ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Bataan

Bataan is a place with a very interesting history. It's a province located in the Philippines, which is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean.

A long, long time ago, the Philippines were colonized by Spain, which means that people from Spain came and took over the country. In 1898, the Philippines became independent from Spain. But then, another country called Japan took over the Philippines during World War II.

During the Japanese occupation, many brave Filipino and American soldiers fought to protect their country. One of the most famous battles during this time happened in Bataan. The soldiers there had to fight for months against the Japanese, even though they were very tired, hungry, and sick. But they didn't give up because they loved their country and wanted to protect it.

Eventually, the soldiers in Bataan had to surrender to the Japanese because they just didn't have enough resources to continue fighting. This was very sad for many people, especially the families of the soldiers. But the bravery that the soldiers showed in Bataan is remembered and celebrated every year through a special holiday called "Day of Valor." It's an important reminder to always stand up for what is right and to never give up, no matter how hard things may seem.