’s a tossup between McNasty and anyone, the dude is a full blown legend already.

All I can say is thank you for the story, may this man never be forgotten.

Love the long format stories! Keep up the amazing work!

God bless the Battling Bastards of Baatan. True badasses and heroes.

I had an uncle that was left behind in the Philippines when MacArthur left. He was hidden by a Filipino family until MacArthur’s return. At which time he was sent home to the state. He stayed in touch with that family until the day he died.

Great information. Thanks for putting this along with other informative videos out. Stay Blessed!

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels, love these stories.

My brother in law is Phillipines Special Operations. I met my current wife through him, while I was on a private contract helping during the time of Marawi (I’m former Psychology Operations). Phillipine Special Operations are some of the coolest, funnest, skilled, and motivated people I ever met. Loved my time with them!

The fact that Sabaton hasn’t written _ANY_ songs about the veterans TFE has covered is surprising. They’re like the encyclopedia of war heroes (though someone like McNasty would detest that hero label)

I've thought I've heard every story about World War 2 until I heard this. I don't know how I missed it but thank God you did a video on this absolute "unit" of a man. What a warrior. I wouldn't mind hearing more about "Jock" or "joc" as well.

From what I recall, my maternal grandfather was a Filipino guerrilla, but was unrecognised for some reason. It's such a shame we lost him in 2002, when I was still around 9 years old, and never get to know his whole story and whether or not he was in Bataan. Either way, thanks for doing this, QB.

You are without a doubt my favorite RU-vidr/history teacher. Thanks for the amazing content!

The thing that amazes me is I have learned WW2 History my entire life and I somehow always learn new things from your videos. Thank you for l you do man

Really great series. Thank you!

I love your narration! Amazing stories about exceptional humans!

Guys like you are why I loved history so much I never got below a b on any project in any history class I ever had. You’re a talented story teller bro major props💯

I did a report on this in high school, thank you for filling in the backstory. One of the reasons I enlisted was because of the battling bastards of Bataan

I absolutely love these stories and your telling of them as well. I am so glad I've discovered this channel

Arthur hiding in an Japanese platoon and comically handing a grenade to someone before running off is some video game MC shit

My Great-Grand Uncles survived the Death March and my Grandfather, also named Crispin, served as a kitchen hand at an American Military base in Luzon as he was only 13 at the time. Along with getting the name "Cris" from granddad, I also learned the stories from the war, learned to appreciate the work of those that fight for freedom as they bleed not for politics but for the people that they love and serve alongside with. Granddad taught me English that he learned while working in the kitchens and he taught me to not harbor hate for the soldiers that fought and bled on both sides. Thank you sir for this story, as bloody and gruesome as it is, it needs to be told and kept alive like the memories of our fallen and the history of all peoples. And as a teacher now, I too wish to be as inspirational as my granddad, his stories and yours as well.

My great uncle survived the Bataan death march. His son used his fathers diary to write a book "the naked flag pole". My great uncle never talked about his experience, but you could tell it affected him deeply.

Excellent episode! Well done!

Keep up the good work bro! I learn with every video!

I worked with a Philippine Scout Veteran & survivor of the Bataan death march. He only had the use of one of his arms due to the damage the Japanese inflicted upon him in captivity. I could see the pain in his eyes when he told us stories.

I gotta say, people are badass. You should go over Fr Emil Kapaun, hes a pretty inspiring story, though not with a high kill count. Look him up, its pretty cool

Hey man, I really like your videos! Thank you so much for making these - making my lunch breaks much better!

Thank you for these videos by far my favorite thing to watch is your videos over anything else on the Internet or on tv.. My daughter is big into history now too. I got her hooked on your channel now also. 🇺🇲💪

Thank you for sharing this story. My grandfather was a Bataan Death March survivor and POW but never talked about it, though I understand why. Some of my greatest conversations while on active duty was with the retirees who came to the hospital for treatment. Putting out these stories helps keep their history known and not forgotten in the dusty tomes of a library, especially with the WW2 generation all but gone and so many lessons lost.

Good stuff! If you ever get a chance, you should do a video on Carlos Hathcock, also known as "white feather," the most decorated sniper in Vietnam. He crawled for a couple days just to get a top VC commander and take him out. He also was the first sniper to take out a Target using a Browning.50 caliber machine gun for a sniper rifle.

Bro I'm so glad I found this channel your stories are awesome

I just found your channel!! All these stories remind me of my Pop. Army/Korean I miss him and your stories brings him back. Thanks

Petition to change the linke Button Intro a quack - bang 🦆🦆💥💥

Man I wish our kids had more teachers like you in school. You do our grand parents proud in the way you tell their stories. It doesn't always have to be comedy to have an awesome video. Well done brother.

You are really good at telling great historical stories. Thank you

As always, excellent telling of an amazing story.

Something i would love to hear you talk about is the liberation of Camp Cabatuan (forgive the spelling) by American forces after the Bataan Death March. So much luck and pure nerve got many pows home. The biography, Ghost Soldiers, details both the pow experience and the raid to free them, and it is incredible.

Really appreciate your stuff, thank you. The offbeat humour is entertaining but respectful and nicely balances the informative content. These people deserve to be remembered and you do a great jon ensuring that.

15:42 This one sentence gave me more info on what led to my great-grandpa’s death than any of my history classes or family historians did (I.E. the “why” behind the marches). My sincere thanks to you.

Stellar content as always man!

It doesn't always have to be funny. I love WWII history and your brand of story telling is 2nd to none. Keep 'em coming!

I think it is a strong testament to the idea of America that so many of their soldiers defer glory of their actions to the actions of the non-Americans who helped them along the way. Excellent video. Thanks for all that you do.

Gotta say man. You've got a great channel every story you tell is done justice humor or not and ensures these men are not forgotten

The fact that I just now found your channel, blows my mind. I love this stuff Soo much